Click to play videoHindi cinema's most popular film ever, a picture that has inspired generations of filmmakers and film goers. 32 years after its release, Ramesh Sippy's Sholay continues to spawn sequels and remakes.
While its most ambitious remake yet, Rs 20 crore Ramgopal Varma Ki Aag gets ready to release on Friday, the original film's producers have announced that there will be an official prequel, sequel, remake and an animated version. Clearly Sholay has taken a life of its own.
For months now, filmmaker Ramgopal Varma has been in the news for his unofficial remake of Sholay, a project that's been mired in controversy since announcement.
Varma, a self-confessed fan of the original film, says his picture is merely a tribute to his favourite film. His characters, however, seem suspiciously similar to those in Ramesh Sippy's classic.
The magic of Sholay was felt not only by the actors of the film who starred in it and whose lives changed forever, but also by so many others who enjoyed a slice of the Sholay pie.
In a special show Sholay Ki Aag on CNN-IBN, Entertainment Editor Rajeev Masand focused on Hindi cinema's most popular film ever and the spin-offs it has inspired over the years. He spoke to AK Hangal, who of course played the blind Imam Chacha, about his role in Sholay.
Talking about why the movie Sholay really above any other film Hangal said, ”I think Sholay became very popular because in the movie each character was a good character and portrayed very nicely by the actors. In my own role I did Imam Chacha, I did that role very emotionally. I remember all the sequence very much.”
“First of all I was booked by Ramesh Sippy for Sholay. In the meantime Dev Anand approached me and he wanted me to go to Kathmandu and do his film. And the same date clashed. It was very difficult for me to decide. Ultimately I decided that both should get their due and I did both the films. Sholay came last, first Dev Anand’s film,” he added.
Sholay, of course, is a film with many firsts to its credit. A film that is like none other, in many respects.
It's a film that holds a special place in the hearts of so many people, if only because so many memories are associated with it. May the magic of Sholay live on.
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