The Indian Film Festival of Sydney (IFFS), presented by the team behind the globally renowned Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM), is proud to announce that the newly restored version of Sholay will be its centrepiece film this October. The festival, running from 9 to 11 October, will celebrate Indian cinema across three vibrant days.
One of the most iconic films in Indian cinema history, Sholay has been meticulously restored in 4K by the Film Heritage Foundation in collaboration with Sippy Films. The process, years in the making, involved locating a rare colour reversal print in London and recovering original camera negatives and long-lost deleted scenes from a warehouse in Mumbai. The result is a visual and audio revival of extraordinary quality, returning the film to its original 70mm glory. Most significantly, the restored film features the original ending envisioned by director Ramesh Sippy, in which Thakur avenges his family by killing Gabbar Singh.
The restored Sholay had its world premiere earlier this month at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and now will screen in Sydney.
Festival Director Mitu Bhowmick Lange expressed her excitement at bringing this milestone screening to Sydney, saying, “Sholay is more than a film—it is woven into the fabric of Indian storytelling, memory and myth. To bring back its original ending, after all these years, is to restore not just a different final scene, but the full vision of its creator. As we mark 50 years of Sholay, we honour the courage of cinema to challenge, to endure, and to be reborn in its truest form. We are thrilled that Sydney audiences will now see the film as it was always meant to be seen.”
In addition to Sholay, the festival will present a carefully curated selection of over 15 films spanning languages, genres and formats, alongside filmmaker conversations, retrospectives and panels celebrating the legacy and future of Indian cinema. The Indian Film Festival of Sydney continues its mission of bridging cultures through storytelling, honouring the past while championing contemporary voices.