L K Atheeq, retired IAS officer, acquired the 'Sholay' bike from a businessman in Bengaluru around 2022. Its iconic sidecar was missing.
Credit: Special Arrangement
The iconic motorcycle from Sholay, recently displayed by the Karnataka government at the International Film Festival of India in Goa, belongs to L K Atheeq, a retired IAS officer based in Bengaluru. The 83-year-old motorcycle, which features in the film’s friendship anthem ‘Yeh dosti hum nahi todenge’, is still fit for “short rides”, says Atheeq, who acquired it around 2022.
Atheeq, current chairman of the Bengaluru Business Corridor, and former additional chief secretary to chief minister Siddaramaiah, believes the exhibit drew attention because people were unaware that the motorcycle is still in existence. The nostalgic moment turned unexpectedly poignant as it coincided with the passing of actor Dharmendra, who played Veeru opposite Amitabh Bachchan’s Jai.
Military origins
Often mistaken for a Bullet, the motorcycle is a military vehicle manufactured by the Birmingham Small Arms (BSA) Company. It is a BSA WM20, World War II-era model from 1942. Its Mysore state registration number, MYB 3047, is visible in the nearly six-minute song sequence filmed in Ramanagara, around 50 kilometres from Bengaluru.
Atheeq is no vintage collector, but a motorcycle enthusiast. When he heard about the ‘Sholay’ bike through a friend, he went ahead with the purchase because it was an “interesting piece of history”.
He bought it from one Anjan Reddy from Bengaluru, who was looking to part with it. The motorcycle had either been passed down within Reddy’s family or had come from another family in Mysuru. Atheeq is unsure of the details. He is now trying to get more information through the RTO. Along with the motorcycle, he also received a framed ‘Sholay’ movie ticket from 1975. It was for a balcony seat for a noon show at Mumbai’s Excelsior Theatre.
Missing parts
When the bike arrived, it did not immediately evoke its cinematic charm. Its most recognisable feature, the sidecar, was missing. While the exterior was in decent condition and required only a fresh coat of paint and some chrome work, the engine had missing parts such as rings and washers.
“The local mechanic had to source BSA parts from multiple cities like Chennai,” Atheeq recalls. The restoration took about six months. Soon after, he took it for a short spin near his home in central Bengaluru, the first and last time he rode it.
Selfie spot
Today, the motorcycle is displayed in his living room and has become a selfie spot for visitors.
Atheeq was 10 when ‘Sholay’ released. He was visiting Bengaluru from his village Akkirampura in Tumakuru district during the holidays when he found it running to packed houses. He managed to catch it at Kapali Theatre in Majestic. The film, the dialogues, and the song ‘Yeh dosti’ were all “exciting”. The 60-year-old doesn’t plan to sell the ‘Sholay’ bike.