‘Will it recover money and make profit?’ Ramesh Sippy recalls doubts over ‘Sholay’ before release

MUMBAI: Director Ramesh Sippy revealed that people had many doubts regarding the success of the Bollywood classic film ‘Sholay’ before its release.

‘Sholay’ is one of the biggest blockbusters of the India cinema industry. It starred Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Hema Malini, Sanjeev Kumar, and Amjad Khan in the lead roles.

Ramesh Sippy revealed that prior to the release of ‘Sholay’, many people believed that the movie was too costly and wondered if it would succeed financially at the box office.

He further stated that people were concerned that ‘Sholay’ would not earn enough at the box office to cover its costs and that failure could even impact the entire film industry.

“Fifty years of SHOLAY and still there are treasures hiding in plain sight.”

Ahead of the brand-new restoration of Ramesh Sippy’s epic screening tomorrow at Alice Tully Hall, read @yooday‘s deep dive into SHOLAY’s making, influences, and continuing legacy at @FilmComment:… pic.twitter.com/Mqcaffv9d3

— New York Film Festival (@TheNYFF) October 8, 2025

“There were a lot of rumours. People thought that this film wouldn’t be successful. They thought that it was such an expensive film, would it bring back the money? And if it doesn’t, then what will happen to the industry?,” said Ramesh Sippy.

“Okay, it is a good film. Okay, people will like it. But will they like it so much that it recovers so much money and makes a profit? Everyone got the answer to this in 2-4 weeks”, added Ramesh Sippy.

The director also shared the audience’s reaction to the restored 4K version of the film screening at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) this year.

“What I saw at the Toronto International Film Festival, the reaction of the people who saw the film there, was exactly the same as it was 50 years ago. If people are watching today, they watch with the same heart, with the same love, and they repeat the dialogue with the same love. They remember every scene”, added Ramesh Sippy.

Bollywood star Bobby Deol attended the premiere, representing Dharmendra in the film festival. Along with Bobby Deol, the restored 4K version gala premiere of Sholay was also attended by director Ramesh Sippy and producer Shezad Sippy, and FHF Director Shivendra Singh Dungarpur.

Released in 1975, ‘Sholay’ has turned into a cult favourite in Indian cinema, owing to its powerful story, memorable characters, iconic dialogues, and evergreen songs like ‘Yeh Dosti’, ‘Mehbooba Mehbooba’, ‘Haa Jab Tak Hai Jaan’, ‘Holi Ke Din’, and others.

The film’s story focuses on the fictitious Ramgarh village, where retired police chief Thakur Baldev Singh (Sanjeev Kumar) plans to defeat the notorious bandit, Gabbar Singh (Amjad Khan), with the help of Jai (Amitabh Bachchan) and Veeru (Dharmendra).

Upon arriving in the village, the duo realise the menace of Gabbar Singh and double their efforts to help Thakur. Jaya Bachchan and Hema Malini are seen playing Jai and Veeru’s love interests as Radha and Basanti, respectively. (ANI)