When a fanatic of cult classics gets to revere the same on a big screen, then there can be no bigger opportunity for the person. For many who have worshiped the classic and picture-perfect Film Sholay, will certainly have moments of joy as they revisit the cult era. The film which re-releases in 3D and 2D will yet again prove to be a crowd-puller despite the unfortunate legal issues that it may have been caught in. 

Set in the ’70s in a fictional district called Ramgarh, the film has always been savored for the vengeful fury of Thakur (Sanjeev Kumar), for the adas of Basanti (Hema Malini), for the pain and quiet suffering of Radha (Jaya Bachchan), for the mischief of Veeru (Dharmendra) and for the rage of Jaidev (Amitabh Bachchan). More than that, the film’s villain became the quintessential badman of Bollyworld. The roars of Gabbar Singh (Amjad Khan) had been giving us nightmares throughout our toddler years. The dialogues were epic and so were the songs. The film was complete even in its incompleteness. Its proximity to reality was another reason why it rose to the stature of being a classic. Kaalia and Sambha, despite their minimal dialogues or even Shankar or Dholia (the villagers), became as immortal as the main leads of the film. The film during its time was so appreciated that a hamlet in Ramnagaram (Bangalore), where the film was shot, was renamed as Sippynagar, as an ode to the captain of the ship, Director Ramesh Sippy. Initially, after its release, the film was most likely to be taken down from the theaters owing to low audience attendance but soon it caught up and became Hindi cinema’s biggest hit.

Sholay 3D spanning for 204 minutes, takes the viewers back to the yesteryears and retells a heroic tale with the originality of new era technology. To summarize in a few words, the film is a story of unrequited love, immortal friendship and of a game of revenge. We get the opportunity to pay more attention to the nitty-gritties, which may have been missed out while watching the film on our TV screens. In a theater packed with cinephiles, each scene, each song, each dialogue, each move is met with cheers and applause. Amjad Khan is as welcomed as Jai and Veeru. As we go back into the lore, each moment spent in the theater brings a smile to our face – be it for the jokes, the expressions, Veeru’s naughtiness or Jai’s playful revenges played out on Veeru! Soon, the film’s magic takes a hold on us and we find ourselves in the midst of a mehfil where each dialogue is repeated, word to word!

The film clicks as instantly as it would have back in its heydays, more because 3D does add an edge to the whole movie-viewing experience. Things come flying towards you. You squirm as a log of wood is just about to graze your arm. You wince at the sight of sparks that seem to hit your eye. You flinch when stones come rolling in your direction and just out of the screen. The wooden fragments seem like they will pierce through your eyes while the bullet might blow up your head. The makers have meticulously worked on the minute details to give the film the perfect 3D effect and a great tribute too.

For its story, for its dialogues, for its picturization, for its songs, for the acting; the film shall always remain a cult classic; an epic we venerate, be it in any form or in any era. A film like this can never be rated for it is the film that made the stars what they became.

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Dear Siddhi,
Thankyou so much for such generous praise. We are thrilled to see that you loved our movie so much.
Sincerely,
Team Sholay 3D