Jaipur, March 9: Veteran director Ramesh Sippy on Sunday said that even after 50 years of its release, “Sholay” still drawing audiences to theatres is a testament to its enduring love across generations.
The filmmaker attended a special screening of his 1975 blockbuster, which completes five decades of its release this year, at Jaipur’s Raj Mandir Cinema on the sidelines of the 2025 International Indian Film Academy Awards here.
Regarded as one of the greatest Hindi films of all time, “Sholay” featured Sanjeev Kumar, Amjad Khan, Dharmendra, Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, and Jaya Bachchan. Penned by Salim-Javed, the movie was released on August 15, 1975.
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“Even after 50 years of ‘Sholay’, we are celebrating it, and people are still coming to see it. It’s proof enough that people loved the film, and loved it for everything that was in it. From the story, dialogues, emotions, action, adventure, performances, everything… “I definitely had a feeling that we are going out to make something really good. But, I never imagined the kind of love, appreciation, and success it would receive. But stepping into it was definitely with a purpose of trying to make something which had not been made before. I didn’t know how far I would get,” Sippy told reporters at a post-screening press conference. The director credited his cast and crew for helping him realise his vision of “Sholay”.
“I had a lot of wonderful people working with me, from star cast to technicians to the entire staff, each and every member of the staff who looked after not just the technical side, just even picking up stones and looking after the horses… Everyone mattered. Otherwise, it would not have been possible to put together such a difficult film. It just grew by itself. Asked what was his greatest learning as a storyteller, Sippy said if the story is not right, a film would never work.
“If we forget we are telling a story, we’re going to fail miserably… The heart of a film is the story. The main characters help in telling that story, coming together and exchanging emotions,” he added. (PTI)
