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Is there another movie that has influenced and impacted the cultural and cinematic landscape of India like Sholay (1975) did? It’s doubtful. Directed by Ramesh Sippy, this action-adventure film, which combines elements from Spaghetti Westerns, heist movies and samurai cinema, wasn’t just a blockbuster; it defined entertainment and exemplified masala cinema. Penned by the iconic Salim–Javed duo, Sholay boasted a star-studded cast comprising Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Sanjeev Kumar, Hema Malini, Jaya Bachchan and Amjad Khan among others.
Though a great deal has already been discussed and written about the movie, Sholay seems to be a treasure trove that continues to reveal intriguing details even today, 49 years after its initial theatrical release. Recently, actor-director Sachin Pilgaonkar took a trip down memory lane and recalled working on the film as an assistant director. He revealed that Ramesh would come to the set only to direct heavyweights like Amitabh, Dharmendra and Sanjeev.
“Rameshji decided to have a second unit to do some action sequences which don’t feature the main stars. These were just passing shots. For this, he had a director of stunt films, Mohammed Ali bhai. He was a renowned stunt filmmaker, and with him was an action director, Azim bhai. And the latter got two guys from Hollywood, Jim and Jerry. He (Ramesh) wanted two persons to represent him because these people came from other countries. How would they know about the film and what’s happening? At that time, there were only two bekaar (useless) people in the unit: one was Amjad Khan and the other one was me,” he said during a chat with the YouTube channel Khaane Mein Kya Hai. Amjad Khan played Gabbar in the film and Sachin too appeared in the film as Ahmed.
Sachin added that Ramesh was aware of his and Amjad’s interest in directing, which influenced his decision. “He asked us if we liked to represent him. Andha maange ek aankh, suddenly usko do mil gaya (the blind man asked for one eye, but suddenly he got two),” he said, adding that this opportunity allowed him to stay on set even when the second unit was not doing the filming work.
He also mentioned that the train robbery scene, filmed along the Bombay–Poona railway route near Panvel, was shot without Ramesh Sippy. “He was supposed to come only when Dharamji, Amitji and Hari bhai (Sanjeev) had work. Rameshji shot those portions, and we handled the remaining scenes,” Sachin added.
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