50 years of Sholay: Javed Akhtar on how Ramanagara became an industry to accommodate Sippy's ‘larger than life' movie

Mint

2 days ago

As Sholay turns 50 this year, screenwriter Javed Akhtar, who wrote the script for Hindi cinema's most iconic movie with Salim Khan, reminisced about the time Ramanagara, a small town in Karnataka, turned itself into an industry to accommodate the needs of producer GP Sippy's 'larger than life' movie.
Sholay, featuring Amitabh Bachchan as Jai and Dharmendra as Veeru, had generated ₹ 3 crore at the box office in 1975.
In an interview with the Indian Express' SCREEN, Javed ji shared that when he was writing the movie with Salim ji, they 'didn't have the faintest idea that it could become so big.'
But as the story progressed, he said that they had realised that there were more than two or three very important characters, and 'some important actors can be signed for it.'
The screenwriter said Sholay was 'not planned as a multi-starrer at all.' However, thanks to a producer who was larger than life, GP Sippy, the movie was made in 70 mm and had a stereophonic soundtrack.
Now, since Sholay was being produced at such a large scale, Javed Akhtar told SCREEN that Ramanagara became an industry when Sholay was being shot.
'When Sholay was being shot in Ramanagara (in Karnataka), it had become an industry in itself. There were so many factories and workshops, which were making gadgets and other things for the picture,' he said.
Proud of his movie, Javed Akhtar said that even a minor character from Sholay, with just 3 words as a dialogue, made a mark on the audience and its dialogues are still being 'used in stand-up comedies'.
'The fact is, even today, a minor character from Sholay, who has uttered three words, or who just stood there, is used in stand-up comedies. He is referred to in other films' dialogues. He has even become the reference in political speeches,' he told SCREEN.
'People use their lines such as 'Tera kya hoga, Kaliya'; 'Arre o Samba'; and 'Poore pachaas hazaar'. When you mention 'mausi said this', everybody will know which mausi you are talking about,' he added.
Interestingly, Javed ji shared that the whole script was ready with dialogues, 'except for one scene in which Dharmendraji climbs up the tank and threatens to jump'.
It was only Ramesh Sippy 'wisely' pointed out that Dharmendraji was too big a star, and should be highlighted in the second half, 'otherwise, his fans will be disappointed,' that the water tank sequence was written.
Earlier, the veteran actor said that one of his favourite scenes from the movie was 'the tanki scene'.
'…but the most powerful scene I feel was the death of Jai, which is still etched in my mind,' Dharmendra said.