Sholay is a film that has transcended generations. Be it Gen Z, Millennials, or the Boomers (its original audience), it has found love among every age group over the years. Many have admitted to watching it several times on repeat. So, it is interesting that one of the co-writers of the film – the legendary Javed Akhtar – admits he has not seen the film in years, maybe decades. And he has a sound reasoning for that.
Javed Akhtar co-wrote Sholay along with Salim Khan. On moving past Sholay’s success
On August 15, Sholay completes 50 years of release. The film is the biggest box office hit in the history of Indian cinema, according to footfalls and inflation-adjusted gross. Javed Akhtar wrote the film’s script along with Salim Khan during their Salim-Javed days. In a chat with Hindustan Times, the screenwriter-turned-lyricist said he cannot take credit for the film’s success. “You should be happy with the work you have done if it is appreciated. But that umbilical cord needs to be cut. You cannot take the full credit for it. And you shouldn’t, too. Now, you should think of what you need to do now, because you are always as relevant as your latest work. You can stay in your dreams, but it won’t help. Those who are lost in their history have no hope from their future,” he said.
When asked how many times he has seen Sholay over the years, Javed Akhtar responded, “When it was released, I watched it 5-6 times because the initial reports were bad. The film was supposed to be a flop initially, so I watched to see how it had turned out. Once it was re-released in 70mm, I watched it again. Since then, I haven’t watched it. I don’t like to watch my old films.”
All about Sholay
Sholay featured a heavy-duty star cast led by Sanjeev Kumar and also featuring Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Amjad Khan, Jaya Bachchan, and Hema Malini. It became the highest-grossing Indian film of all time, breaking Mughal-e-Azam’s record upon its release in 1975. It held the record for over a decade until Disco Dancer overtook it. But Sholay still holds the record for most tickets sold by an Indian film.
Over the years, it has become a pop culture phenomenon in India, with its characters becoming household names and its lines becoming memes and quotable quotes. The Ramesh Sippy film has been re-released several times, with the last re-release in 2005, to mark the film’s 30th anniversary.
A 4k restored version of Sholay will screen at the 50th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival in September this year. The film has been restored in 4K by Film Heritage Foundation in association with Sippy Films Pvt. Ltd.