Fun action scenes.

From Sanjeev (Thakur), Amitabh (Jai) and Dharmendra (Veeru) fighting with robbers on a train to Jai’s fight with Amjad’s (Gabbar) men towards the end, every action scene was fun and entertaining. I didn’t feel like I was watching an action movie that only had intense combat scenes. Rather, it was a complete and entertaining package that had all the elements a movie should have.

A still from Sholay

I didn’t even know that such advanced action sequences could be filmed in the ’70s. On the contrary, today’s action movies are all about blood and gore. The creators have blurred the lines of too much violence. My memory of seeing Dharmendra and Amitabh on screen has only been that of veterans, since the beginning of time. It was refreshing to see a movie where the duo were in their early 30s.

READ ALSO | Amitabh Bachchan says ‘pehelwan’ Dharmendra hugged him tightly during Sholay’s death scene, he was in agony: ‘My performance was natural’

Hema Malini was a star

what youAmannaah Bhatia She does it today in songs: Aaj Ki Raat by Stree, Kaavaalaa by Jailer, Hema Malini did it 50 years ago. The actress’s performance in ‘Haa Jab Tak Hai Jaan’ won my heart, she was the biggest star of that time. Not to mention that Basanti became the savior of Amitabh and Dharmendra with her tonga, when the robbers came to the village to attack, it was a memorable scene.

A still from Sholay

Gabbar – a rebel without a cause

Now I know why Gabbar can scare children at night. Even while watching the movie, his satirical laughter, gaze and expressions created a feeling of fear in me. I never expected that a villain from the old era could make me feel afraid of the consequences. However, Gabbar was a rebel without a cause. He didn’t want money, power, land, but only dominion. While Thakur was getting his long-brewing revenge, Gabbar was driven purely by the desire to dominate the village of Ramgarh.

Difference pre and post emergency

We keep complaining that the Indian censorship board is too strict with its rules. But if we compare it to 1975, filmmakers have much more freedom than before. Even though Sholay has no blood or explicit gore, Ramesh Sippy He had to change the ending of his film. In the original climax, Thakur Baldev was supposed to kill Gabbar. However, due to pressure from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) during the Emergency, the scene where the police arrest the villain was reshot, as a police officer should not take the law into his own hands.

And now, in the post-Emergency era, filmmakers have a different definition of “too much violence” than they did before. The CBFC allows alternate endings and makes limited cuts to violent action scenes.

A still from Sholay

Why can Sholay never be created again?

In my view, the main reason why Sholay can never be made again in 2026 is because actors of this generation are too insecure to present themselves alongside each other as equals. Maybe Dharmendra and Bachchan had pure intentions and all their energy was focused on making a good film. However, Boomers (Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, Ranbir Kapoor, Shah Rukh Khan and millennials) Varun Dhawan, Sidharth Malhotra and others worry too much about their screen time and presence. Today’s actors would rather choose the greatness of their own role than a great script. Jai Veeru He walked so that Karan-Arjun could run. There was no competition between the actors to outdo each other, just a great on-screen bromance.

A still from Sholay

Another impressive factor was that Ramesh Sippy made sure that his female characters were an active part of the story. Both Hema Malini (Basanti) and Jaya Bachchan (Radha) were not just subservient to the male leads but actually had their own personality, individuality and were the center of attention from time to time. If we compare it with the films being made now, the scenario is completely opposite. Actresses are mainly used as mere props or eye candy in glamorous roles in films. For example, Ranbir Kapoor’s Animal (2023), Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan (2023) and more.