Sholay, Revisited

Yes, I saw the famed 1975 Indian movie again-and the first time since late 2016... but this time on the big screen: 

So, I got to see Sholay on the big screen last night. It wasn’t until Tuesday evening that I discovered a Cinemark cinema in Orlando was playing this legendary Hindi-language film until the 19th.

People of South Asian heritage (no matter if you live in India or elsewhere) will likely be delighted I got to see the movie that way. Those not familiar: research plus reviews on Letterboxd paint the picture that Sholay is still one of the most popular & beloved films in the history of Indian cinema—no small feat for a country rich in cinema featuring flicks in many different languages. The cultural impact of that movie-to the point that more than a few lines of dialogue are known to everyone in India-can be read on Sholay’s Wiki page. I’ll explain why I was happy to revisit the picture, this time on the big screen.

Sholay can be seen as a riff on The Magnificent Seven; I say that rather than The Seven Samurai because Sholay can be imaged as a Western set in rural India. A former police officer who now lives in a remote village hires two lovable scoundrels he met a few years ago (who helped him fight off bandits on a train in the first of numerous exciting action setpieces) to capture Gabbar Singh, a vile villain w/ no redeeming qualities who raids the village often.

As it’s a masala movie from India, this means a mix of many different genres & tones. There’s wacky comedy that did not always hit the mark with a dumb white guy like me-the purpose of a prison warden who is modeled after Chaplin’s character in The Great Dictator (including Hitler mustache) is lost on me-suspense, pathos, shootouts, explosions, romance, tearjerking moments, and yes, musical numbers.

As typical, those were catchy tunes featuring well-choreographed routines. I was most captivated by the musical number dedicated to Holi, a Hindu holiday where colored powder and colored water are sprayed/thrown all around. Also unsurprising to me was how the relationship between the two male leads came off as (to a dumb ignorant white guy in America, anyhow) homoerotic. I’ve never sat on a mate’s shoulders while playing harmonica, or vice versa!

Moments that are culturally curious to me aside, I had a great time getting the unexpected experience of seeing classic cinema from another country at a mainstream cinema in Orlando. The story was compelling, never too overwrought or convoluted. Unlike too many modern movies, instead of a pathetic weakling of a villain, Gabbar Singh was a terrifying heel, a credible threat who reveled in being an evil bastard. Amjad Khan arguably was the highlight as Gabbar but our heroes (Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjeev Kumar, and the recently-departed Dharmendra) also were memorable, as were the main women parts as brought to life by Hema Malani and Jaya Bhaduri.

You don’t need to be South Asian to enjoy Sholay and its main themes-revenge, heartbreak, bravery, sacrifice, love, etc. The cut I saw last night was only a minute shorter than Seven Samurai—while a full meal, I was happy the theatrical experience was brought close to home-if not for Sinners, this would be the best film I saw theatrically in 2025, regardless of year of original release. This also contained none of the bombastic, preposterous, OOT moments that is sometimes found in modern Indian film-perhaps it would be better for me if I sought out more classic cinema from the country.

To clarify, the version I checked out last night-the restored version-is a 206-minute Director’s Cut. Not only is that version in 2.20:1 widescreen, the most violent moments (including the original ending) restored; the 1975 theatrical cut had those violent bits excised by the censors. In any event, this is a highly rousing picture I can recommend to anyone.