One of the most iconic films in Indian cinema, Sholay (1975), is all set to celebrate its 50th anniversary with a grand re-release in cinemas on August 15, 2025. The movie, widely regarded as one of the greatest films of all time, will be showcased in restored 4K quality.
According to an exclusive Bollywood Hungama report, preparations are already underway more than three months ahead of the milestone anniversary “We are living in the era of re-releases, and moreover, Sholay is a film that has a fan base in every generation. There are many who were born much later and have never experienced the brilliance of this film on the big screen. Also, it has always done well whenever it has returned to the big screen. Sholay was re-released in 2004 as part of its 30th anniversary and managed to do well. It was brought to cinemas in 2014, in 3D and again, got decent footfalls.”
The source further stated that the original climax, where Thakur kills Gabbar instead of having him arrested, was rejected by the Central Board of Film Certification in 1975, forcing director Ramesh Sippy to reshoot the finale, with the original version only available on DVD releases, will be seen on the big screen for the very first time in over five decades “The makers are restoring the film in 4K. And they are also working on a path-breaking idea. If all goes well, they’ll release the film with the original ending of Thakur (Sanjeev Kumar) killing Gabbar Singh (Amjad Khan). It was cut by the then Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), which led director Ramesh Sippy to reshoot the climax where Gabbar gets arrested.”
The source also revealed that the decision to bring “Sholay” back follows encouraging responses to limited screenings in recent years “Last year, the Film Heritage Foundation held one show of Sholay in Regal Cinema where the 50-year-old print was played. The show was sold out, and videos of people laughing on funny scenes and clapping and dancing during songs went viral. Many expressed regret at not being able to make it to the show. Hence, it’s clear that there’s a tremendous demand to catch the classic on the big screen.”
About Sholay
Sholay is a 1975 Indian masterpiece directed by Ramesh Sippy, produced by his father G. P. Sippy, and written by Salim–Javed. Starring Dharmendra, Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjeev Kumar, Amjad Khan, Hema Malini and Jaya Bhaduri. The film is about two criminals, Veeru and Jai hired by a retired police officer to capture the ruthless dacoit Gabbar Singh.
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