Salman Khan, Abhishek Bachchan remember Sholay

Superstar Salman Khan watched Sholay in his school uniform while Abhishek Bachchan was not even born when it released. But the movie, which turns 40 this month, was a defining part of their childhood.

Khan’s father Salim Khan co-wrote the script of the cult movie with Javed Akhtar, starring Amitabh Bachchan as Jai, Dharmendra as Veeru, Hema Malini as Basanti, Amjad Khan as the dreaded Gabbar and Sanjeev Kumar as Thakur in the Ramesh Sippy-directed movie, which released on August 15, 1975.

Recalling his earliest memories about the film, Khan said he attended the premiere with brother Arbaaz in Minerva theatre.

“I remember we went to see the premiere of Sholay. Arbaaz and me were in Scindia school, so we were dressed in our school blazers when our father took us there,” Khan said. “The film surprisingly for two weeks was a huge disaster. Apparently, they went back to shoot the climax to make Bachchan sahab relive in the movie. But after two weeks, it just took it to the next level. Sholay has some of the most memorable dialogues ever written in a Hindi film be it ‘Kitne aadmi thhe?’ [how many people were there?] by Gabbar, or ‘Tumhara naam kya hai Basanti?’ [What is your name, Basanti?] by Bachchan and Dharmendra’s ‘Basanti, in kutton ke saamne mat naachna’ [Basanti do not dance for these scoundrels]”.

Khan, 49, said this is one film where “informatory lines” became hit dialogues. The actor said he always wanted to get lines such as those in Sholay in his films.

Bachchan, who was on a promotional tour for his upcoming film All Is Well, said he was actually in his “mother’s stomach” when he went for the premiere of the film.

“The thing I love about Sholay is even if you see it today, it’s very contemporary. A lot of films age, I feel Sholay is ageless. It is as close to what we can get to a perfect masala potboiler that we have. Even if you see it today, its very believable. It’s an iconic film,” Abhishek, 39, said.

“My entire childhood has been full of hearing stories of Salim-Javed uncle, Ramesh uncle, my parents and those were such wonderful stories. I believe the film was shot over three years. There were great anecdotes. Rohan, Ramesh’s son, went to school with me and we did films together as well. Sholay is the greatest film we have ever made and we are very happy that it is here, 40 years down the line. To make a film that today’s youth can connect with, I think that would be something all of us would aspire to do at some point.”