One of Amitabh Bachchan’s iconic dialogues in Ramesh Sippy’s 1975 landmark film Sholay has reportedly been altered without the permission of the original screenwriters Javed Akhtar and Salim Khan, or director Sippy, according to a news report.
In the trailer of Sholay – The Final Cut, Basanti (Hema Malini) says, “Bade nishaanchi lagte ho (you seem quite a sharpshooter)” to Veeru (Dharmendra). In reply, Jai (Amitabh Bachchan) quips, “Haan, Tatya Tope ke pote hain yeh!”
However, the original dialogue alluded to James Bond, not Tatya Tope. In the original dialogue, Jai said, “Haan, James Bond ke pote hain yeh.”
According to a report by entertainment website Bollywood Hungama, Akhtar was furious when he was informed of the change.
“I was not aware of this! You mean to say, they have replaced James Bond with Tatya Tope? What does this mean? And this is just one dialogue. They might have similarly changed other famous lines too. The audience won’t accept this,” he said.
“They have certainly not spoken to me or to Salim saab (Khan). We are the writers of those lines that are recited even today by fans of Sholay. In fact, the dialogues of Sholay were so popular that the music company Polydor (now Universal Music) had to release an album of dialogues which sold more than the songs album. No, you can’t tamper with this,” the 80-year-old screenwriter added.
A restored version of Sholay is slated to be released by Sippy Films in 1500 screens across India on 12 December.
Earlier this year, the restored version of Sholay was screened at the International Film Festival of Sydney with an alternate climax. Reports have long suggested that Sippy’s intended ending had Thakur (Sanjeev Kumar) killing Gabbar Singh, a conclusion altered under distributor pressure. That alternate version was shot, but never released.
A restored, uncut version was also screened at the Toronto International Film Festival on 6 September as part of the film’s 50th anniversary celebrations.
Often hailed as the greatest Bollywood film of all time, Sholay blends action, drama and comedy. The story revolves around two criminals, Veeru (Dharmendra) and Jai (Amitabh Bachchan), who are hired by a retired police officer, Thakur Baldev Singh (Sanjeev Kumar), to capture a ruthless bandit, Gabbar Singh (Amjad Khan).
Sholay’s gripping plot, memorable dialogues, and powerful performances made it a massive hit. Its soundtrack, composed by R.D. Burman, added to its enduring legacy.
Also starring Hema Malini and Jaya Bachchan, the film emerged as the biggest box office hit in Indian cinema history and held the record for being the highest-grossing Indian film for over a decade.
Sholay was first released on 15 August, 1975.