MUMBAI : In current Hindi cinema, Sholay (1975) starring Javed Akhtar and Salim Khan has become a cult classic. Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra played the film's leads, solidifying their place in the film industry for all time. However, before its enormous success, the movie didn't do well when it initially debuted in theatres.
Ramesh Sippy called an urgent meeting with Salim Khan, Javed Akhtar, and Amitabh Bachchan, as revealed in the documentary Angry Young Men. They chose to wait until Monday, at which point the movie turned into a huge hit.
As said by Salim Khan in Angry Young Men, “Sippy saab wanted to make a big film after the success of Seeta aur Geeta. We narrated the story of Majboor to him, but he insisted he wanted to make a big film.”
Javed Akhtar recalled, “Sholay’s location had turned into a township. A factory that made various gadgets was set up already. Say, a scene was to be shot where Dharam ji is singing on a cycle, they would make the equipment so that it could move on one wheel. So, the scale of this picture was unprecedented.
However, the film tanked at the box office upon its release. Sachin Pilgaonkar recalled, “Ramesh ji, who was already nervous, got even more nervous. He started with a budget of Rs 1 crore, sanctioned by his father. By the time the film was completed, he had spent Rs 3 crore. Three times the budget.”
However, when the reviews came out, the film was declared a flop. Ramesh Sippy said, “We were worried that why are the trade papers totally slashing the film?” Javed Akhtar recalled being told that the characterisation was incorrect, the scenes were bad and that the film was too gruesome for women. Salim Khan that they needed to back their project with confidence.
Javed Akhtar said, “We had an emergency meeting, Amitabh Bachchan was there. Ramesh Sippy, Salim Khan and I were there.” Amitabh Bachchan said, “Ramesh ji said that we should think of changing the ending so that you don’t die, but you should live.” Javed added, “We told him not to worry. Let them say what they want to. This is going to be a super hit. It’s all nonsense.” Amitabh said that Ramesh Sippy suggested that they wait till Monday. He said, “After Monday, it became history. Didn’t it?”
Regarding Angry Young Men, the three-part series explores how Salim-Javed's powerful scripts and the well-known "Angry Young Man" character transformed Hindi film in the 1970s.
It shows how their roles in box office successes like Sholay, Deewaar, and Don captivated a generation and had a long-lasting cultural impact, with insight from the duo and prominent figures in the industry. The objective of the docuseries is to provide a personal and honest look into their lives, writing, and legacy.
(Also read: Shabana Azmi, SS Rajamouli, Ritesh Sidhwani, among others invited to join as Academy members
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