YESTERYEAR CINEMA: "SHOLAY"

Through the screening; there was little reaction. The audience seemed unmoved. There was no laughter, no tears, no applause. Just silence. 'It was very scary,' recalls Geeta (Sippy). In the stalls sat Prakash Mehra, who had once been one of the contenders for the four-line story. 'Maine yeh kahani kyun cchod di? he asked himself aloud. After the film, as the audience streamed out of the hall, Pancham, who had been sitting next to Mehra, whispered to him: 'Log to gaaliyan de rahen hain.' 'Don't worry,' Prakash replied, 'this film is a hit. No one can stop it.'

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YESTERYEAR CINEMA: "SHOLAY"

The morning-after-the premiere grapevine dripped poison. The film was dubbed 'Chholey', and the main cast, 'Teen maharathi aur ek chooha (Three warriors and a mouse)'. Everything was wrong with the film. Why would women and family audiences want to see so much gore? The friendship was in such bad taste. Amjad had no presence, and no voice... 'Hindustaniyon ko aisi picturein nahin achhi lagti hain (Indians don't like films like this),' pronounced a prominent industry figure. The critics agreed. Taking off on the title of the film, K.L Amladi writing in 'India Today' called it a 'dead ember'. Thematically, its a gravely flawed attempt,' he wrote. Filmfare's Bikram Singh wrote: 'The major trouble with the film is the unsuccessful transplantation it attempts- grafting a western on the Indian milieu. The film remains imitation western-neither here nor there.' The trade magazines weren't gushing either. 'The classes and families will find no reason for a repeat show,' said 'Film Information.'
'Trade Guide' called it a milestone but qualified the praise with a negative comparison with 'Deewar' Now it was upto the audience. On 15 August 1975, 'Sholay' was released in the Bombay territory with forty prints.

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YESTERYEAR CINEMA: "SHOLAY"

Dispite the notorious Mumbai ki barish which was coming sown in torrents, the crowds turned up; in fact, many people had started queuing up outside the theatres the night before the advance booking had opened. The demand for the tickets was so high that in some theatres the managers just put the phone off the hook. Looking at the advance, trade pundits were predicting that the film would cross a business of eleven lakh rupees in its first week.

But the buoyancy was balanced by the legions of cynics. After the premiere, the critics and indusrywalas had already given their verdict, and their had been more brickbats than bouquets. Even the black marketeers- those most knowledgeable of critics - were a little apprehensive about the film. Sure, it was the Midas touch of the Sippy's and Salim-Javed, and yes, the film had an impressive starcast, but the story sounded strange: Sanjeev was playing a handicapped man and Jaya a silent widow, and there was some new villain who wasn't in the mould of the suave smugglers of the day like Ajit and Pran.

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YESTERYEAR CINEMA: "SHOLAY"

The Sippy's only hope was that the audience would prove them all wrong. There was no reaction. On Friday, 15 August, the first day of 'Sholay's release, Ramesh drove from one theatre to another to assess the reaction of the audience. As on the premiere night, there was only silence. Over the weekend, panic set in. The theatres were full but the reports were mixed. Pundits were now predicting disaster. No one told Ramesh that, but he could see it in their faces of all those he met. Every one wore that peculiar expression of pity and awkwardness. They met him like he was a man in mourning.

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YESTERYEAR CINEMA: "SHOLAY"

The Sippys moved into damage-control mode. On the weekend, a hurried meeting was convened at Amitabh's house. G.P Sippy, Ramesh and Amitabh put their heads together to try and come up with solutions. Since there was no fear of piracy at the time, the release of the film in the major territories was being staggered. They could make substantial alterations before 'Sholay' hit the rest of the country. One suggestion was re-shooting the end again. Amitabh, post'Zanjeer' and 'Deewar', was too big a star to die. Jai was just a petty thief, he hadn't done anything to deserve death. Perhaps an ending in which the two couples walk into the sunset would salvage the film. Salim-Javed were vehement that the film shouldn't be touched. Ramesh considered the suggestion for a new ending, but not for long. His head said he should do it but his heart wouldn't allow it. He went with his heart A happy end would compromise his film even further. It was important that the audience leave the theatre with a feeling that something had been left unfinished. That slight ache in the heart was part of the film's appeal. Not a frame would be touched. He would swim or sink with the film.

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YESTERYEAR CINEMA: "SHOLAY"

As the week wore on the anxiety of the crew turned into depression. On Monday morning, when the second week advance booking opened, there were modest queues outside Minerva and Excelsior where the 70mm prints were showing. At other theatres, hardly two or three people stood for tickets. In most of the suburban theatres, matinee shows had less than fifty per cent collections. For Ramesh, this was confirmation that all was lost. He was devastated. That evening he walked into Film Center, where more prints were being made, and told Anwar, 'Printing band kar do. Abhi kuchh samajh main nahin aa raha hai (Stop the printing. I don't understand what's going on.)' At home the unflappable demeanour cracked. It was the first time in his remarkable career that he was facing a flop. 'I think I've failed,' he told Geeta.

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YESTERYEAR CINEMA: "SHOLAY"


POSTER:

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YESTERYEAR CINEMA: "SHOLAY"


This was one of two posters produced for regional or overseas distribution. They used similar typography to the original poster but made the portraits of the stars their main focus. This poster features Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bhaduri. The dramatic inferno of flames which surround the portraits refers to the title of the film, Flames of the Sun.

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YESTERYEAR CINEMA: "SHOLAY"



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YESTERYEAR CINEMA: "SHOLAY"

At the Sippy house the tension was palpable. G.P Sippy stood rock-steady and characteristically optimistic. He was sure that the film would turn around. But at the back of his mind sat unpleasant thoughts: The film had gone way over budget and creditors had to be paid back. They might never be able to make another film again. This was one gamble that could put them back years. There were even rumours that the Sippys were packing up and leaving the country. One week later, on 22 August 1975, 'Sholay' was released in Bangalore in six theatres. Suresh Malhotra, the distributer, organized a grand premiere. The entire main cast and crew flew in for the night. Suresh loved 'Sholay'. When interviewed by 'Film Information' in July, he had predicted that the film would do a business of one crore. But it didn't look like the business would bear his claim. Even before the first week was over, collections took a dip in Bangalore.

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YESTERYEAR CINEMA: "SHOLAY"

But the worst affected was Amjad. As negative feedback filtered in, Amjad became more and more silent. The normally effusive and volatile man retreated into a shell. His house was enveloped in gloom. An equally disheartened Asrani visited him in the first week. Asrani had been shooting at the nearby Mehboob Studio with Aruna Irani and she had suggested dropping in at Amjad's. 'Maine dam laga diya, ab nahi chali. kya kar sakte hain (I gave it all I had, but it hasn't worked. There's nothing to be done now),' Amjad told them mournfully. 'Lekin aapki taareef to bhut ho rahi hai (But theres great things being said about your performance),' Asrani countered. Praise was little consolation. 'What's the use, yaar?' Amjad replied, fighting back tears. 'Salim-Javed have told Ramesh that my voice ruined the picture. Sorry folks, I've missed the bus.'

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YESTERYEAR CINEMA: "SHOLAY"

In all the sound and fury, Salim-Javed stood firm. 'Nothing doing,' they said to re-shooting proposals. 'This film will run.' It was the cockiness of youth and the confidence of a job well done. The following week, the two put an advertisement in the trade papers. The ad said, 'Salim-Javed predict that 'Sholay' will be a grosser of rupees one crore in each major territory of India.' The trade s******ed. Going by the response, the Sippys would be lucky if 'Sholay' managed forty lakh per territory.

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YESTERYEAR CINEMA: "SHOLAY"

Salim-Javed were wrong. As it turned out, one crore was a conservative estimate. Mid-week, a curious thing happened: there was little advance booking, but the theatre's were full. The proprietor at Geeta cinema in Worli told Ramesh, 'Don't worry, your film is a hit.' It was the first time Ramesh had heard the word used in connection with his film. 'How can you say that?' he asked. 'Because the sales of my soft drinks and ice-creams are going down,' the man replied. 'By the interval the audience are so stunned that they are not coming out of the theatre.'

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YESTERYEAR CINEMA: "SHOLAY"

Finally Ramesh understood why there was no reaction. People were overawed by what they were seeing. They needed time. Now, clearly 'Sholay' had found its audience. Word of mouth spread like a juicy rumour. The visuals were epic and the sound was a miracle; when Veeru threw the coin in the climax, people in the 70mm theatres dove under their seats to see where it had fallen. By the third week, audiences were repeating dialogues. It meant that at least some were coming in to see the film for a second time. Polydor noticed this and was quick to act. Record sales weren't good and the music company was in a panic. Even though people came out of the theatres with smiles on their faces, they didn't buy the music. The music men were bewildered. What was the problem here? Some key managers were dispatched to the theatres to see the film with the audience. They realized that the reaction to the dialogue was extraordinary. Obviously 'Sholay's visuals and dialogue were so overpowering that the music barely registered. If Polydor wanted to sell more records, it would have to give the audience what they remembered when they left the theatre: the dialogue. The strategy succeeded. Polydor couldn't keep up with the demand as records flew off the shelves.

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YESTERYEAR CINEMA: "SHOLAY"

The tide had turned. 'Sholay' was beginning to prove all doomsayers wrong. As the film caught on, tickets became priceless. The lines at Minerva stretched a few kilometres, from the theatre to the nearby Tardeo bridge. The bus stop outside was renamed 'Sholay' stop'. The Minerva manager, Sushil Mehra, could barely keep up with the demand. He stayed at the booking window from 8 a.m to 8 p.m and finally just moved his family into a two-room apartment at the theatre; going home seemed pointless.

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YESTERYEAR CINEMA: "SHOLAY"

The Sippys stopped listening to the trade. As the collections mounted, it became obvious that they were looking at something big. In September, Ramesh left for London to take his much-deserved holiday. But every week the collections were given to him over the phone. Ten weeks after its release the film was declared a super hit, and on 11 October 1975 'Sholay' already a blockbuster, was released in the territories of Delhi, U.P, Bengal, the Central Provinces and Hyderabad to a record-breaking box office.

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YESTERYEAR CINEMA: "SHOLAY"

Several months later, Asrani ran into Amjad. Both had been invited to inaugurate a studio in Gujarat. On the flight, Asrani laughed: 'Haan ji, did you miss the bus?' Amjad broke into a broad grin. The studio was about forty kilometres away from the airport. While driving there, Amjad's son felt thirsty, and they stopped at a small roadside stall. It was a ramshackle place selling cold drinks, biscuits and cigarettes. There was no other building or even a hut to be seen for miles. As they entered the shop, a voice crackled on a rickety gramophone:

'Kitne aadmi the?'

Gabbar Singh's dialogue boomed through the shop. The stall owner served the group drinks but did not recognize the star. For a minute, Amjad stood absolutely still. His eyes squinted in recognition of his own voice. Then, listening to his voice playing in a shanty on a dusty, deserted road in the middle of nowhere,

Amjad Khan sat down and cried.

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YESTERYEAR CINEMA: "SHOLAY"


Sanjeev Kumar

Hari bhai died in 1985. He was only forty-seven, but a lifetime of unhealthy eating and drinking habits had caught up with him. Sanjeev never achieved the status of 'phenomenon' as Rajesh Khanna or Amitabh Bachchan did. In fact, toward the end, he had become increasingly careless about his looks. But his name was a standard for good acting. And unlike other stars, he wasn't bound by commercial considerations. He enthusiatically donned a gray wig to play the Thakur. For Sanjeev, always, the role was the prize.

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YESTERYEAR CINEMA: "SHOLAY"


Dharmendra/Hema Malini

Dharmendra and Hema Malini married in 1980. Amma's strict admonitions were no match for Paaji's charm. But Hema's image as a dignified dream girl was so strong that even though she became Dharmendra's second wife, she escaped vilification from both the press and public. The couple have two daughters.

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YESTERYEAR CINEMA: "SHOLAY"


Amitabh Bachchan

Amitabh Bachchan held on to superstar status for two decades. The uncharismatic underdog who couldn't get a film on starting his filmi career, left his rivals eating dust. Nobody else even came close. He was ranked number one to ten. Amitabh survived a near-fatal accident on the sets of Manmohan Desai's 'Coolie', the debilitating disease myasthenia gravis, and a scandal-ridden plunge into politics. By the late 80's and early 90s, Bachchan's films were propelled purely by star appeal. In 1992, the 'one-man industry' took a long holiday from films and returned three years later.

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YESTERYEAR CINEMA: "SHOLAY"


Jaya Bhaduri

The lady of the lamps was among Jaya's last roles. Engrossed in her children and marriage, she abandoned her career soon after 'Sholay'. She returned in 1981 in Yash Chopra's 'Silsila' and has since done the occasional challenging roles.

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Amjad Khan

Amjad died on 27 July 1992 at the age of fifty one. Amjad was candid enough to acknowledge that a role like Gabbar happens only once in a career. 'From here,' he often said, 'the only place i can go is down. This cannot be repeated.' But Amjad became a leading villain and character artiste, playing parallel roles in hits such as 'Mukaddar Ka Sikandar', 'Suhaag', 'Lawaaris' and 'Mr Narwarlal. He also turned in a critically acclaimed performane in Satyajit Ray's 'Shatranj Ke Khiladi.' On 15 october 1976, Amjad met with a near-fatal accident on the Mumbai-Goa road. Swerving to avoid hitting a boulder, he drove the car into a tree. The steering wheel went into his chest. He recovered from the serious injuries, but the drugs administered to him caused a serious weight problem. He ballooned dramatically, and soon the roles coming to him were comedies. But Amjad rarely complained. 'I've come with nothing and whatever i've made in this life is profit,' was his philosophy till his untimely death.

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YESTERYEAR CINEMA: "SHOLAY"

G.P Sippy

Gopaldas Parmanand Sippy was the right man at the right time, he was a man who felt these changes in the air and responded to them in his films. His mind was keen and his instincts impeccable. He was a lawyer by training and a gambler by nature. He had run a restaurant, constructed buildings, produced films, directed films and even dabbled in acting. G.P had the knack for spotting an opportunity, and the guts to run with it. In 1947 the Sippy's had migrated to Mumbai from Karachi with only their shirts on their backs. Stories of how G.P built back the family fortune are now industry folklore. Legend has it that he was eating in a restaurant in Colaba when he noticed that there was a long line outside the door. He asked his neigbour the reason and was told that the offices in the area had just halted work for lunch. So G.P decided to open a restaurant. He located an appropriate shop, but he did not have the Rs 5000 required to rent it. In fact, he had hardly any money at all. But in the morning he opened a bank account with Rs 100, and wrote out a cheque to the landlord. The shop was his. G.P then promptly mortgaged the shop for Rs 5000 and deposited the money in his bank.

He passed away on Dec 25th 2007.

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YESTERYEAR CINEMA: "SHOLAY"

Ramesh Sippy

Ramesh Sippy Couldn't escape 'Sholay'. But Ramesh never capitulated to 'Sholay's success. He defied audience expectations, and instead of rehashing the 'Sholay' formula, chose to always experiment. The team followed 'Sholay' with 'Shaan', an urban James Bond style caper about two petty thieves. 'Shaan' was a technically polished product, which recovered its money but fell short of expectations. Ramesh's next film, 'Shakti', an intimate portrait of a tragic father-son relationship, was praised for its craft and award winning performances. As was the next venture, 'Saagar', a lyrically shot romance. Ramesh then moved his sights to television and created the small classic 'Buniyaad'. A partition soap opera, 'Buniyaad' was so popular that streets from Lahore to Mumbai emptied out when the show was aired.

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YESTERYEAR CINEMA: "SHOLAY"

Salim-Javed

Salim-Javed split. Through the seventies and early eighties, they fashioned the trends in Hindi cinema, churning out hit after hit. Though none of their later works could recreate the magic of their early films like 'Zanjeer', 'Deewar' and 'Sholay', they had already made the Hindi movie writer one of the central figures in the movie-making business. Their names were prominently displayed on hoardings, and their payment ultimately reached an unheard-of sum of Rs 21 lakhs per film. In some projects, Salim-Javed shared up to twenty-five per cent of the profit. No other writer in the business has ever matched their success. But eventually the egos grew too big for the hyphen. In 1981, they parted ways and pursued individual careers as writers. Javed's creativity found expression in songs. His name can still be seen on hoardings. only now it's an award-winning lyricist. Salim eventually married Helen and retired. His sons, actors Salman and Arbaaz and director Sohail, carry forward the torch.

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YESTERYEAR CINEMA: "SHOLAY"

R.D Burman

The most innovative, futuristic and trail-blazing composer of all time, Pancham alias Rahul Dev Burman Intregrated Western and Indian music into a synergistic blend.
His highly individualistic style was evident from his earlier films like 'Teesri Manzil'. Later 'Aandhi', 'Amar Prem', 'Caravan', 'Hare Rama Hare Krishna', 'Jawani Diwani', 'Kati Patang' and 'Padason' proved his class and mass appeal. As a singer, he was indeed unique (Duniya mein logon ko, Mehbooba mehbooba). Ditched by fickle producers, he went into a decline in the 80s only to leave this world with a daz'zling burst of final gloryin '1942 A Love Story'.

Pancham married Rita Patel in 1966, but they were divorced in 1971. He then married Asha Bhonsle in 1980. Together, they recorded many memorable tunes and also staged many live performances. After his father died in 1975, he took care of his mother. After Pancham's death, his mother eventually ended up in an old-age home but returned to her late son's house to die on 15 October 2007.

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Anand Bakshi

Anand Bakshi was the most disheartened when the qawwali sung was not used in the film. The writers decided , for a qawwali in the comedy track of the film. But then, instead of the qawaali, Javed suggested the chaar bhaand of Bhopal. Chaar Bhaand, a dying art, is a composition sung by four groups, instead of the qawwali's traditional two, with the audience enjoying the exchange sitting in the middle. Through Javed's contacts, a chaar bhaand group was found in Bhopal, They came to Mumbai and played for Pancham in his music room. He developed a qawwali along chaar bhaand lines - an eight-minute-long musical interplay of words and wit between four singers. The qawwali was recorded but never shot - the film was already longer than the requisite three hours. 'Perhaps if they had kept it, i might have had a career as a singer', Bakshi said.

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YESTERYEAR CINEMA: "SHOLAY"

Dwarka Divecha

Dwarka Divecha died on 5 January 1978. He had been drinking all night, and in the morning his wife found him dead. He was sixty. At an age when most men transit into comfortable retirement, Divecha found himself in the middle of a scandalous love affair with a woman young enough to be his granddaughter. 'Sholay' had enhanced Divecha's professional reputation and ruined his personal life. While shooting 'Shaan' at Rajkamal studios, Divecha bumped into Kamlakar Rao, who had done second unit camerawork for 'Sholay'. 'Have you heard anything about my personal life?' Divecha asked Rao. Out of sheer respect, Rao said, 'no'. Then, seeing through Rao's politness, Divecha added, with an air of defeat, 'I only wanted a child.'

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YESTERYEAR CINEMA: "SHOLAY"

A.K Hangal

A.K Hangal, who had done extensive work with IPTA, was also a veteran actor, but he was a newcomer to films - before 'Sholay', he had only done a few, select films like 'Guddi' and 'Namak Haraam', preferring instead the rigours of theatre. But he had already earned a formidable reputation and prominent directors turned to him when they had a important character role in their films. Hangal had prepared extensively for his role as a blind man, using what he calls 'psycho-technique'. He magined the feeling of blindness by going millions of years to the beginning of evolution, when all life that was to come was contained in sightless single-celled organisms swimming in the dark waters. Once there, he would grope and search for light. He kept the seaching movement through the scene of Ahmed's death. Tarachand Barjatya was on location when they shot the scene and was greatly impressed by what he saw. So much so that he wrote Hangal a letter saying that he had never seen another scene like it.

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YESTERYEAR CINEMA: "SHOLAY"

Saachin

Saachin became a director himself. 'Sholay stayed with him, literally. When he refused payment for his work, Ramesh gifted him an air-conditioner, the first one Saachin ever owned. 'Jab AC ki thandi thandi hawa aati hai,' he says, 'mujhe 'Sholay' ki yaad aati hai'. Two decades later, he paid tribute to his early mentor by making a parody of 'Sholay' for a television programme. Saachin wasn't the only one who took home a Sholay momento. On the film's diamond jubilee, the Sippys gifted a Fiat car to Dwarka Divecha. The main cast received gold bracelets crowned with a diamond stud. It was a fitting gift Like the stone, 'Sholay' is forever.

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YESTERYEAR CINEMA: "SHOLAY"

Jagdeep

The character of Soorma Bhopali had been gestating for years. Finding the right actor here proved easy. Actor Jagdeep had been starring in Sippy productions since he was a nine-year old child. Jagdeep had never been to Bhopal, Soorma's hometown. But while working in 'Sarhadi Lootera', he had met Javed, and they hit it off well. Both were excellent mimics. One evening, during a post-shoot mimicry session, Javed imitated the way some women speak in Bhopal. Jagdeep picked it up and it became a running joke between them. Years later, when Salim-Javed were crafting the screenplay, Javed remembered Jagdeep.

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YESTERYEAR CINEMA: "SHOLAY"


Helen

Gabbar would follow a weapon-buying spree with a decadent night under the stars. Gypsies would do 'Mehbooba'. It was the perfect way to squeeze in a sexy Helen number. Javed hated it. It was a completely generic situation, the villain watching a semi-clad dancer. It was too filmi, and out of character for Gabbar. This was perhaps the only time that he and Ramesh had heated discussions. But when he heard the song he did a volte-face. Since no other singer could match the raunchy beat, Pancham decided to sing it himself. And the rest is history.

VIDEO: SUBTITLED VERSION OF MEHBOOBA OH MEHBOOBA:

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YESTERYEAR CINEMA: "SHOLAY"

MacMohan

Sambha, the bit role that would immortalize character actor Macmohan, was factored in only as the dialogue was being written. The writers wanted to say that Gabbar Singh had a Rs 50,000 reward on his head. But they thought that a man of Gabbar's arrogance would probably order a flunkie to boast for him. So the following lines were written: 'Arre o Sambha, kitna inaam rakhe hain sarkaar hum par'? 'Poore pachaas hazaar'. Sambha, Gabbar's echo, was then intregrated into the screenplay.

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YESTERYEAR CINEMA: "SHOLAY"

Viju Khote

Viju Khote became Kaalia for life. Viju's son was only three when the film released, and sometimes when people on the road reconized Viju and shouted, 'Hey, Kaalia,' the little boy would get angry. And Viju would patiently explain: 'Its okay, beta, we are eating our bread and butter because of that.

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