’Untold Stories’ Of Cult Classic Film ‘Sholay’ | Epk Interview Javed Akhtar

Special Thanks:
Mandviwalla Entertainment
Distributor of Sholay in Pakistan
When epic 'Sholay' was releasing in Pakistan, we interviewed Javed Akhtar at his house in Mumbai. We availed the opportunity to ask him all the questions Sholay fans always wanted to know.
1. How Amjad Khan was casted ?
2. Who was originally playing Gabbar ?
3. Why the film initially declared a flop ?
4. Which actors wanted to do Amitabh Bachan character in the film ?
5. Sholay is the only film in history whose minor characters also became hit like Sambha or Kaalia, how did you do that ?
So here's the memorable interview of Javed of the ultimate writing team 'Salim Javed' of SHOLAY.
ENJOY!!
#classicfilms #bollywoodclassics #sholay #sholay1975 #sholayfilm #epkdaily #entertainmentpakistan #epk #amjadkhan #entertainmentpk #gabbar #dharmendra #hemamalini #sanjeevkumar #asrani #rameshsippy #gabbarsingh #salimjaved #mandviwallaentertainment #highestgrossingmovies #highestgrossingindianmovies #highestgrossing #bollywoodmovies #classicmovies #sholaymoviesong #cultcinema #cultmovie

[@endlessentertainment4712]

Sholay was team work , all involved work to best capability , it is not only salim javed it is gp sippy. Ramesh sippy. Dwarka divecha. MS shinde. RD burman. Anand bakshi. Because 1977 after sholay salim javed written imaan dharam was disaster how come ??

[@adilmunawari3840]

SAlim JAVID written 16 blockbusters no writers in history of movies ever did this record and more important they have given status and respect to the writers

[@adilmunawari3840]

All these hardwork or teamwork will vanish had not AMJAD Khan performed become craze

[@hbt253]

@@adilmunawari3840 sholy hi copy pest kahani thi.

[@Shaggy-8392]

Yes but that amitabh character is something they created prior to and after sholay.

[@kennethkonda8764]

Deewar, Trishul, . . . . . and many many others

[@eyeoftruth103]

It was basically a copy of several Western American movies. Not an original script

[@samuraiflixrockin]

Sholay was written and shot in the genre framework of wild west movies. Basically, it is a mash up of three western movies - Once upon a time in the west (revenge plot), For a few dollars (the villain character Gabbar), Magnificent Seven (which was an official American remake of Akira Kurosawa's iconic epic Samurai film, 'Seven Samurai'). Javed Salim and The director culturally appropriated the story into the wild, rustic, dry lands of places like Chambal. But even though the story is set in a north indian Dacoit village, it was shot in a place near Bangalore named Ram Nagar. People still visit Ram Nagar in the memory of Sholay. Ram Gopal Varma claimed it was Sholay that made him a director. More than the plot itself, actors stole the show with their performance. But the whole irony of the movie was that audience were supposed to hate the villain per the story but they came out loving him due to the performance of Late Shri Amjad Khan. The villain was more loved by the audience than the heroes. 😁

[@javedmir6055]

Great 👍

[@abuamin4209]

True👍🏻

[@sumanchatterjee7115]

culturally appropriating is one thing, and copying the exact scenes is a different one. copying Charles Bronson playing harmonica or murdering the villager's family scene were just too much. Nobody from the production ever acknowledged the originals!

[@samuraiflixrockin]

@@sumanchatterjee7115 Yes, Javed Salim and their next generation have become millionaires and billionaires. Now they can safely acknowledge the fact. I understand why they didn't reveal it back then. Because their whole credibility lies in this movie and they can't reveal that they have borrowed lavishly from western movies but almost all film literate knows, I guess.

[@satinder2486]

Indians have rarely made original films

[@RajivRanjan-or7vv]

Sholay jis sense se likhi gaee thi usi sense se craft ki gaee thi aaj writer aur director main utna dedication nahi hai nahi to sholay se bhi achhi achhi movie aaj ban sakti hai aaj.

[@rajendrapawar1173]

Salim Javed are generous writer very good both 👍 👏 👌 of them.

[@mysanisa]

Kyo nahi yaad rahega dialog, hum toh dialog ki puri cassette suna Karte thy. My date of birth is 15.08.75 is same release date of sholey

[@YouTuberr79]

सर ऐसा लगता है इस फिल्म से जुड़े जितने भी किस्से हे बस सुनता रहूं फिल्म बनाते वक्त क्या माहोल होगा उस सेट पर सर🙏 इस फिल्म से जुड़ी जितनी यादें किस्से हे ढूंढ लाओ और अपलोड करो

[@epkdaily]

@nileshpatil9350 we would appreciate if you write the above comment in English or Roman.. We in Pakistan do understand Hindi but reading is a difficult task for us.

[@rrr-437]

Copied Theme from "Mera Gaon Mera Desh" 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@jamilpathan199]

15. August. 1975. Minarva. Main. Premier. Main. Haazir. Thaa. Main. My. Good. Luck.

[@altafHussain-bb3ff]

Zabardast interview... what amazing memories.

[@kishoresoneji5952]

Sholay is the mother of all hits in the history of hindi cinema.The greatest dacoit drama ever filmed.Hats off to Salim-Javed,all the actors, director, cinematographer,costume designer,sound recordist ,etc.It was a teamwork.Making remake is next to impossible. Nice interview 👌👍❤

[@epkdaily]

Thank you sir!

[@rapidfootball]

Its was english movie once upon a time in usa they copy from there ....saty pai satta seven brothers seven brights ..... all english movies release 19 69

[@rapidfootball]

Copy cats

[@jayantipatel8005]

Q. Masjid with loud speakers and Thakur haveli has no lights. 😮also how they get water in tanki without electricity 😮

[@adilmunawari3840]

Sholay is the KOHINOOR of India . movie of the millennium, every comings generation will like this movie , it’s a timeless movie Gabbar will always remember.

[@fastlearner69]

Sorry to disagree, Kohinoor is Mughal e Azam, then Sholay.

[@bhaskardeb8248]

Sholay is a film made of numerous foreign movie plots. Kohinoor😂

[@100Aurangzeb]

This movie was shamelessly copied from western classic movies. They just added indian masalas and wow !

[@BeingFahadi]

This has never happened that both Major & Minor characters dialogues are still remembered, can you imagine creating something and still is relevant after decades. I personally feel the Daaku & Train sequence still remains #1 action sequence till date. No one comes close to it.

[@Seventh_Fail_hai_Wodi]

Watch Manoj kumar Clerk. It's characters and Manoj are more famous than sholay. 😁😁😁

[@veena5256]

Absolutely marvellous!!! The camera work ,speed,the horses,the artists in dacoits' role balancing the gun in one hand and the galloping horse with other simply unmatched .It's better than any Hollywood movie action even today .

[@pardeepparkash398]

Yes, it's the greatest action scene in the history of Indian cinema. Brilliant.

[@baruahpranjal]

Sholay was, is and will be the greatest film ever made in Bollywood. For anyone looking for a lesson on film making, Sholay is a treatise.

[@Seventh_Fail_hai_Wodi]

The greatest movie ever made in BHARATH is 1989 Manoj Kumar Clerk. Us movie mein Drama that, Action that, Tragedy thi, love tha, Bebasi thi aur desh bhakthi. 😊😊😊

[@ramaswamysridhar3828]

It was sanjeev kumar who held the film together. What an actor, all others are nothing before him.

[@pardeepparkash398]

Yes, he was the soul of the film. Brilliant role, what an actor!

[@dakshjaingamingzone4442]

True

[@sabiryousuf7261]

True

[@pardeepparkash398]

Sholay has 100% perfect casting from lead actors down to all the minor smaller roles & it's why it's stood the test of time. There should be an award for casting advisor!

[@prakashrao8077]

He forgot to mention the water tank scene of Dharmendra and how it was lifted from The film The secret of Santa Vitoria and Anthony Quinn in a drunken state climbs the water tank.

[@mohinderkumar7298]

Javed is overrated and he indirectly underrates Salim. But see how he stole this scene of water tanki from foreign film. But he tells with elan how he wrote it on car bonet. Plagiarist. But Salim is original. He wrote story. Landscape. Presentation.

[@rednihb]

@@mohinderkumar7298Story itself is a straight lift of Magnificent 7/Seven Samurai

[@gyanendrasingh7900]

SHOLAY the complete storyline was adapted from "Mera Ganvon Mera Desh" already comparison done on social media. It was a big risk to remake the blockbuster within 5 years. Specially with superstar Dharmendra repeated in similar character. Jabbar Singh vs Gabbar Singh, Thakur vs Jayant army retired with one hand. Raj Khosla vs Sippy's

[@AshpakKudachi]

Javed. Akhter. Bhai. Sahab........ Ab. Sholay. Ka. Siquel. Ban. Na. Chahiye. Sholay. Part. 2....? 😮

[@vijaypeharwaan7863]

True

[@narayanpanje4949]

Both Films Mera Gaon Mera Desh and Sholay had a Common scene Dharmendra treaching to hold gun in mango field to Asha Parekh and Hema Malini.. Even the dialog same... "ankh badh karo...."

[@fastlearner69]

Javed saab is not being very honest here. The script of Sholay was already written and completed by Salim saab before they even met and ultimately because partners. Sadly, Javed saab is taking undue credit for the script.

[@RajaBabu-po3in]

Marathi filmke acoter Director jinhone sholey movie me ahmad ka Rol nibhaya tha o sachin pilganvkar unke intariv me kahte hai ke sholey film me jo Tren patRiley per rakhi lakdiyonko udakar aage nikal jaati hai o seen unhone director Ramesh sippy ji ko sujhaya thaha aur Ramesh shippy ne unhe hi o seen Direct karne lagaya tha isme kitni sachai hai.

[@surajnarayanpandey6724]

ऑडियो कैसेट में जो पूरी फिल्म आई थी उसने बहुत हिट किया इसके डायलॉग को

[@jigneshyparmar7366]

Movie bhi audio cassette me aati thi?

[@ikrar_393]

​@@jigneshyparmar7366 ha...Puri film audio cassette me aai thi... Dialogue ko boost tabhi mila tha

[@razamurad2323]

The narration of javed saheb is very informative and interesting.the only flaw in this interview is that the voice and questions put up by the anchor were not audible because he did not had a separate Mike for himself.we could only hear the replies of javed sahab and could not hear the questions.

[@PrashantTayare-xf8vw]

Still now noone hindi film can't beat this Sholay and superset

[@eatanddiscover]

Good interview

[@thecapitaljurists1698]

Sholay in nothing but a cheat. Product of cut coppy paste. Each and every scene is lifted from hollywood film Even background music was copy. Mehbooba song was bit to bit cpopied

[@altafkassum7443]

Everything was perfect including 70mm and stereophonic sound . could have been 10 mins less.

[@humayunzafer4705]

Unforgettable Soorma Bhopali.

[@kaatnikaatni9012]

Don’t think it’s a great film. Not even original. Certain aspects of film are great but there are many boring parts too. It’s a good plagiarised work heavily influenced by western movies.

[@shipradey8653]

Amjad khan was the right choice.

[@KamillGran-ch5sb]

They watched Mera Goan Mera Dish and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and paste and copy like all their movies. Salim Javid stole every story they ever wrote.

[@samiawaheed7258]

Very interesting interview, I going to watch the movie again bcoz of this.

[@jigneshdesaivalsadgoodsig5172]

Jigneah desai good film

[@fanclub69]

Sholay is emotion !!

[@riteshsharma5645]

Copy of Hollywood movie...once upon a time in west....and some scene copy of the magnificent seven....

[@rapidfootball]

Copy from english movie once upon a time in usa.. saty pai sata ..copy from seven brothers seven brights ..making fool to every one english movies release 1969 saleem javed copy cats ...inka koi kamal nhi 😅😅😅

[@ashrafkhan683]

Only one man amjad khan the main hero

[@shaikjeelan1078]

Sholay film amjad khan acting no 1 acting best acting

[@farooqkachhawa127]

Great picture ❤

[@rajeshnetam9423]

Sholy jaise film nhi koi...👍

[@munnancs]

Sholay can't be remake

[@okee7]

I can watch Sholay again & again and still enjoy every part; epic movie that is dear to every Indian 🙏

[@Seventh_Fail_hai_Wodi]

The greatest movie ever made in BHARATH is 1989 Manoj Kumar Clerk. Us movie mein Drama that, Action that, Tragedy thi, love tha, Bebasi thi aur desh bhakthi. When you watch it, you will also realize what I am saying.😊😊😊

[@VikramTandon-g1p]

सुरमा भोपाली का दो रुपए में जंगल खरीदने और हंगल जी का इतना सन्नाटा क्यूं है। ये भी छोटे छोटे रोल थे

[@shabanahmed4453]

They copy movie from holly wood and he didn't feel shame about lying, that he wright the sholly

[@shaikhismail45]

It was not required to hire D and A to kill Gabbar anybody can be hired to fight Gabbar and for I dont find any important scene and the Actual movies start when Gabbar comes in action because of Gabbar the movi became hit

[@UttamDas-od9uw]

Javed sahab ki likha hua movies itna achha nehi tha......but song written by Javed Akhtar sab is always excellent.

[@ashfaqreviews5066]

This was copy of mera goan mera desh

[@anandnaidu2685]

You are right kirchu,..in fact lots of Bollywood movies are copied from Hollywood

[@kauranikjeet9433]

Sholay,,,,, National Film of India❤❤❤

[@ismailthali3920]

Salim javed best writer ever

[@atulsharma-jh3lt]

Very good interview👏👏

[@soumendughose6950]

Kya Javed sab ko yaad hay Gabbar Sing ka baap, (Jo film me koi character Nehi tha)ka naam unhone kya likha tha? 😂 40 saal bad mujhe aaj bhi yaad hay.😊😊 Hari Singh 40 saal bad

[@surajnarayanpandey6724]

सलीम जावेद ने सारी फिल्में विदेशी फिल्मों की नकल थी उन्होंने कोई ओरिजनल काम नहीं किया है

[@maninderkaur930]

I have always felt that Sholay was a take on MERA GAON MERA DESH

[@snhussaini5930]

MGMD WAS ALSO A HIT MOVIE. BUT MASALA THODA KAM THA. VINOD KHANNA KA INTRODUCTION SCENE AUR MUSIC BOHOT KHOOB, AUR CLIMAX FIGHT SCENE SAB SUPERB.

[@AhmedAhmed-dm2mi]

Javed n salim copying all charles bronsons Hollywood's movie

[@JunaidKhan-g3m4e]

Ye log bolliwood ko chutya banya aur kuch nahi

[@rednihb]

Magnificent 7 plus once upon a time in the west

[@papaholissbisht]

what ever people can say that it is copy but Sholay is Sholay . best of Indian cinema , if this is copy ,this is very much better than the original.

[@KamillGran-ch5sb]

It’s not better than Mera Goan Mera Dish. MGMD was better acted, had better songs and had a much better villain. It was right movie without long side stories.

[@rednihb]

Original was Seven Samurai, copied across languages, stands out as a classic

[@ashrafkhan683]

Best hero of this filim amjad khan

[@maniklalpardeshi5573]

फसलेल्या अनेक सिनेमांचा रिमेक होऊ शकेल....!

[@nusratalikhan8602]

In this lively interview not a single word was used for some more the best characters like " Surma Bhopali" "Angrez ke zamane ke Jailer" "Raheem Chacha"

[@mahnazzuberi6081]

It was a hit because it was highly entertaining and good songs. Excellent balance of protagonist and antagonist 🎉

[@mdnazar9020]

Dainy karte toh shayad sholay film hit nahi ho pati..

[@DipankaSharma]

Copy from other foreign film is not an big issue. If the treatment is done in superb way like sholay. But Frame by frame copy should not be done like family mesacre seen.

[@rajeev6200]

Every carecter was Hero of sholay

[@BobKumar1234]

"character".

[@imtaz3541]

Yes indeed.. Sambha, kaaliya

[@AliZaib-ci9xz]

amitabh bachchan and amjad khan it has got great startup from the that movi

[@roop82nirmal]

Cut paste copy of Bollywood and Hollywood films.

[@rocketshoot3027]

Sholay was not classic. Over rated, stupidly compared with past classics. Sholay was a mega commercial success.

[@arunanand2809]

Author is God for some period of time.

[@sanjaymadane3649]

Shole film dubata rimek banegi par pahale film Jaisi nahi banegi kyoki Shole film ke carecter hai vah eak dusare ke liye hi bane hai. Chota ka carecter aaj bhi yaad hai.

[@pandurangasettyvenu7897]

Why Sholay can't be ramade? Super analysis by javed akthar

[@kauranikjeet9433]

Kyunki Taj Mahal ek hi baar banaya ja sakta hai baar baar nahi.....Sholay wahi Taj Mahal hai....❤❤❤❤

[@ashutoshpendse4273]

Behind the crazy success of Sholay, there are two factors timing and luck which can't be repeated. The movie was really something new on the backdrop of previous dacoit movies like Mera Gaon Mera Desh, Kachhe Dhage etc. And the luck factor, all the things were good. Script, direction, camera, acting, music, comedy, action, everything was outstanding. That's not possible without some luck. While this movie was inspired by many hit Westerns, Salim-Javed ported it really well to Indian ethos. The joint family of Thakur, the villagers, the scenery, dialogs everything looked so Indian.

[@aryansinghrules]

INDIA'S JEWEL "JADDO ' JAVED SAAB. SUCH G8 MAN SAYS, "HUMME PATTA HOTTA TOH HUM KHUDH KAR DETTE" SALUTE!

[@sumanchatterjee7115]

Did anybody ever show them Once Upon a Time in the West? Seriously, with all due respect, somebody needs to ask him about the Original films. Did they ever mention the influences in any interviews?

[@ashokmoturu1539]

Amjadkhan was good for gabbar singh role.

[@hakimhawaldaarhakim4149]

Shakti deewar sholay block buster

[@tonysingh73]

DHARAMJI was great

[@KANAKANDEN73679]

Not Great than Legend B I G. B AMITHABH BACHAN 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@majidjehangir8229]

This was the last movie I watched in a cinema in 1975. There was no thematic beauty in the movie. An honest police officer has no confidence in his department and relies on two petty thieves for exacting revenge for annihilation of his family at the hands of a ruthless dacoit whome he had single handedly apprehended. The jailors are shown as clowns and petty thieves who are willing to go to jail for months and live off the reward money are shown as heros. This was the first Bollywood movie in which the hero molests the heroine under the pretext of teaching her to fire a pistol. Never felt like watching it again and lost interest in Bollywood for good, although had enjoyed movies like do ankhen barah haath, do bigha zameen, Ram aur shyam, Amrapali,waqt, humraaz, mere huzoor, pakeezah, Mughal e Azam, dosti, arzoo, jab jab phool khile, anaadi, jis Desh mein Ganga behti hai, Teesri qasam and so many.

[@mariamtee]

I agree with the rest but hero ‘molesting’ the heroine is a very 21st century way of looking at things. That would be like condemning people from the 19th century for keeping slaves

[@surajnarayanpandey6724]

Once upon time in the west की नक़ल है उस फ़िल्म के छोटे करेक्टर भी हिट हुए थे इस फ़िल्म का नाम कभी नहीं लेते ओरिजिनल काम देखिये तब पता चलता है

[@alijuddy5362]

I don't know about the other territories but in the main theatre in Hyderabad where Sholay was released the current booking windows did not open for the first six months of the run. The tickets used to be sold out through advance booking!! We had a tough time getting tickets as tickets were sold out for a week in advance. That was the kind of madness Sholay created.

[@sanjaynarla8535]

I think it was the first movie shown in the Ramakrishna 70 MM, correct?

[@alijuddy5362]

@@sanjaynarla8535 I think yes! And Geet Gata Chal, next door at Ramakrishna 35 MM ran for 25 weeks (Silver Jubilee) at the same time!

[@salimdehelvi5860]

Salim javed gbbar gbbar chllate he kahani aur sin bhi mera gaun mear desh ki aur sin bhi usi film ke mare he ....

[@rsingh3453]

Great peoples always produce or think something real Great

[@somnathwbcs-qx5zu]

Sholay = salim javed + sanjeev kumar

[@mikepatel1965]

Ye filme ban gayi Jamane ke hisab se ab salim javed bhi chahe to bhi nahi bana sakte

[@TibRangzen59]

sholay is also actually inspired from old English film. Same scene copied.

[@salimdehelvi5860]

Shole film ki kahni mers gaoun mera desh ki mari he gabbar nam bhi usi film se mara he ye log jhut bolte he ...

[@mihirsen6389]

Full credit PANCHAMDA

[@jameelkhan9146]

Bangalore se 40 mele hai ramnagar

[@ashrafkhan683]

Iconic villan of industry amjad khan

[@jass469]

Sanjeev Kumar sahab most natural actor of Bollywood hats off Haribhai

[@kikishaikh2312]

No remake only one pc sholay you are right javed saab

[@SrikantRZradio]

This interview was done some time in early 2015 about 40 years since 1975 Sholay release date

[@epkdaily]

Yes that was the year Sholay got a release in Pakistan.

[@ibmaziz4273]

Copy move of hollywood move name seven magnificent

[@anjumkhatri8443]

hema malini ne to dono filmo ne kaam kiya tha dharmatma aur sholay ye baat zhut he ki danny ko waqt nahi tha darasal villen nahi banna tha danny ko😮

[@mohammedshafique7147]

Best ever film sholay

[@rocketshoot3027]

Classic? Sholey classic? Since when this movie has become classic?

[@epkdaily]

Quarter million people watching & enjoying this interview after 48 years of the release and you still think it’s not a classic film. Not to mention that we travelled all the way from Lahore to Mumbai to record the interview.

[@mughalkshugal]

Rate.. Jay Veru Ghabbar Thakur... Great Movie ❤🇵🇰

[@anirbanbhattacharya9077]

Greatest story ever told ... Greatest star cast ever assembled!

[@ismailthali3920]

Great human being salim javed

[@bigbulk688]

I am guessing the dialogues of side characters were probably written by Salim and the lead characters by Javed. Edit: IIRC the tank scene of Sholay, the 'highlight scene', the conversation between maasi and jai was based on the conversation that Salom had with Honey Irani, Javed's first wife's mom.

[@bittugym8282]

aaj bhi oukat rakhta hai yay insan

[@syedilyasahmed8664]

India may 2 filmain hit aur yaadgar hain. Ek Mother India is 1st and 2nd Sholay. Public nay sab say ziyada Gabbar Singh ki character ko pasand kiya.

[@epkdaily]

Lekin aap Mughal e Azam kaise bhool saktay hain ? In our opinion it should be number 1

[@AbdullahPunctureWale-II]

Gabbar Singh starts at 5:45