"Basanti became my second name in real life": Hema Malini on 'Sholay' completing 50 years

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 15 : Bollywood actress Hema Malini has expressed gratitude to the audience as Ramesh Sippy's iconic film 'Sholay' completed 50 years of its release.

On Friday, the actress, fondly remembered as 'Basanti' from the film, shared a video on Instagram, writing, "Sabhi ko Basanti ka Ram Ram. "Sholay" has completed 50years. Here are my wishes for the team and gratitude to the audience and my fans for all their blessings and unconditional love."

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In the video, Hema said, "Namaste, Basanti here. The iconic Hindi film Shole has completed 50 years of its run in different parts of the world. There are very few Indian films which have equalled or surpassed this record. I have been fortunate to contribute to the stupendous success of the film in a pivotal role as Basanti. In fact, the role had such an impact on the viewing public that Basanti became my second name in real life. I congratulate all my co-artists, Vero, Jayay, Radha, Thakur, Gabbarsingh and many others. And the production team, including the director Ramish Sipriji, Salim Saheb, Javed Saheb, Late RD Burmanji and the many members of the technical team. Sholay would be incomplete without each team members participation. The film continues to create history even after five decades. I thank the audience for giving this film so much love. I am overwhelmed with gratitude and nostalgia for being remembered as Basanti even today. Today, the 15th of August 2025, marks its 50th year, and I am happy standing at the crossroads of the historical event in which I have played a substantial part. I celebrate this event with the Hindi film world and my fans. 'Chal Dhano' gets it for the next 50 years."

Recently, the Film Heritage Foundation announced that the restored version of Sholay will have its North American premiere at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 6. The gala screening will take place at the 1,800-seater Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto.

The Film Heritage Foundation took to their Instagram account to make the announcement along with a caption that read, "Indian cinematic epic 'Sholay' (1975), directed by Ramesh Sippy, celebrates 50 years with the North American Premiere of the restored version at the 50th edition of the TIFF Toronto International Film Festival! This special screening will take place on September 6, 2025, at a gala event at the 1800-seater Roy Thomson Hall, befitting the legendary status of the film."

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'Sholay' is regarded as one of the greatest films of all time. It starred legendary actors such as Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Sanjeev Kumar, Hema Malini, Jaya Bachchan and Amjad Khan, among others.

Released on August 15, 1975, 'Sholay' turned into a cult favourite in Indian cinema, owing to its powerful story, memorable characters, iconic dialogues, and the 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 realises 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 Basanti and Radha, respectively.

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