The legendary Bollywood classic ‘Sholay’, starring Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra, is all ready to dazzle audiences once again, as a newly restored version of the film will be showcased at the Indian Film Festival of Sydney (IFFS) this October.
The festival, running from October 9 to 11, promises three days filled with the best of Indian cinema. Earlier this month, the restored ‘Sholay’ had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
This restoration is a labor of love, led by the Film Heritage Foundation in collaboration with Sippy Films. Experts spent years carefully restoring the movie in 4K.
The process included tracking down a rare colour reversal print in London and retrieving original camera negatives along with long-lost deleted scenes stored in a Mumbai warehouse.
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One of the most exciting aspects of this restored version is the original ending envisioned by director Ramesh Sippy, where Thakur finally avenges his family by defeating the ruthless dacoit Gabbar Singh.
Festival Director Mitu Bhowmick Lange expressed her excitement, saying, “Presenting the restored ‘Sholay’ in Sydney is a moment of immense pride. This is not just about bringing back a classic; it’s about reviving a piece of our shared cultural history.” She added, “Audiences will now experience the film with the ending Ramesh Sippy first imagined. To showcase this restoration alongside both timeless and new stories perfectly reflects our festival’s mission of celebrating Indian cinema in all its dimensions.”
Directed by Ramesh Sippy, ‘Sholay’ tells the story of two criminals, Veeru and Jai, hired by a retired police officer to capture the merciless dacoit Gabbar Singh. Hema Malini and Jaya Bhaduri play Basanti and Radha, the love interests of Veeru and Jai.
The movie was filmed in the rocky landscapes of Ramanagara, Karnataka, over two and a half years starting in October 1973.
Interestingly, when ‘Sholay’ first released, it faced mixed critical reviews and a modest box office opening. However, word-of-mouth praise quickly turned it into a massive hit.
The film set records for continuous screenings in several theatres across India and ran for over five years at Mumbai’s Minerva Theatre.
At the time, ‘Sholay’ became the highest-grossing Indian film ever, a title it held until ‘Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!’. Today, it is still one of the greatest and most influential films in Indian cinema history.