As Ramesh Sippy’s film Sholay completes 50 years, we uncover fascinating behind-the-scenes stories that changed filmmaking forever.
With its legendary ensemble cast (Dharmendra, Amitabh Bachchan, Amjad Khan, Sanjeev Kumar, Hema Malini and Jaya Bachchan), breathtaking Ramanagara landscapes, and groundbreaking technical achievements (India’s first 70mm widescreen release with stereophonic sound), the film didn’t just break box office records — it rewrote the rules of Hindi cinema.
We bring some untold stories — from HT’s archives and previous interviews — of how a film that was declared a flop became perhaps the most influential Hindi movie ever made.
Sholay became the highest-grossing Indian film upon its release in 1975, surpassing the record set by Mughal-e-Azam. It sold an estimated 15 crore tickets in India during its initial six-year run. Including overseas earnings and re-releases, its total footfall crossed 25 crore. Initially budgeted at ₹1 crore, the film’s cost eventually escalated to ₹3 crore, making it the most expensive production of its time.
Released on August 15, 1975, Sholay received negative reviews, leading many in the industry to believe the film had failed. In his OTT docu-series, Javed Akhtar recalled: “Me and Salim saheb were totally confident. On the third day of release (Monday), GP Sippy, Ramesh Sippy, and Amitabh Bachchan came to my Bandra house. They said certain scenes had to be rewritten and reshot because the picture had bombed. We said, ‘This film can’t fail! Don’t worry!’ They said it had already failed and people weren’t coming to the theatre.”
The writers, however, remained steadfast. They guaranteed the film would earn ₹1 crore per territory (double that of Mera Gaon Mera Desh) and took out full-page ads declaring: “We, Salim-Javed, guarantee that Sholay will do more than ₹1 crore in every major territory.”
As it turned out, they were proven wrong — the film earned over ₹3 crore per territory.
Danny Denzongpa was initially signed to play Gabbar Singh, but he was unavailable due to prior commitments for Feroz Khan’s Dharmatma in Afghanistan. Names like Prem Chopra and Pran were also considered, but writers Salim-Javed suggested newcomer Amjad Khan. They have seen him in plays so they brought him on board. He was reportedly paid ₹10,000 for the role.
Dharmendra was first offered the role of Thakur (later played by Sanjeev Kumar) and even Gabbar Singh, but he chose to play Veeru instead. Shatrughan Sinha was the first choice for Jai, but he declined due to “creative differences and a packed schedule”. Salim-Javed then proposed the name of Amitabh Bachchan their protagonist in film Deewar. Further, on Dharmendra’s recommendation, the role went to Amitabh Bachchan.
The film was shot at Ramadevera Betta (literally ‘Hill dedicated to Lord Ram’), a village in Ramanagara district, 45 km from Bengaluru. For nearly two years (1973-74), this rural Karnataka location was transformed into Ramgarh, a North Indian village terrorized by Gabbar Singh and his dacoits. Art director Ram Yedekar, who had previously shot an English film there, discovered the spot. Ramesh Sippy later said: “Ramanagara was a vast emptiness, a blank canvas waiting to be fashioned into fantasy.” A crew of nearly 100 people worked round the clock to bring Ramgarh to life.
Jaya Bachchan was pregnant during Sholay’s shoot. At a press conference, held long back, Amitabh Bachchan revealed: “We became husband and wife after Zanjeer (released in 1975). My first child, Shweta, is a hidden talent in Sholay — Jayaji was pregnant in the scene where I walked up to her to return the keys.”
Interestingly, Abhishek Bachchan once joked that he “went to the premiere in his mother’s stomach.” He was born on February 5, 1976.
Sholay was the first Indian film to use the 70 mm widescreen format and have a stereophonic soundtrack. The 70 mm cameras were expensive in that era, so the film was shot on 35 mm film and subsequently converted. The mixing of the film was done in the UK. In the poster itself, the use 70 mm was mentioned under the film title which was in a cinemascope typography.
Sholay’s action sequences were conceived and executed by two British horse experts and stunt coordinators, Jim Allen and Jerry Crampton. Producer GP Sippy and his director son Ramesh, kept the involvement a closely guarded secret. Their names are not mentioned in the credits. The reason for their secrecy was twofold. Many of the top technicians were paid in hard currency, and secondly, the Indian film unions, the cameramen’s and stuntmen’s, objected to the foreigners’ names in the film’s credits.
The Film Heritage Foundation, in association with Sippy Films Pvt. Ltd, the producers of Sholay, has restored the film in 4K. The film will be re-released at the 50th edition of the TIFF Toronto International Film Festival on September 6, 2025. An India premiere has not been announced yet.
