Even after 50 years, Sholay remains one of Indian cinema’s most celebrated classics - an epic that defined filmmaking for generations. As the film completed its golden jubilee this year in August, director Ramesh Sippy sits down with us to revisit the casting, the dynamics between the legendary ensemble, and the reason he never attempted Sholay 2. During his candid conversation with The Free Press Journal, Sippy reveals that Amitabh Bachchan, now regarded as the biggest icon of Hindi cinema, was actually going through a career slump when Sholay was being cast. He also opens up about whether there was any rivalry among the star-studded cast and why a sequel to Sholay was never a temptation for him.
Sippy explains how he cast the iconic ensemble and recalls Big B's career downfall before Sholay. “In the film industry, we have different ways of casting. I had made a previous film, Seeta Aur Geeta, and in that, I had Dharam Ji (Dharmendra) , Hema Ji (Hema Malini) and Sanjeev Kumar. So I was determined to have all three of them in Sholay, and we did that. The other casting was of Amit ji (Amitabh Bachchan), he was going through a dip at that time. Some of his films had not worked. But by the time I started Sholay, Zanjeer was released and it was a hit. Deewaar came before us, and that was also a hit. So he was on his way back. He had become a star again."
When asked about the famous Gabbar's casting, the filmmaker revealed that Danny Denzongpa was his first choice. "For Gabbar, we had actually signed Danny Denzongpa. He was in Afghanistan shooting for Dharmatma - Feroz Khan’s film. By the time we were ready to shoot, he was busy there and couldn’t come. The choice was either to delay another three to five months or move ahead. Personally, I was not ready to wait. So we had to make a quick decision. Amjad Khan had not really acted in films before. He was assisting K. Asif on a film, Love and God, after Mughal-E-Azam. Salim-Javed (Salim Khan & Javed Akhtar) suggested his name. They brought him to the office. We had a look. I had seen him in a play in which my sister was the lead and he was playing the main role. I was quite pleased to see him and said, ‘Oh, this is good. He’s got the kind of look.’ He was called to the office, and we did a small test with him with the outfit, gun, bullets, and all that. I said, ‘Yeah, fine, let’s go.’”
Sippy also revealed whether there was any insecurity or rivalry between the film’s megastars. He said, “They worked very well together. There was no rivalry of that kind. Each did his best and was happy doing what they were doing. Internally, I don’t know what went on in their minds, but I’m sure they were satisfied because when they heard the script, Salim-Javed and I went along and narrated the story to them, they were all happy. As a matter of fact, the only tussle was about who should play which role.”
The director then explained why a sequel to Sholay was never creatively or emotionally viable. “We used to talk about Sholay 2, but I was never tempted. Just because what I made came out right doesn’t mean I have to remake it or follow it up with a sequel. You also have to understand that a sequel wasn’t possible because Amjad Khan and Sanjeev Kumar passed away. Amjad was a very major character. We could’ve still gotten somebody to play Sanjeev Kumar’s character with that kind of look and get-up - it may have worked but certainly not Gabbar. People would’ve been very disappointed. I personally didn’t find it wise to make Sholay 2. I personally think Sholay should not have been attempted again. I did not.”
