50 years of Sholay: Hema Malini says she will show the film to her grandchildren

Mumbai,Aug 14(IANS) As ‘Sholay’, the biggest blockbuster of Indian cinema celebrates its Golden Jubilee, Hema Malini shared with IANS that she wants to show the iconic film to her grandchildren. Hema Malini played the iconic role of Basanti in the film, a character which is remembered even today.

When asked “We are talking about Sholay even after fifity years. You have grandchidren. Have they seen Sholay.?”

Replying to this Hema Malini said “I don’t think so, but now that it has completed fifty years, I will show it to them. I will make them sit in my house one day and watch it in mini theatre, definitely.”

Hema Malini also revealed that how intially she was not happy with the role she was offered in Sholay as she thought it’s a small role as compared to her earlier hit films like ‘Sita and Geeta'.

She said “When ‘Sholay’ was offered to me, after making ‘Seeta Aur Geeta’, the same director, Ramesh Sippy told me, ‘So many other characters are there and you are also one of them’. So I was feeling a little disappointed, thinking, ‘Why only small role for me? Why not a bigger role?” However, the actress was informed by the director that her role will have a big impact, and insisted that she accept the role.

She further mentioned, “I had faith in him. So I said, ‘Okay, I will do it’. The first day of the shooting, when we went, he told me that it is different than what you have done in all these years”. “I said, ‘Is it just like a Geeta’s role in Seeta Aur Geeta?’. He said, ‘That was different, this is different, but similar’. And then they told me how the dialogue I'll be speaking and all that. And then because it's a long dialogue, I have to speak continuously, nonstop. So that was the beauty of the whole character. It was very witty and I was the only one who was giving relief in the film”, she added. ‘

‘Sholay', the most iconic film of Hindi cinema, was released on August 15, 1975. Although it initially received a lukewarm response at the box office, it gradually gained momentum through word of mouth.

The film is considered as one of the greatest movies in Hindi cinema for its grandeur, performances, technical brilliance, action, music and direction. It was shot for two years in a small place called Ramnagram near Bangalore. A ficticious village called Ramgarh was created in Ramnagram.

--IANS

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