Sholay facts

1. Sholay was the first film to run for five consecutive years since its release at Mumbai's (then Bombay) Minerva on August 15, 1975.

2. In the film Sholay, there is a scene where Jai brings Veeru's marriage proposal to Basanti's mausi. The scene is an interesting one and it was inspired by Javed Akhtar's (of the film's script writers Salim-Javed) real life incident. Javed Akhtar was in love with actress Honey Irani and asked his partner, Salim, to meet her mother, Perin Irani, on his behalf. Salim met and talked to Perin.

This conversation was used in the film, almost verbatim.

3. Originally actor Danny Denzongpa was thought of by script writers Salim-Javed to play the role of Gabbar Singh. Director Ramesh Sippy insisted that Amjad Khan be given the role. Salim-Javed were initially apprehensive about that. Finally, how Amjadbhai lived Gabbar Singh in the film is history.

4. It is also said that Amjadbhai remembered a dhobi from his childhood days, who used to call out his wife, "Arre, O Shanthi!" The "Arre, O Sambha!" by Gabbar Singh in the film came from this dhobi!

5. At one time Sanjeev Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan wanted to play Gabbar Singh. And Dharmendra was after the role of Thakur Baldev Singh. When the director pointed out that in that case Sanjeev Kumar would play Veeru and get Basanti (Hemamalini), he gave up because in real life he was in love with her! Sanjeev Kumar had just then proposed to her!

6. And there was Macmohan as Sambha who uttered just three words in the entire film: "Poore pachchas hazaar!" However, that brought him instant fame.

7. The last but definitely the worse thing about Sholay is that a remake of the film is on the cards and probably on the floors. Sholay has become such an obsession with almost every Indian that a true lover of the film would not quite sit quiet. Because you cannot recreate art, can you?