I T IS an inheritance… cultural, sentimental, almost spiritual. Generations have made efforts to take it ahead with a special bond that cannot be expressed in mere words. In fact, words can act only as crutches to explain the phenomenon called SHOLAY. The epic speaks for itself, with each frame, with each dialogue, with each action, with each song, with each line, and with each gesture. The embers, which once faced the fate of getting doused pretty early, have become an inferno, a towering timeless blaze in which Indian cinema found its magnum opus half a century ago. In the dark shadows of political upheaval in the country, Sholay hit the screens on August 15, 1975. A long saga of three-and-half hours packing a bevy of stars, the first 70 mm wonder of Hindi cinema slowly transformed into a living memory for a generation, their progenies and their progenies.

 

That it was set to be declared a flop after the cold audience response in the first week now feels an impossible thing. Yet, it has become a part of folklore. Perhaps, the prevailing situation in the country in the 1970s was not ready to accept a daredevil act by two thieves fighting a gang of ferocious dacoits for an armless victim full of vengeance. The drama, created passionately by Ramesh Sippy and his superlative crew including cinematographer Dwarka Divecha and editor M S Shinde, took its time to drill into the minds. For, it was the story of a rebellion, of common farmers and villagers against an oppressor. With the country in the early days of Emergency, such an act of courage for one’s dignity might have looked impossible for the audience before it sunk into their psyche. And Sholay happened. In the last 50 years, Sholay has traversed through many phases, encountered modern technology, experienced reconstructions but has preserved its value as a sentimental favourite of the country, and even abroad. Derided by critics as a shabby copy of some Western hits after its bland release, Sholay still holds the flag for engineering the most telling comeback in Indian film history.

 

Emerging from the scorn of; “For nearly 4 hours this film assaults one’s senses psychologically, emotionally and at the end almost physically” (‘The Statesman’), and, “a shaggy dog Western, sporadically funny, ludicrously heroic, monstrously violent and sprawled in loose limbed abandon” (‘Sunday Standard’), to ignite a cultural fire and staying relevant for several generations is no mean feat. From empty theatres to special midnight shows and a recordbreaking streak in cinemas, Sholay has taken India on a thrilling ride for half a century. And it looks set for another long march. Cinema experts still search for that one speciality which sets the film apart. Frankly speaking, even Ramesh Sippy would not be able to pinpoint that exact spark which makes Sholay a cult classic. Sippy just dreamt of making a mega film, inspired by the cowboy stuff becoming a rage in the West. It was definitely an overambitious project bringing together a mix of new trends and technological excellence.

 

The writer duo of Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar provided him a perfect potboiler plot packed with many nuances on societal realities. Sippy summoned a stellar cast as he also experimented with some fresh talent. It was indeed a heady concoction, a perfect recipe for a superhit film. Never would any of the makers and actors have imagined that Sholay would inspire a revolution of sorts. The fact remains that Sholay just happened, and since has become a vital part of our culture.

 

There are simply too many reasons for the monumental success of Sholay. Every person connects with the classic for one’s own reason. Be it the train robbery sequence or the bromance of Jai and Veeru, be it the silent love story of Jai and Radha or the boisterous romantic fling of Veeru and Basanti, be it Rahul Dev Burman’s raucous crooning of Mehbooba Mehbooba or the fiery gaze of Thakur Baldev Singh to the bloodied Gabbar Singh in the climax, be it the melody on the mouth organ or the pulsating tabla beats in chase sequences, be it the mesmerising guitar ushering in the film’s opening sequence or the vanishing sound of bullets on the bridge fight…. It is a vast platter to choose from for the audience. That their choice has turned into an enduring charm even after fifty years underscores the importance of Sholay in India’s life.

 

The core of the film, though, remains its dialogues. Salim-Javed had found the pulse of the country and turned it into some of the most irrepressible lines whose magic is felt even today. Even the one-liners delivered by the film’s endearing characters assumed epic levels. They were dramatic and perfectly fitted the Indian imagination. Come to think of it, the famous query, “Tumhara Naam Kya Hai Basanti”, by Jai to the motormouth Basanti does not feature Amitabh Bachchan. It comes from the back of the taanga, Amitabh not even in the frame. The dialogues simply reached a mystical level as Amjad Khan’s baritone for Gabbar Singh delivered arguably the most popular lines by a villain.

 

Success of these dialogues was carried not only by the powerful lines but by the unforgettable characters in Sholay. A film’s achievement is not just in its box office income or duration in theatres but also in the imprint left on the mind by its characters. Sholay’s characters created a culture even during little cameos. ‘Hariram Nai’, ‘Soorma Bhopali’, ‘Mausi’, ‘Imam Saab’, ‘Ahmed’, ‘Kaalia’, ‘Sambha’, ‘Angrezon ke zamane ke jailer’, ‘Dhanno’, ‘Ramlal’… they are not characters, they are a memory, for lifetime. Sum of all these forms the crux of Sholay. Even after 50 years the epic’s fans live it each day finding a new reason to reconnect with the film. The magic continues.