Big B, Dharmendra-starrer Sholay restored version to be showcased at IFFS

Mumbai, Sep 24
The restored version of “Sholay” starring Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra will be showcased at The Indian Film Festival of Sydney (IFFS) in October.

The festival, running from 9 to 11 October, will celebrate Indian cinema across three vibrant days. The restored Sholay had its world premiere earlier this month at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and now will screen in Sydney.

Sholay has been meticulously restored in 4K by the Film Heritage Foundation in collaboration with Sippy Films. The process, years in the making, involved locating a rare colour reversal print in London and recovering original camera negatives and long-lost deleted scenes from a warehouse in Mumbai.

Most significantly, the restored film features the original ending envisioned by director Ramesh Sippy, in which Thakur avenges his family by killing Gabbar Singh.

Festival Director Mitu Bhowmick Lange said in a statement: “Presenting the restored Sholay in Sydney is a moment of immense pride for us. This isn’t just the revival of a classic, it’s the revival of a piece of our collective cultural history.”

“The fact that audiences will now experience the film with the original ending makes it even more significant, as it honours Ramesh Sippy’s first vision in its entirety. To showcase this landmark restoration at IFFS, in the company of stories both timeless and new, truly embodies our festival’s spirit of celebrating Indian cinema in all its dimensions,” Lange added.

Talking about Sholay, directed by Ramesh Sippy, the film is about two criminals, Veeru and Jai, hired by a retired police officer to capture the ruthless dacoit Gabbar Singh.

Hema Malini and Jaya Bhaduri also star, as Veeru and Jai's love interests, Basanti and Radha, respectively. The film was shot in the rocky terrain of Ramanagara, in the southern state of Karnataka, over a span of two and a half years, beginning in October 1973.

When first released, Sholay received negative critical reviews and a tepid commercial response, but favourable word-of-mouth publicity helped it to become a box office success. It broke records for continuous showings in many theatres across India, and ran for more than five years at Mumbai's Minerva theatre.

The film was also an overseas success in the Soviet Union. It was the highest-grossing Indian film ever at the time, and was the highest-grossing film in India up until Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! By numerous accounts, Sholay remains one of the highest-grossing Indian films of all time, adjusted for inflation.

It is often regarded as one of the greatest and most influential Indian films of all time. In January 2014, Sholay was re-released to theatres in the 3D format.