Iconic film Sholay completes 50 years

Rafique Aziz

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

Sholay, the first Indian film released in 70 mm widescreen and to have a stereophonic soundtrack, has completed 50 years to its release on August 15, 1975. On this special occasion, the newspaper spoke to a plethora of experts and veterans who claimed that it was not just a film, but a generational imprint. They also described that the cinematic film was communal, emotional, and transformational. And no doubt, its widescreen, story, songs and dialogues made the Sholay immortal.

Recalling the bygone era, the owner of State Talkies (Shahgunj), Qaiser Shahnawaz Khan (61) said, “ I was a school student. The State Talkies (Shahgunj), Apsara Cinema (Aurangpura) and other cinema halls in the city and the region were operated by noted film distributor, Patel Exhibitors of Hyderabad. Hence the film was released in the city after a month (after Mumbai and Hyderabad). The film ran for more than two years in State Talkies and a week in Apsara Cinema.

The release of music and dialogues prior to the release of the film had created a buzz. Besides, an auto rickshaw with a large size poster mounted on its rear portion moved all over the city. Film posters were displayed on every nook and corner. All this publicity made the film-buffs impatient and eagerly wait for the film to be released.

The film tickets were sold in black at high prices in large numbers. These black-marketeers earned a huge income and many of them became auto-owners. My father, our close relatives and I used to receive huge requests from the people and students for the tickets in bulk every other day.”

Noted AIR announcer and author, Noorul Husnain (76) pointed out, “ It was the second big hit film after Mughal-e-Azam which is the talk of the town even after five decades. It became immortal due to its dialogues and strenuous efforts put in by the pillars of the films – Amjad Khan (Gabbar Singh) and Sanjeev Kumar (Baldev Singh Thakur). Prior to joining All India Radio as an announcer, I had worked as a teacher in a reputed school for about a decade. Although I was a film-buff, but I saw the film in the second show so that my students would not see me. The film's story, songs, dialogues, and its starcast were discussed in every nook and corner of the city. We had broadcasted special programme on the film for radio-listeners many times.”

Veteran film critic Ashok Ujlambkar (75) said, “ The discussion of Sholay makes people of all ages overwhelmed. It was indeed a talk of the town in 1975 and is in 2025 as well. I was doing an M.A in English (evening course) from the then Marathwada University. Technically, the film was first released in Bombay and Hyderabad and then it was released in the city after 3-4 weeks. It was released in Apsara Cinema and State Talkies as both the cinema theatres were operated by Patel Exhibitors (Hyderabad). The reels of the film would be transported from Aurangpura to Shahgunj by auto. Hence due to inconvenience, the screening was withdrawn from Apsara Cinema after a week, but it ran for a couple of years in the State Talkies. The ticket fares of this Shahgunj theatre were Rupee 1, Rs 2.50 paise and Rs 3. Long serpentine queues would be formed to buy tickets, while in the black market, the ticket was being sold for Rs 50, Rs 75 and Rs 100 respectively.

Besides, there used to be a huge rush of students and citizens to have tea at Princess Hotel in Paithan Gate. The hotelier would play the records of dialogues and songs during the whole day. Encashing the situation, he increased the cost of tea (per cup) from 0.25 paise each to 0.30 paise (5 paise hike). The police had a tough time managing traffic as he used to place a speaker outside his hotel so that people standing on the road could also listen to the dialogues. Hence there used to be traffic jams of bicycles, autorickshaws and other vehicles.”