Ok, I've actually came across these questions through a web source, I'll disclose the web source at a later time, But i would like to see if anyone can get these on there own. If you get most of them, you either know the web source, or your a die hard Sholay freak. But leaving all these issues aside, this quiz will bring to your knowledge many interesting facts you didn't know about this cult-classic. Here we go...

1. The role of Gabbar Singh came to Amjad Khan by default. It was originally offered to another actor who could not do it because he was supposed to shoot for another movie around that time. Who was the actor originally considered for the role?

2. The role of Jai played by Amitabh in Sholay was originally planned for another actor. The other actor was a bigger star and even the distributors of the Sippys wanted him. Ramesh finally signed Amitabh as the other actor was too big a star and having three stars brought with it the possibility of mega-ego problems on the sets. Who was the other actor?

3. Even the Thakur's role was supposed to be played by another great actor who had also worked in earlier Sippy productions. But later Ramesh Sippy decided on Sanjeev Kumar for the role. Who was the other actor originally considered for the role?

4. After Dharmendra heard the script of Sholay, he realised that Sholay was entirely the Thakur's story. Dharmendra was a big star by then and so he expressed his desire to play the Thakur's role. Ramesh Sippy then said one line to Dharmendra which made him say 'Veeru is good. I think I will stick to playing Veeru'. What was Ramesh Sippy's one-liner?

5. The 'Veeru-ki-Shaadi' scene of Sholay, in which Jai goes to ask for Basanti's hand (to her mausi) in marriage for his friend Veeru, was inspired by a real-life incident. What was the incident?

6. The original script of Sholay was changed by Ramesh Sippy slightly as the logistics involved in the original script were daunting and it would require too many permissions. What was the change?

1.Danny

2.Shatrughan sinha

3.Pran

4.Ramesh said, "if we switch roles, then Sanjeev gets Hema Malini in the end....

5.Javed Akhtar was in love with actress Honey Irani.
Javed requested his partner Salim to carry the proposal.
But he didn't know that his partner didn't approve of there
match..... and so the exchange between Salim & Hony Irani's
mother went like this,

'Ladka kaisa hai? (Whats the boy like)'
'We are partners and I wouldn't work with anyone else unless i approve of him. ----- But he drinks too much.

'Kya daaru peeta hai'
'Dosen't dring too much these days, only a peg or two.
He's a decent sort, actually. Just after he's had a bit to drink he does go down to the red light area'

Only the last line..... As soon as we find out anything at all about his family we'll let you know...... Is fiction.

6.The story idea was changed as ramesh didn't like the backdrop of making an army film.
There would be too many permissions to be sought and censorship would be a nightmare.

ok, you obviously knew where i got my questions from didn't you raj?
but for some reason, I had this feeling that if anyone was gonna get these right, it was gonna be you.

Your Right there.....
[img]http://attach4.groups.yahoo.com/v1/EK5Q ... RROowKZSdc
8/still11.jpg[/img]

"There are two sets of negatives, one in 70mm and one in 35mm as every shot/scene was done twice"

Hi raj

I was reading through your top 100 lists (which is very impressive!) and was wondering how Ramesh Sippy could have shot Sholay twice since the budget would have been sky high. Rather I think Sholay was shot in 35mm and was blown up to 70mm which was not only economical but less problematic too. I have read somewhere that Ramesh Sippy's decision to this was after a few weeks of the actual release of Sholay.

Ramesh had decided before hand that 'Sholay would be a 70mm film

Heres a paragraph from the 'Sholay' listing......

'Sholay' grew from paper into plans, and it gained weight and
size and ambition.The Sippy's wanted to make 'Sholay' the biggest and the best adventure film ever, and they would make no compromises. The traditional 35mm format, they felt, wouldn't do justice to their vision. They were aiming for epic grandeur. So a decision was made: 'Sholay' would be India's first 70mm film with stereophonic sound. The 70mm film format offered double the size.

The major Hollywood action movies at the time, such as 'Mckenna's Gold', were shot in this format because it gave the viewer, quite literally, a big movie experience. But the decision to do 'Sholay' in this format added another layer of compliations. Shooting in 70mm wasn't easy. It required huge camera's which could take 70mm film. Importing the camera's was an expensive proposition.

The most practical solution was to shoot on 35mm and then blow it up for 70mm. The format was screen-tested. Divecha suggested putting aground glass in front of the camera lens, on which Kamlakar Rao, a young but technically skilled cameraman, made markings so the margins of the 70mm frame could be identified. Ramesh's brother Ajit, who lived in London, forwarded the test to Paris, where a 70mm print was made. The print came back with further instructions on how to perfect the technique. A 70mm film also required bigger screens, and most theatres in India weren't equipped for it.

The Sippy's decided to have two sets of negatives, one in 70mm and the other one in 35mm. In practical terms, this meant that every shot would have to be done twice. Each decision added to the cost.
...........................
'So if each shot was done twice, it would explain the amount of film-negative that Ramesh had ended up with, e.g over 300,000 feet, which later had to be edited down to less than 20,000 feet.

1. That is absolutely not true. The first 70MM Indian film was a Raj Kapoor starrer, 'Around The World'.

2. There were a lot of theatres equipped for 70MM around India, but as in most countries not all theaters (in fact the majority) are not equipped for 70MM.

Hi Sanjay,

Regards 'around the world'
You could be right about it being the first 70mm film, but
was it also in stereophonic sound.(as in 'Sholay's case)


I'll repeat this line.........

'A 70mm film also required bigger screens, and most theatres in India weren't equipped for it'. (e.g. ... keyword.. 'most')

'Minerva' (the largest theatre in India at that time) at the time of 'Sholay's release was the only theatre with a screen big enough for 70mm as well as six-track sound (e.g as well as six-track sound)

According to 70mmBollywood, Raj Kapoor's Around the World was indeed the first Hindi 70mm film with stereophonic sounds

That is also not true. The 'Shiela' cinema theater in Delhi is and was the first Indian 70MM 6 track stereophonic sound theater. By the way Sheila was built in the 1960's, well before Sholay was even conceived. Also as a matter of fact, at the time Sholay was released, there were atleast 8 other theaters in Delhi alone which were equipped for 70MM & 6 track stereophonic sound.