Movie Review: 'Sholay 3D'

The 3D format of the epic film, which was directed by Ramesh Sippy, surprisingly works in its favour. Watch it again on big screen for innumerable reasons

Sholay 3D
U; Drama
Director: Ramesh Sippy
Cast: Dharmendra, Sanjeev Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Amjad Khan, Hema Malini, Jaya Bachchan

This is not a review of 'Sholay'. This is to reiterate the greatness of the epic film. While generally when epic and legendary movies are tampered with, they end up getting mauled and unrecognisable, Sholay in 3D format surprisingly works in its favour.

1. Watch it again on big screen for innumerable reasons. My top reasons are:

2. That scene when after Basanti’s (Hema Malini) incessant chatter, Jai (Amitabh Bachchan) concludes by asking her, ‘Tera naam kya hai, Basanti?”.

3. The crackling chemistry between Basanti and Veeru (Dharmendra). Revisit the scene where he teaches her to shoot mangoes or the one in temple where he tries talking to her as God and you will know what I mean.

4. The character actors, each so accomplished and perfect for the part that they play, however small their roles are. The lovable Basanti’s maasi (Leela Mishra), the dumb prisoner who squeals on Jai and Veeru (Keshto Mukherjee), the fumbling, angrez-bhakt jailor (Asrani), The mysterious man on the top, loyalist Samba (Mac Mohan), the poor old blind man (A K Hangal) and his son (Sachin), the wily Soorma Bhopali (Jagdeep), etc.

5. Gabbar Singh’s (Amjad Khan) introductory scene. Perhaps the only villain who evokes a heady mix of admiration and fear to this extent, the formidable Gabbar holds every scene that he’s in with a magnetic presence. Every line uttered by him ended up being memorable and repeated time and again in the last four decades. Catch yourself repeating those dialogues again when watching this one.

6. Jai and Veeru’s friendship, dotted with several mischievous and affectionate jibes.

7. The music and the songs.

8. The scene where Veeru urges Thakur (Sanjeev Kumar) to pick up a gun lying next to his feet.

9. The bone-chilling scene where Thakur’s family is ruthlessly massacred by Gabbar.

10. The hilarious scene between Jai and Basanti’s maasi, as he tries hard selling Veeru to her and the consequent iconic soo-cide scene with Veeru on top of a water tank.

11. The climax. The emotional scenes before and after the mystery of the Jai’s favourite coin is revealed.

12. The subtle, unspoken romance between Jai and Radha (played by Jaya Bhaduri).

13. The brilliant cinematography and editing, which was way ahead of its time. A lot many copies depicting chambal and the likes emerged after this one, but none so well captured as Sholay did.

14. And of course, what would Sholay be without Ramesh Sippy’s brilliant direction? Watch it for him.

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