Sholay Turns 50: Gabbar Is Back, Only To Die This Time

This year’s Independence Day celebrations had an added tadka of euphoria when the Film Heritage Foundation shared the news on social media that a 4K restored version of Ramesh Sippy’s magnum opus Sholay will be re-released at the 50th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival on September 6, 2025, to mark its 50th anniversary. The lot of Thakur, Gabbar, Jai, Veeru, and Basanti will be back to regale the audiences with their antics and recreate the magic of their crisp dialogues that are embedded in the memory of every Hindi film buff from the past three generations. However, the euphoria proved to be short-lived, as the screening will take place only in Toronto.

Nevertheless, the promise of a restored version with the original ending, which was changed when the film was released in 1975 at the behest of the censor board, is exciting enough for the Sholay fans.

Sholay’s 50-year journey is no less dramatic. The movie has achieved cult status with each passing year and has been referenced in over a thousand memes since the advent of social media. Sholay not only impacted the art of filmmaking in India but also heavily influenced the life of the aam Indian—he walked like Jai, fought like Veeru, and laughed like Gabbar. Best friends came to be referred to as Jai-Veeru, Man Fridays became Sambha, and Thakurs became ever-so-conscious of their hands. The magic the characters wove on the screen came alive in real life too as friends vied for the same camaraderie that Jai and Veeru displayed, pulling pranks on each other and tossing coins to settle on a decision. But the biggest achievement was its dialogues, written ever-so-crisply by screenwriters Salim-Javed, which became a part of common parlance and continue to do so.

Ashoknagar's Husks Trade Association President Gabbar Singh Found Dead; His Licensed Gun Recovered from the Spot

Ironically, the most adorable character of the multicast turned out to be Gabbar—the gutkha-chewing, gun-toting villain who became a sort of brand ambassador of Holi. Not a year goes by when someone somewhere doesn’t turn around to ask, “Holi kab hai, kab hai Holi?” (When is Holi?) Gabbar has been the only villain who has managed to capture the hearts of people in the history of Indian cinema. His persona evokes the contrasting feelings of revulsion and endearment at the same time. Of course, chatterbox Basanti, loudmouth Soorma Bhopali, bumbling jailor, sneaky Hariram nai, and even the loyal Dhanno have left their indelible mark on cinema-lovers.

The most amazing aspect of the film is that the characters and dialogues seem to fit every situation of an average Indian’s life today. As the Gabbars are busy extracting their pound of flesh from poor villagers, the Thakurs look on helplessly, waiting for Jai and Veeru to come and restore order to the prevailing chaos.