The Indian Film Festival of Sydney (IFFS) is set to showcase the original ending of the iconic film "Sholay," offering a rare glimpse into how the classic concluded before edits.
This restored version highlights the climactic showdown between Thakur and Gabbar Singh, revealing the film in a way audiences have never seen before. Not many know when "Sholay" was originally made, director Ramesh Sippy envisioned a different climax, where the villain Gabbar Singh (played by Amjad Khan) would be killed by Thakur (Sanjeev Kumar).
However, distributors persuaded him to change it to the version audiences know today, in which Thakur spares Gabbar and he is arrested instead. The original ending was indeed filmed and is now set to be released, fifty years after the movie first premiered in 1975.
The IFFS has revealed that the newly restored "Sholay" will be its centerpiece this October. The festival will showcase the film's original ending, where Thakur kills Gabbar, during the event scheduled from October 9 to 11.
In a statement, Festival Director Mitu Bhowmick Lange shared, "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."
Many have long wondered why the original ending of "Sholay" was changed. In 1975, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) raised objections, stating that a former police officer could not take the law into his own hands and commit murder. With the country under Emergency, the board's decision was final. Despite producer G.P. Sippy's influence, the filmmakers had no choice but to comply. The CBFC not only demanded a new ending but also cuts to several violent sequences.
Frustrated by the decision, Sippy even considered removing his name from the film. However, with the release date approaching, he reluctantly agreed to reshoot the climax, giving audiences the ending that became iconic. Over the course of two days, the cast returned to shoot the revised climax, in which Gabbar Singh is defeated and taken into police custody. Sanjeev Kumar, who was attending a film festival overseas at the time, flew back to complete his scenes.
The Film Heritage Foundation has restored "Sholay," preserving both the original and the theatrical endings.
"Sholay," directed by Ramesh Sippy, starred Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Hema Malini, Jaya Bachchan, Sanjeev Kumar and Amjad Khan. The film went on to become the biggest box office success in Indian cinema and remained the highest-grossing Indian movie for more than ten years.
(With inputs from IANS)
