Sholay remains evergreen after 40 yrs

Why is Sholay "evergreen" and a "super hit" ? Exactly 40 years after the film hit the screens, actor Amitabh Bachchan does not have a "perfect answer".

"I don't have a perfect answer... I don't know exactly," Bachchan said during a chat with reporters here on the eve of 40th anniversary of the release of Sholay, one of the most successful Bollywood movies in the box-office and enjoyed by several generations of people.

"It was inspired by (Japanese filmmaker) Akira Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai" and its (Hollywood) remake "Magnificent Seven". Both were successful. The idea of two people employed by Thakur to protect something went really well with the audience," Big B said.

The 1975 action-adventure was directed by Ramesh Sippy. The film follows two criminals - Veeru (Dharmendra) and Jai (Amitabh Bachchan), engaged by a former police officer Thakur Baldev Singh (Sanjeev Kumar) to capture notorious dacoit Gabbar Singh (Amjad Khan). It was released on August 15, 1975.

"Be it writing, direction, action, photography, mixing in the UK, the stunts under guidance of British stunt coordinators...It was the first film (in India) in 70 mm... and all these made a difference," Bachachan said. "The location of Ramanagara near Bengaluru too was interesting. It took nearly two-and-a-half-years for the film to complete," Bachchan said, adding that earlier such films used to be shot in Rajasthan or Madhya Pradesh. Bachchan also disclosed that there were plans to re-shoot the last sequence of the film which had a tragic end.

'Revisiting film was a mistake'

Amitabh Bachchan, who was part of Ram Gopal Varma's "Aag", the remake version of, "Sholay", said may be revisiting the iconic film was a mistake. Aag did not do well and received negative reviews after its release in 2007.