Latest news with #FHF
Deccan Herald
35 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Deccan Herald
'Sholay is back': Restored version of 1975 classic screened at Il Cinema Ritrovato Festival
What an incredible feeling to see restored Sholay with the original ending on the big screen at Piazza Maggiore in Bologna with so many people under the stars as they stayed awake till 1am for me it was my childhood memory come alive 50 years later Sholay is back… @FHF_Official
Time of India
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Dharmendra: I was offered the role of Gabbar and Thakur...But I wanted to play Veeru as he is so much like me
says Sholay could easily be considered ' duniya ka aathwan ajooba .' And for the fans of the 1975 cult classic, it's hard to disagree. The film marks its 50th anniversary this year as its restored version premieres in Italy. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In a recent chat, the veteran actor spoke to us about his favourite memories of Sholay. 'MY FAVOURITE SCENE FROM SHOLAY IS THE DEATH OF AMITABH BACHCHAN 'S CHARACTER' ' Aur jaan daal di FHF (Film Heritage Foundation) ne ,' says Dharmendra about the film's restoration. Talking about his favourite scenes from the film, the actor shares, ' Tanki wala scene, temple wala scene log kaafi pasand karte hain . Aur bhi aise kai scene hain jo kaafi pasand hain mujhe .' But the moment that lingers most for him is the emotional turning point of the film. 'My favourite scene from Sholay is the death of Amitabh Bachchan's (character). Woh jahan marte hain, wahan zindagi puri picture mein palta kha jati hai . That was the best scene. Do doston ke jo emotion thay woh aate hain ,' he says. 'MAIN CHARACTER MEIN CHALA JAATA HOON' When asked how he prepares for a scene like that? Dharmendra scoffs at the idea of preparation. 'To me, nothing is difficult. Main koi practice nahi karta . Main Dharmendra nahi lagta wahan – main Veeru hi lagta hoon . Pratiggya (1975) mein bhi wohi lagta hoon . Om Prakash ke saath jab Hindi boli thi (as Pyarelal in Chupke Chupke ) toh wohi lagta hoon , Dharmendra nahi lagta . Baaki maine dekha kai actor wohi lagte hain jo woh hain . Main character mein chala jaata hoon . Mujhe toh second lagta hai .' 'The real hero is the coin in Sholay'Whenever Jai and Veeru have to make a decision in Sholay , they flip a coin and it always seems to fall in Jai's favour. It's only in the climax that Veeru realises Jai used a trick coin with heads on both sides. Referring to the coin, Dharmendra says, 'Every character is a hero in the film. But the real hero is the coin.'
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
How Sholay got its original ending back
The original ending of the 1975 blockbuster Sholay showed former police officer Thakur Baldev Singh (Sanjeev Kumar) taking his long-awaited revenge by killing dacoit Gabbar Singh (Amjad Khan) with his spiked shoes. The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), however, wasn't happy and wanted the ending to be changed. Since the board members were of the opinion that the film has too much violence, director Ramesh Sippy reshot the ending in which Gabbar, after being beaten up by Thakur, is arrested by the police. Nearly five decades since the movie was released in theatres on August 15, 1975, Sholay will be screened with its original ending on a large open-air screen at Piazza Maggiore, a sprawling plaza in Italy's Bologna, on Friday. The uncut version of newly-restored 'Sholay', featuring the original ending and some previously deleted scenes, will have its world premiere as part of the annual Il Cinema Ritrovato Festival. Commenting on its restoration, actor Amitabh Bachchan states, 'Some things in life remain permanently etched in your mind. Sholay is one such film. Shooting for the film was an unforgettable experience, but at the time I had no idea that it would be a watershed for Indian cinema…I hope that even 50 years later, the film will capture the imagination of new audiences across the world.' Actor Dharmendra says: 'Few people know that I was offered the role of Gabbar and Thakur, but I was clear that I wanted to play the role of Veeru as he is so much like me…My favourite scenes were the tanki scene, the scene in the temple, and so many others, but the most powerful scene I feel was the death of Jai, which is still etched in my mind.' Written by the legendary Salim-Javed, the 204-minute-long film's stellar ensemble cast included Hema Malini and Jaya Bhaduri. Three years ago, Shehzad Sippy of Sippy Films, which produced Sholay, approached the Film Heritage Foundation (FHF) regarding its restoration. He wanted to hand over the film elements, which were housed in a Mumbai warehouse, for their preservation. Even though labels were missing from the film cans, upon examining the contents, the FHF discovered that they contained the original 35mm camera and sound negatives. Shehzad also informed the FHF about additional film elements kept at Iron Mountain, a storage facility in the UK. With the help of the British Film Institute, the FHF got access to these materials. Subsequently, the reels from both London and Mumbai were transported to L'Immagine Ritrovata, a specialised film restoration laboratory in Bologna, to carry out the intricate restoration process. According to the FHF press note, 'The restoration proved to be a complex endeavour, spanning nearly three years. The primary challenge lay in the condition of the original camera negative, which got severely deteriorated and thus unsuitable for the restoration. Consequently, the restoration predominantly utilised the interpositives located in London and Mumbai. Since the 70mm prints were not available–Sholay was the first Indian film to use the 70 mm widescreen format–the FHF consulted veteran cinematographer Kamlakar Rao, who had collaborated on 'Sholay' with the film's cinematographer Dwarka Divecha. 'Rao recounted Divecha's technique of employing a ground glass in front of the camera lens, upon which Rao made markings to delineate the margins of the 70mm frame. This invaluable insight guided our decision to adopt a 2.2:1 aspect ratio for the restored film,' reveals FHF sources. The film's original magnetic sound elements were found at the Sippy Films office. The sound restoration was conducted using both the original sound negative and these magnetic elements. Calling Sholay 'a masterpiece of passion that generations of Indians have loved', Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, director of the FHF says: 'Despite the fact that we could not use the original camera negative and that not a single 70mm print survives, we have left no stone unturned to ensure that this historic film has not only been beautifully restored, but that the restored version that will premiere in Bologna will have the original ending and some never-before-seen deleted scenes.' Talking about the restoration, Shehzad says, 'It's been a labour of love to resurrect the film, and this is a tribute to the vision and the legacy of my grandfather GP Sippy. I can't wait for 'Sholay' to begin its new lease of life.' After the Italian premiere, the restored Sholay will be screened at international festivals and theatres to celebrate its 50th anniversary.
NDTV
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Restored Uncut Version Of Sholay To Have World Premiere In Italy
New Delhi: Sholay, one of India's most celebrated films of all time, is set to create magic on the big screen once again with the premiere of its fully restored, uncut version at the prestigious Il Cinema Ritrovato Festival in Bologna, Italy. The screening, commemorating the film's 50th anniversary, will take place on June 27, 2025 at the open-air Piazza Maggiore, said a press release. The Film Heritage Foundation (FHF) and Sippy Films have joined hands for the special showcase of the director's cut of the 1975 classic movie which was helmed by Ramesh Sippy. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Film Heritage Foundation (@filmheritagefoundation) Featuring an ensemble cast of Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Hema Malini, Sanjeev Kumar, Jaya Bacchan and Amjad Khan, Sholay was written by Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar. The film is considered an inalienable part of Indian pop culture due to its popular characters like Jai, Veeru and Thakur as well as Gabbar Singh, one of the iconic villains of Hindi cinema, and plenty of dialogues and action sequences. "Some things in life remain permanently etched in your mind. Sholay is one such film," said Amitabh Bachchan, who played the role of Jai in the movie. He also recalled the "unforgettable experience" of shooting the movie. "At the time I had no idea that it would be a watershed for Indian cinema. Its dramatic change in fortunes from being declared an unsuccessful venture, to its record-breaking box office run was an emotional rollercoaster for all of us. "It's wonderful that the Film Heritage Foundation has restored Sholay and that they have managed to locate and include the original ending as well as some deleted scenes in the restoration. I hope that even 50 years later, the film will capture the imagination of new audiences across the world," he added in a statement. Dharmendra, who essayed the part of Veeru, called Sholay the eighth wonder of the world. "I am thrilled to hear that the film is being restored and I am sure it will have the same success as it had 50 years ago. Who can forget the dialogues of Salim-Javed and the direction of Ramesh Sippy? So many scenes have gone down in the history of Indian cinema and every character became a star. But the real hero was the coin," he said. The veteran actor revealed that he was initially offered the choice between the roles of Gabbar and Thakur, but he wanted to play the role of Veeru as "he is so much like me". "I had so much fun on the shoot. My favourite scenes were the tanki scene, the scene in the temple, and so many others, but the most powerful scene I feel was the death of Jai, which is still etched in my mind," he added. Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, Director of Film Heritage Foundation, said, "My first memory of Sholay dates back to the time when I was six years old and I remember lamenting because my mother refused to allow me to go to the cinema to watch the film." "I would never have imagined that 50 years later, I would have the opportunity to work on the restoration of the film - often described as the greatest Indian film ever made - with Shehzad Sippy of Sippy Films," he added. Shehzad Sippy, representing Sippy Films, called the restoration of Sholay a deeply personal journey. " Sholay is the cornerstone of our family heritage and I am so proud that Sippy Films has been able to do a world-class restoration of the film with the Film Heritage Foundation. It has taken us three years, but we were able to find the original ending and some deleted scenes that the world will see for the first time at the grand premiere at the Il Cinema Ritrovato Festival in Bologna," he added.
Mint
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
Raj Khosla@100: Asha Parekh remembers director who helped her break glam girl image with Do Badan
Mumbai, Jun 1 (PTI) Veteran actor Asha Parekh has credited the late writer-filmmaker Raj Khosla with recognising her potential beyond the "glam girl" image by offering her "Do Badan", a film that changed the trajectory of her career. At a retrospective event to mark Khosla's 100th birth anniversary on Saturday evening, Parekh said the filmmaker's decision to cast her in the 1966 drama came as a surprise to her as it went against the industry's perception of her. "Everyone in the industry thought I was just a glam girl, a dancing girl and that I am not a good actress. I do not know what Raj ji had in mind when he came to me and offered me 'Do Badan'. The critics wrote good things about me and my work in the film. It gave me confidence to do more such films," Parekh said at a panel discussion. "Do Badan" tells the story of two lovers -- Asha (Parekh), a wealthy young woman, and Vikas (Manoj Kumar), an orphan -- whose romance takes a tragic turn due to a series of unforeseen events. The film, which became a box-office hit on its release, also featured Simi Garewal and Pran in pivotal roles. The Dadasaheb Phalke award winner revealed that initially, her contemporary, Rakhee, was supposed to star in the film. "I remember, Raj ji called me and said, 'I want to talk to you'. I said, 'okay'. He came home and narrated the story. After the narration, I told him to promise me to make the film as it is. It was a beautifully-written film. It was poetic. I remember, women would cry watching the film," Parekh said. The actor also shared that she had suggested a different climax to Khosla for "Do Badan", one where only her character would die. However, after further discussions, Kumar convinced the director to go with a more tragic ending in which both lovers meet their fate. "He would say what he wanted but leave the artists to emote the way they want," Parekh said about their collaborative process. After "Do Badan", the two also collaborated in "Chirag" (1969), "Mera Gaon Mera Desh" (1971) and "Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki" (1978). Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt was also part of the panel discussion along with Amborish Roychoudhury, the author of "Raj Khosla: The Authorised Biography", and Khosla's daughter, Anita. Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, director of the Film Heritage Foundation (FHF), moderated the panel discussion. Khosla gave Hindi cinema some of its most memorable songs like "Lag Jaa Gale", "Mera Saaya", "Jhumka Gira Re", "Kahin Pe Nigaahen Kahin Pe Nishaana", "Yeh Hai Bombay Meri Jaan", "Nazar Lagi Raja Tore Bangle Par", "Hai Apna Dil To Awara" and many more. Parekh said she loved the way Khosla shot the song sequences in his movies. "When you work in four films, the whole unit becomes like a family.... Raj ji came from the Guru Dutt school, there was a little bit of Guru Dutt ji that he had while doing (songs)," she said. The daylong retrospective, titled "Raj Khosla 100 -- Bambai Ka Babu", was curated by the FHF at the Regal Cinema in south Mumbai. As part of the celebrations, three of Khosla's acclaimed films -- "CID" (1956), "Bambai Ka Babu" (1960) and "Mera Gaon Mera Desh" -- were screened. The first two films have been restored in 4K resolution by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) and National Film Archive of India (NFAI) under the National Film Heritage Mission, an initiative of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Parekh said re-watching "Mera Gaon Mera Desh" brought back fresh memories. "It did bring back fresh memories. I had the most fun working with him. I wish I could see the entire film, but I had to leave," the veteran actor told PTI. "It was a film that was different from the films I was doing. It had beautiful songs. Laxmi Chayya had a better role than I, but despite that, I stood my ground," she added. Earlier in the day, actor Raima Sen introduced "Bambai Ka Babu", which featured her late grandmother, Suchitra Sen, opposite Dev Anand. Sen said she is glad that these classic films are being reintroduced and thanked the FHF for taking the initiative to commemorate Khosla's work. "I am excited to introduce this film, which is my favourite film. For her (Suchitra Sen), to take up this subject was a very bold move because it was not conventional and she was a star. "So to do an unusual film story of a brother and a sister, who till the end do not know that they are brother and sister, and the romance between the two, I think the film was way ahead of its time," Sen said.
