The 1975 classic Sholay remains a classic in Indian cinema. Director Ramesh Sippy recently revealed that he did not need to consult co-writer Javed Akhtar before making changes to the film. He also shared an interesting behind-the-scenes story about an iconic scene between Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan, which took 23 days to shoot due to the brief two-minute period of the magical hour, when the shot was perfectly executed. Could be captured.
During a recent masterclass at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa, Ramesh Sippy shared insights on the making of a touching scene featuring Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan. He revealed that the sequence, which depicted a silent, unspoken bond between their characters, was filmed during the ‘magical hour’ when day turns to night.
The director explained that the moment felt intuitively right, and upon consulting the cameraman, he realized he only had two minutes to capture it perfectly.
He said, “In the scene between Amitabh and Jaya, there was a silent love between them because she is a widow. This sequence suddenly felt right at the exact moment when day turns into night. When I spoke to the cameraman, he said we could only shoot during that magic hour, so we only had those two minutes.
Ramesh shared that the shooting schedule of Sholay was carefully planned to capture the perfect moment. He filmed other scenes in the morning and afternoon and then prepared for special shots in the evening. When the magic moment came, they were ready to make the film.
He further added, “My father (GP Sippy), who was the producer, never said a word about what his son was doing there, shooting a scene in 23 days. He wanted me to make it my way.
When asked about Sholay co-writer Javed Akhtar’s involvement with Salim Khan, the director revealed that he was occasionally present on the sets, but not always. He emphasized that the dialogue had already been written and was in place. Ramesh said that while making visual adjustments, such as making changes to the lighting and scene setup, he did not consult Javed Akhtar.
Sholay, released in 1975, is one of the most iconic and commercially successful films in Bollywood history. Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra gave unforgettable performances as the lovelorn couple, Jai and Veeru.
The film had a stellar cast, with stalwarts like Sanjeev Kumar, Hema Malini, Amjad Khan, Jaya Bachchan and many others playing pivotal roles. Known for its memorable characters and dialogues, Sholay marked a high point in the careers of writers Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar. Produced by GP Sippy, the action-packed drama became the highest-grossing film in Indian cinema upon its release.
Also read: 9 memorable dialogues of Sholay which have settled in our hearts
