50 years of Sholay: Dharmendra was initially offered role of Gabbar, Thakur, but...

Legendary Bollywood movie Sholay is all set for the world premiere of its fully restored and uncut version in Italy on its 50th anniversary on June 27.

Elated by the news, the stars of Sholay, Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra, called the screening a “watershed moment” and the movie an “8th wonder of the world”.

‘Sholay is the 8th wonder of the world’: Dharmendra

Dharmendra was ‘thrilled’ by the news of Sholay's restoration, and said he was sure that this screening too would have the same success as it had 50 years ago.

“Sholay is the 8th wonder of the world,” the veteran actor said, asking, “Who can forget the dialogues of Salim-Javed and the direction of Ramesh Sippy?”

Dharmendra quipped that even though several of Sholay's scenes have gone down in the history of Indian cinema and every character became a star, “but the real hero was the coin.”

Sharing an interesting anecdote about his role in the iconic movie, Dharmendra said he was initially offered the roles of Gabbar and Thakur. “…but I was clear that I wanted to play the role of Veeru as he is so much like me.” “I had so much fun on the shoot.”

The actor shared his favourite scenes from the movie, and said, “the tanki scene, the scene in the temple, and so many others, but the most powerful scene I feel was the death of Jai, which is still etched in my mind.”

‘I hope that even 50 years later…’: Amitabh Bachchan

Amitabh Bachchan hoped that Sholay would play its magic again, 50 years later, for new audiences across the globe. Saying that the movie is the kind that remains “permanently etched in your mind,” the veteran actor recalled that “unforgettable experience” of shooting for the film.

He also said that at the time, he had no idea that it would be a watershed for Indian cinema. “It's a dramatic change in fortunes from being declared an unsuccessful venture to its record-breaking box office run, which was an emotional rollercoaster for all of us.”

“I hope that even 50 years later, the film will capture the imagination of new audiences across the world,” he said.

50 years of Sholay

The Ramesh Sippy-directed epic, Sholay, of 1975, is completing its 50 years, and as a tribute to Indian cinema's cult favourite over the years, it will premiere at Italy's Il Cinema Ritrovato Festival in Bologna.

Sholay's fully restored and uncut version will be screened on June 27 at the large open-air Piazza Maggiore, known for hosting memorable film events.

Written by Salim Khan-Javed Akhtar, Sholay featured Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Hema Malini, Jaya Bhaduri, and Amjad Khan, and went on to become a cultural phenomenon.

The restored version is the result of a three-year collaboration between the Film Heritage Foundation and Sippy Films Pvt. Ltd.

This will be the first time the iconic movie will be released with its original ending and previously deleted scenes.

The restoration project involved working with rare materials found in film archives in Mumbai and London. The final version was created with the help of experts in Italy and support from the British Film Institute.

Sholay will be shown in a 2.2:1 aspect ratio, with restored sound and visuals.