What if Sholay were produced now, in our technologically advanced era, with AI vying for our attention? asks Atanu Biswas
As Sholay has completed 50 years since its release, an Amul ad celebrated 'Poore Pachaas Saal' of the Bollywood cult classic. It was undoubtedly a throwback to the three iconic words 'poore pachaas hazaar', which actor MacMohan delivered in Sholay.
Such is Sholay magic, truly a part of the Indian psyche.
Ramesh Sippy directed the film, Salim-Javed wrote the script, R D Burman composed the music, and Sanjeev Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Hema Malini, Amjad Khan and Jaya Bhaduri, among others, played legendary characters.
Everything aligned flawlessly to produce a timeless masterpiece, which, despite winning just one Filmfare award, became a box office sensation. And much more than that.
For example, in her book Sholay: The Making of a Classic, film journalist Anupama Chopra cited filmmaker Shekhar Kapur stating, 'Indian film history can be divided into Sholay BC and Sholay AD.'
Bollywood has an obsession with remakes of cult films and blockbusters. How about Sholay, then?
Yes, the parody sequel Ramgarh Ke Sholay (1991) featured Amjad Khan reprising his famous character of Gabbar Singh, who returned to Ramgarh after completing a 20-year prison sentence and once again caused mayhem. It became a surprise hit.
In 1998, for Star TV's Ek Do Teen, actor Sachin Pilgaonkar, who played a minor part in the original, made a parody called Chholay.
Ram Gopal Varma's 2007 remake, Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag, was a box office failure, though.
Interestingly, Sholay has not yet been remade in any southern language, although the Bhojpuri language version, Gabbar, was a box office hit.
The animated series Sholay Adventures, featuring Jai and Veeru as two mischievous, golden-hearted eight year olds, debuted on Cartoon Network's Pogo channel in 2015. While Gabbar was recast as a tech-savvy criminal, Thakur headed a covert police agency called Sholay.
Thus, Sholay continues to possess a strong resonance in India's pop culture.
It also became a lucrative marketing asset. Its characters attained iconic status owing to their captivating language.
Should a blockbuster remake or sequel be due now, in light of the film's legacy?
In Komal Nahta's podcast Game Changers, Ram Gopal Varma discussed why a sequel never materialised. He also talked about being dubious of an intriguing proposal for Sholay 2 -- one that even included action star Jackie Chan.
Varma recollected the proposed storyline: 'After the Mehbooba Mehbooba song, Gabbar Singh and Helen have a baby, who is Jr Gabbar. So, Jr Gabbar takes revenge for his father.'
In a 2024 interview, Salman Khan also expressed his interest in seeing the original plot continued, either with an emphasis on the next generation or by exploring what transpired with the characters after the events of the original movie.
'If I had to remake any of their films, I would want to remake Sholay. I can play Jai and Veeru both; I can also play Gabbar,' Salman said in Angry Young Men, a documentary about Salim-Javed.
Undoubtedly, a sequel would face significant challenges. As Hema Malini recently stated, although a remake is feasible, it will not be able to replicate the original film's level of success. Amidst the Emergency days in the 1970s, Sholay was a huge hit in the 25-year-old young Republic. What if Sholay were produced now, in our technologically advanced era, with AI vying for our attention?
Today's audience, primarily made up of Gen Z, is markedly different.
Though the movie will be intended for adult/general audiences, should the new Sholay somewhat resemble Pogo's Sholay Adventures?
A story's setting, rhythm, and theme might all be altered in a remake. It might include new technologies that were nonexistent when the original was made, while presenting it to a new generation, perhaps in a different socioeconomic and political environment.
Will Sholay 2 be as relevant in 2075 as Sholay is now if it's produced today? Sholay literally means 'embers' in Hindi.
And as Veeru remarked in Sholay, 'Iss story mein emotion hai , drama hai, tragedy hai.'
However, they were cooked together in a magical flame, perhaps like Jai's double-headed coin flip. Will it ever be possible to recreate that kind of ember-flame in a sequel?
Atanu Biswas is professor, Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata.
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