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15 August 1975
Ramesh Sippy's Sholay stands towering as the monolith that is emblematic of the all-encompassing emotional rollercoaster that is Hindi cinema. The film follows two inseparable jailbirds, Jai and Veeru (played by Dharmendra and Amitabh Bachchan) who are hired by a former Inspector “Thakur" (Sanjeev Kumar) to kill the infamous dacoit Gabbar Singh (Amjad Khan) and avenge the massacre of his family. The aforementioned synopsis by the famous Salim-Javed duo was rejected by many filmmakers before Ramesh Sippy decided to direct the film. The film received unfavourable reviews from critics in its day due to the gratuitous violence displayed, and trade pundits declared that the film wouldn't succeed because it lacked the "Maa" trope which was in vogue at the time, in the wake of the success of contemporaneous films such as Jai Santoshi Ma and Deewar . Despite these initial setbacks, the mammoth production became the cultural milestone it is today. Sholay combined the landscape of Spaghetti Westerns of Hollywood and the conflicts of dacoit films uniquely indigenous to India to give rise to what is now termed "Curry Western". The uninhibited depiction of violence by both the protagonists and the antagonist was an attempt to capture the breakdown of law and order in the Hindi Belt, home of most of the film's major chunk of audience. It portrayed a society where a former policeman, disillusioned with the system, had to turn to vigilante violence to obtain justice. The film captures the mood of the nation in the mid-70's where trust in institutions was at an all-time low. This sentiment was reflected in the popularity of Jai Prakash Narayan's call for Total Revolution, which started in Bihar and swept all of North India. It questioned the legitimacy of Indira Gandhi's government, resulting in her proclamation of Emergency two months before the film's release. Sholay's narrative, with its themes of vigilante justice and social hierarchy, resonated deeply with audiences living through these tumultuous times.
Sippy, G.P. (Producer), Sholay, 1975 | Glass Slide
Sippy, G.P. (Producer), Sholay, 1975 | Song-Synopsis Booklet
Divecha, Dwarka (Cinematographer), Sholay, 1975 | Lobby Card
Divecha, Dwarka (Cinematographer), Sholay, 1975 | Photographic Still Mounted on Lobby Card
Sippy, G.P. (Producer), Sholay, 1975 | Cyclostyled Lyrics Leaflet
Sippy, G.P. (Producer), Sholay, 1975 | Film Publicity Material
Divecha, Dwarka (Cinematographer), Sholay, 1975 | Working Still
Mohan, C. (Designer), Sholay, 1975 | Half Sheet Poster
Sippy, G.P. (Producer), Sholay, 1975 | Advertisement
Sippy, G.P. (Producer), Sholay, 1975 | Record Cover
Sippy, G.P. (Producer), Sholay, 1975 | Photographic Still
Ramesh Sippy's Sholay stands towering as the monolith that is emblematic of the all-encompassing emotional rollercoaster that is Hindi cinema. The film follows two inseparable jailbirds, Jai and Veeru (played by Dharmendra and Amitabh Bachchan) who are hired by a former Inspector “Thakur" (Sanjeev Kumar) to kill the infamous dacoit Gabbar Singh (Amjad Khan) and avenge the massacre of his family. The aforementioned synopsis by the famous Salim-Javed duo was rejected by many filmmakers before Ramesh Sippy decided to direct the film. The film received unfavourable reviews from critics in its day due to the gratuitous violence displayed, and trade pundits declared that the film wouldn't succeed because it lacked the "Maa" trope which was in vogue at the time, in the wake of the success of...
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रमेश सिप्पी की शोले भरतीय सिनेमा के इतिहास में एक जीती-जागती किंवदंती बन चुकी है। रोमांस, कॉमेडी, ड्रामा, एक्शन, थ्रिल, ट्रेजेडी, सस्पेंस जैसी तमाम शैलियों और मनोभावों को एक ही कहानी में घोलकर जिस छप्पन-भोग सिनेमाई थाली के रूप में हिन्दी सिनेमा पेश करता है, यह फ़िल्म उसका सबसे शानदार प्रतीक है। फ़िल्म की कहानी जेल से भागे दो जिगरी दोस्तों जय और वीरू (धर्मेंद्र और अमिताभ बच्चन) के इर्द-गिर्द घूमती है। इन दोनों जोड़ीदार चोरों को ठाकुर बलदेव सिंह (संजीव कुमार) नाम के एक रिटायर्ड पुलिस अधिकारी से एक प्रस्ताव मिलता है। प्रस्ताव है कुख्यात डाकू गब्बर सिंह (अमजद खान) को पकड़कर ज़िन्दा उनके हवाले करने का। ये गब्बर ही था, जिसने ठाकुर के पूरे परिवार को बेरहमी से क़त्ल कर दिया था और उसके दोनों हाथ भी काट दिये थे। ठाकुर को गब्बर से बदला चाहिए और जय-वीरू इस काम में उसके कटे हुए हाथ बनते हैं। प्रसिद्ध लेखक जोड़ी सलीम-जावेद की लिखी इस पटकथा को रमेश सिप्पी के हाँ कहने से पहले कई दूसरे फ़िल्म निर्माताओं ने अस्वीकार कर दिया था। रिलीज़ के समय फ़िल्म को आलोचकों से नकारात्मक समीक्षाएँ मिलीं और कहा गया कि फ़िल्म में ज़रूरत से ज़्यादा हिंसा का चित्रण है। उस दौर के ट्रेड पंडितों ने यहाँ तक घोषणा की कि ये फ़िल्म इसलिए...
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Research Centre
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Sippy, G.P. (Producer), Sholay, 1975 | Glass Slide
Divecha, Dwarka (Cinematographer), Sholay, 1975 | Lobby Card
Divecha, Dwarka (Cinematographer), Sholay, 1975 | Lobby Card
Divecha, Dwarka (Cinematographer), Sholay, 1975 | Lobby Card
Divecha, Dwarka (Cinematographer), Sholay, 1975 | Lobby Card
Divecha, Dwarka (Cinematographer), Sholay, 1975 | Lobby Card
Divecha, Dwarka (Cinematographer), Sholay, 1975 | Lobby Card
Sippy, G.P. (Producer), Sholay, 1975 | Song-Synopsis Booklet
Sippy, G.P. (Producer), Sholay, 1975 | Full Sheet Poster
Sippy, G.P. (Producer), Sholay, 1975 | Full Sheet Poster
Sippy, G.P. (Producer), Sholay, 1975 | Full Sheet Poster
Sippy, G.P. (Producer), Sholay, 1975 | Full Sheet Poster
Sippy, G.P. (Producer), Sholay, 1975 | Full Sheet Poster
Sippy, G.P. (Producer), Sholay, 1975 | Full Sheet Poster
Sippy, G.P. (Producer), Sholay, 1975 | Full Sheet Poster
Sippy, G.P. (Producer), Sholay, 1975 | Full Sheet Poster
Sippy, G.P. (Producer), Sholay, 1975 | Full Sheet Poster
Sippy, G.P. (Producer), Sholay, 1975 | Full Sheet Poster
Sippy, G.P. (Producer), Sholay, 1975 | Full Sheet Poster
Mohan, C. (Designer), Sholay, 1975 | Half Sheet Poster
