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NDTV's Review of Sholay 3D

Cast:Dharmendra, Sanjeev Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Jaya Bachchan, Amjad Khan
Director: Ramesh Sippy 

SPOILERS AHEAD

Large swathes of popular Hindi cinema are no longer what they used to be when Ramesh Sippy’s all-conquering Sholay was released nearly four decades ago.

Yet, all these years later, the film remains a benchmark that commercial filmmakers in Mumbai can only aspire to match, let alone outstrip.

Why on earth then, one might wonder, would anybody be interested in watching a 3D version of a megahit that is part of Indian cinema folklore?

Hasn’t Sholay been watched, written about, celebrated, imitated, parodied, cannibalised and butchered ad nauseum?

Yet, there are several good reasons why Indians who are not old enough to have ever seen the film on the widescreen should go out and watch Sholay 3D.

Thirty-eight years on, the saga of Ramgarh and its bitter battle with the dreaded Gabbar Singh holds up pretty well.

The film has enough innate strength to this day to be able to salvage itself from the raging fire that one Ram Gopal Varma ill-advisedly sought to consign it to a few years ago. The embers of the original still glow as bright as ever.

A rather simplistic yet irresistibly immersive good-versus-evil tale that drew inspiration from alien filmmaking traditions and yet did a masterful job of dovetailing a borrowed genre into the indigenized narrative structure of the dacoit film, Sholay wasn’t obviously made with 3D in mind.

So, apart from adding depth to the frames, the added dimension does not actually ‘add’ any significant value to the movie experience. Here, 3D is no more than superficial embellishment at best. At worst, it seems to rob Sholay at times of the natural panoramic sweep of 70mm Cinemascope and lend it a caged-in feel.

However, a few of the action sequences do acquire life-like proportions, especially when bullets, shrapnel, rock splinters and other missiles fly at the audience. But that does not happen often enough to make a lasting impression.

The effect of 3D is felt only occasionally, but this is a restored print that should do the rounds in 2D format as well.

Sholay was a landmark Hindi film, and a repeat run can only help today’s moviegoers appreciate the sheer scale of the ambition and achievement that it represented.

Lines like Basanti, inn kutton ke saamne mat naachna or Chal Dhanno, aaj teri Basanti ki izzat ka sawaal hain may sound quaintly risible today, and yet they still strike a chord because they have continued to live in our midst like timeless taglines.

The two aspects of Sholay that no amount of modern-day technical wizardry can match are the outstanding cinematography and the on-screen performances.

Director of photography Dwarka Divecha, who passed within three years of the release of Sholay, left an indelible mark on the film.

He pulled off many a sequence that would have seemed very difficult, if not impossible, at the time.

Remember that Divecha did not have today’s CGI or SFX to fall back on. So you can only marvel at the goods train raid sequence early in the film or the horse carriage chase in the run-up to the climax.

It is common knowledge that Sanjeev Kumar as Thakur Baldev Singh and Amjad Khan as Gabbar Singh towered over everyone else.

Basanti, Jai and Veeru, too, are talked about whenever Sholay is mentioned.

But another viewing serves to reveal the depth that Jaya Bachchan brought to bear upon her interpretation of the character of the widowed Radha.

Many moviegoers, even oldtimers, might not have seen the pre-marriage Holi scene involving Jaya Bachchan, Sanjeev Kumar, Iftikhar and Satyen Kappu. It is very much a part of this three-and-a-half version of Sholay – it is a flashback that highlights how sprightly and full of life the now speechless widow was as a young spinster.

You also sense the intrinsic quality of the screenplay in the fact that virtually every cameo in the film – notably AK Hangal’s Imam Sahab and Leela Mishra’s mausi – is sharply etched out.

Sholay was an event when it hit the screens way back in the mid 1970s. Its reappearance in a new format may not create quite the same ripples, but Sholay, 3D or not, is definitely worth a revisit. 

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Dear NDTV,

Thankyou for the lovely review. We hope you enjoyed our movie.

Sincerely,

Team Sholay 3D

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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

Thank you Indian Express

Movie Review: 'Sholay 3D', go-to movie this weekend, no ifs, no buts

Cast: Sanjeev Kumar, Dharmendra, Hema Malini, Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bhaduri, Amjad Khan, AK Hangal, Asrani, Jagdeep, Leela Mishra, Viju Khote, MacMohan

Director: Ramesh Sippy

This is not a review. This is why I think 'Sholay', re-released in a 3D version, needs to be your go-to movie this weekend, no ifs, no buts. And that's because, `Bharat desh ke vaasiyon', 'Sholay' is the greatest Hindi 'masala' entertainer ever made, 3D, 2D or no D.

For those who saw it back when it released (75), it is a crackling refresh, and for those who have only seen re-runs on television, this is your chance to experience a genuine, panoramic wide screen, and how riveting a story and how memorable every single character can be. How songs and dances can add up, and how wonderful it is to anticipate the dialogues—oh those chart-busting dialogues packed into `cassettes' which sold briskly for years after—and mouth them along with the characters. Basically, why 'Sholay' is everything that it is cracked up to be.

I watched it yesterday in 3D, fully prepared to moan and groan about how it ruined the film for me. But nothing took away from my viewing ; I even enjoyed a few of the 3D bells and whistles, despite the darkened screen. And of course I cheated, by whipping off those glasses every few minutes and catching it as it was meant to be.

Best friends and small-time thieves Veeru ( Dharmendra) and Jai ( Amitabh) rolling along in that ridiculous twin-seater scooter, the meeting with Thakur Baldev Singh ( Sanjeev Kumar) in the train, that opening fast-paced `daku'-chase scene, the `paan-chewing' Soorma Bhopali ( Jagdeep), the `angrezon ke zamaane ka jailor' ( Asrani), the rocky-outcropped picturesque `gaon' Ramgarh and its residents, the chatterbox `taangewaali' Basanti ( Hema), the diminutive, sad-eyed Radha ( Jaya), and the glowering, vengeful `thakur'.

And Gabbar Singh, who deserves a whole paragraph to himself. `Sholay's bad guy is Hindi cinema's most enduring, fearsome, charismatic villain, no contest. Legend has it that Bachchan wanted to do this role, but it went to the debutant Amjad Khan. Without his outstanding Gabbar, togged out in olive green fatigues, rotten teeth and clattering boots, and his inimitable delivery, the film wouldn't have been what it was.

It was many years after I watched it first that I discovered in a genuine spaghetti Western, a couple of scenes which seemed like they were completely transplanted onto 'Sholay'. The soundscape, with the trademark goose-pimply keening, was very Sergio Leone-sque. Village Ramgarh looked as if it was fashioned like a Hollywood western outpost. But the way director Ramesh Sippy, writers Salim-Javed, cinematographer Dwarka Diwecha, and music director R D Burman crafted this film, those couple of imitative scenes were so beautifully knit into the fabric of the film that you felt they were always part of it. Real-life dacoits in their dhoti-kurtas, post 1975, must have cursed Gabbar for forever stamping his wardrobe imprint on them, as well as wondering where they could find a campfire and item queen Helen and the very colourful Jalal Agha whooping it up to Mehbooba, Mehbooba.

'Ooo, ooo, ooo'. `Kitnay Aadmi Thay'? `Poore pachaas hajaar, sarkaar'. `Tumhara naam kya hai, Basanti'? `Yun toh hamein zyaada baat karne ki aadat nahin hai'. `Budhiya jail mein chakki peesing and peesing'. `Itna sannaata kyon hai, bhai'? The dialogues, and there are so many more, are iconic, and have seeped into our pop culture. The mournful mouth-organ tune and the growing, silent smoulder between Amitabh and Jaya, the more earthy equation between Dharmendra and Hema, the camaraderie between the two denim-clad male leads, and how well they horsed ( we saw more of it many more films, especially 'Chupke Chupke'), the tragic backstory of the `thakur', and all the gun play which still has the power to thrill, nearly 40 years later.

I found bits of the long jail sequence dull, like I had before, and a flashback involving Jaya wisely taken out at the time it first released, made me wince this time around. But only for that moment, because I was caught up with the rest again, and enthralled all over again. It feels surprisingly undated, and fresh.

You can divide Hindi cinema into two eras, pre-and-post 'Sholay'. It is a landmark. They don't make 'em like this anymore.

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Dear Shubhra,

Thankyou so much for this beautiful review. You must really love Sholay a lot. Thank you for watching our movie.

Sincerely,

Team Sholay 3D

Thank you Zee News!

Zee News loves Sholay 3D

If as William Shakespeare told us, a rose by any other name smells just as sweet, then `Sholay` in any format -3D, 4D or whatever, would remain just the same. An inviolable classic, timeless, as it is timely. The new version, spruced up with flying bullets and thundering hoofs, comes to us at a time when "Dhoom" is trending. So it`s "Sholay 3D" weighed against "Dhoom: 3".

Undoubtedly, the current films that seem to make so much money seem to pale into flamboyant insignificance when weighed against the hefty impact of "Sholay".

As many as 38 years have passed since "Sholay" and its astonishing lines (Salim-Javed at their pithiest) created immediate and enduring history. Yes, the film opened badly. But then Rome and Amitabh Bachchan`s career weren`t built in a day.

With each viewing of "Sholay", I come away wiser and richer. Yes, this is what `Bollywood` entertainment should always be but seldom is. Rich in drama, vivacious and vibrant in its characterisations, "Sholay" about one armless man`s two-men army and their battle against a sadistic dacoit (Amjad Khan) spawns innumerable eras of cinematic experience.

It is the most well assembled screenplay ever.

With the passage of time, we can view the film in episodes - the stunning train robbery sequence at the start, the massacre of `Thakur` Sanjeev Kumar`s family by Gabbar and his ragged henchmen, Dharmendra`s `suicide` drama from atop a water tower, `Jai` Amitabh Bachchan`s marriage proposal on behalf of his buddy `Veeru` Dharmendra, `Gabbar` Amjad Khan`s Russian roulette in the ravines with his trio of petrified henchmen, `Rahim Chacha` A.K. Hangal`s son`s poignant death scene, the widow `Radha` Jaya Bhaduri`s flashback into a colourful Holi when she accosts her future father-in-law with incessant chatter (Radha could have been Basanti), Jagdeep`s Soorma Bhopali and Asrani`s `angrezon ke zamaanein ka jailor` episodes.... each of these and many others, have a throbbing autonomous life of their own.

And yet, here lies the magic of a monumental classic - all the accentuated episodes come together in a compelling cohesive screenplay which blows your mind.

This is a revenge story with a supremely sustained momentum. The characters show no sign of aging with time. Dharmendra and Amitabh Bachchan`s Veeru and Jai are to this day roguish mercenaries who seem to convey an endearing amorality in their conduct even as they emerge as unlikely heroes in the Thakur`s fight against an oppressively cartoonish outlaw.

There are two romantic tracks navigated by two very contrasting female characters. While Basanti (Hema Malini) never stops chattering, Radha (Jaya Bhaduri) seldom speaks.

They are portraits in contrasts done up in colours that have acquired deeper shades and relevance with the passage of time.

Dissertations, thesis, textbooks and essays have been written on the impact of "Sholay" on commercial Indian cinema. Does the narrative show any signs of wear and tear? Never! Except when monetary amounts meant to be astronomical in 1975 are mentioned.

Thakur Baldev Singh hires the services of Jai and Veeru for a princely sum of Rs.50,000. That in today`s economic context would amount to close to Rs.10 crore. And if you have actors as exceptionally charismatic as Amitabh and Dharmendra playing Jai and Veeru, then the characters seem priceless.

Has there ever been a better celluloid illustration of male bonding than the Jai-Veeru jodi in "Sholay"? Amitabh and Dharmendra came together once again as Ram and Balram in Vijay Anand`s film. But the same chemistry was missing.

No one can encore the magic of Ramesh Sippy in "Sholay". Not even Sippy himself. And what a team of technicians Sippy had! Dwarka Divecha`s cinematography, M.S. Shinde`s editing and R.D. Burman`s background music will never cease to take our breath away.

I always found R.D. Burman`s songs in "Sholay" to be relatively weak. I still do. But that`s a very small quibble in a film that defies all analyses.

So does the 3D format affect "Sholay"? I`d say "Sholay" in any format is..."Sholay"! Incomparably gripping, flawlessly cast and impeccably mounted, this is the mother of all Bollywood classics.

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Dear Zee News,

We are thrilled you see this wonderful review of Sholay 3D. We are glad you loved the movie.

Team Sholay 3D

CNN IBN's Rajeev Masand Reviews Sholay 3D

India's Favourite Film Critic Reviews India's All-time Favourite movie

Sholay 3D

Cast: Sanjeev Kumar, Dharmendra, Hema Malini, Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bhaduri, Amjad Khan, AK Hangal, Asrani, Jagdeep, Leela Mishra, Viju Khote, MacMohan

Director: Ramesh Sippy

How many times have you seen Sholay? Does it matter? Sholay is a classic because you know at precisely which second to say, "Kitne aadmi the?" along with Gabbar Singh. It's considered the greatest Hindi film ever made because you can still feel your adrenaline pumping as you watch Jai and Veeru's stunts during that thrilling dacoit attrack on a speeding train, or feel the dread when you see a child look at Gabbar as a swing creaks ominously. It depicts wonderful love - in the comic romance between Veeru and Basanti, or the unspoken longing between Jai and Radha.

38 years after it first opened with stereophonic sound on 70 mm, Sholay has been converted into 3D for re-release this week. Another generation will experience Sholay for the first time on the big screen. Putting on 3D glasses and watching Sholay again, presented in Dolby Atmos, its sound redesigned, was an enhanced experience no doubt, but I believe the film's magic remains in Salim-Javed's masterful story-telling and Ramesh Sippy's inspired direction. This is a spaghetti western like no other because of its characters, its dialogues, the gripping action, the menacing villain and the story of how he was crushed by two fearless men who dared to take him on.

Sholay on the big screen is an exhilarating 3 hour 24 minute-movie event, with or without 3D glasses. It is wildly entertaining, unforgettable cinema, and I'm willing to bet that it'll probably be the best film you'll see in the theatres this year. Don't miss it.

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Dear Rajeev,

You are as much a part of Indian Cinema as is Sholay. We would like to thank you for this lovely review. We are glad you loved the new and improved experience of an old classic.

Sincerely,

Team Sholay 3D

DNA's Sarita Tanwar Reviews Sholay 3D

Film review: 'Sholay' 3D - The epic adventure is back, rush to the screens now!

Film: Sholay
Rating: *****
Directed: Ramesh Sippy
Starring: Dharmendra, Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjeev Kumar, Hema Malini,
Jaya Bhaduri and Amjad Khan

When Sholay first hit the screens in 1975, it was pegged as the greatest story ever
told and  the greatest star cast ever assembled. 39 years later, nothing has changed.
A film, that’s quite easily the most influential movie-going experience of our times,
does not need a review. So let’s just stick to an update only for the enjoyment of
reliving the adventure.

The legendary story of Thakur Baldev Singh (Sanjeev Kumar) who hires two small-time
crooks, Jai (Amitabh Bachchan) and Veeru (Dharmendra) to fight the might of Gabbar
Singh (Amjad Khan) is back – and this time,  in 3D. For those who didn’t get the chance
to watch this epic drama when it was first released in 70mm and  stereophonic sound,
now is the time. That’s because no amount of DVDs and Blu Rays can ever do justice
 to the magnificence and the opulence of Sholay on the big screen. Plus, the novelty of
watching it in 3D brings  a different flavour to all those unforgettable scenes, dialogues
and characters that will be etched in our memories forever.

Be prepared for the ride of your lives – it’s time to rejoice the everlasting dosti between
Jai and Veeru; the hysterical antics of Basanti (Hema Malini); the silent love of Radha
(Jaya Bhaduri); the emotional resilience of Thakur and the awe-inspiring aura of Gabbar.
Not to mention the varied other characters in the movie that became  an integral part of
film history – Sambha (Macmohan), Soorma Bhopali (Jagdeep), Jailor (Asrani), Kaaliya
(Viju  Khote) and many others.

The 3D conversion could’ve been more polished for a film of this stature. Still, the effect
is spellbinding. The train sequence (still the best train sequence ever shot in Hindi cinema)
is the highlight – new effects have been added to enhance the 3D element. With a length
of over 3 hours, the 3D gets tiresome in parts but the sheer grandeur of the film keeps
you going. The songs and background score have been re-created by Raju Singh and
that’s a huge plus in the new version. Without losing the essence of the original, Singh
delivers a spectacular punch. Technically, Sholay 3D is par excellence – it’s great to see
a crystal-clear, polished version of your favourite film in a new avatar.

Sholay is also a prominent film because of the people associated with it. Director
Ramesh Sippy is remembered to date, for this offering, which remains unparalleled
even in his career. Salim-Javed, the greatest writer duo India has known, consider it one
of their finest works. RD Burman’s music, Dwarka Divecha’s cinematography,
MS Shinde’s editing and Ram Yedekar’s production design continue to remain a class
apart.

India’s epic adventure is back – rush to the screens now!

Watch the trailer: 

Dear Sarita,
We are grateful for this generous review. Thankyou for recognizing the technical 
team's hard work. We are glad you loved our movie.
Sincerely,
Team Sholay 3D