27 minutes agoAuthor: Ashish Tiwari
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date- 15 August 1975
A film was released exactly 50 years ago. The name was Sholay.
When the film was released, the theater remained vacant for 2-3 days, the people associated with the film accepted that it flopped, but in a week the film started so that it was engaged in theaters for 6 years. Those who watched the film came to know that it became difficult to get tickets. At that time, the tickets of the tickets sold so much in Black bought houses with profits.
How many men were there…, when is Holi….
It was another iconic dialogue, ‘We are the jailers of the British era’, which was said by Asrani, who became a jailer. His role was first removed as a minor, but then this role was such a hit that people still call him a jailer.
Asrani, who became a jailer on the special occasion of the completion of 50 years of Sholay, spoke to Dainik Bhaskar.
Today, read the same words of his Hindi cinema, the story of the film that changes a map of Hindi cinema-
Achievements-‘Sholay’ broke the record of ‘Mughal-e-Azam’.
Sholay is a unique event and a strange chapter. People compare it to the Hollywood Spagty film. I did not understand the meaning of Spagetti film. Once Delhi went for a program. I met an England journalist there. He saw ‘Sholay’. On seeing me, I recognized that I have worked in ‘Sholay’. He described ‘Sholay’ as a Spagetti film. When I asked for this, he said that it means iconic. We felt like this common film. The rest of the films were shot as it was also done, but it became a Cult film. ‘Sholay’ lasted for 6 consecutive years in a theater in Mumbai. Everyone knows the history of the rest of the place.
Writer pair Salim-Javed wrote the film Sholay. Although the role of the robber Gabbar Singh in the film was played by Amjad Khan, but Asrani says that there was a competition among many veteran actors to play this film. But it is also not hidden from anyone that Danny rejected this character.
Asrani said, you will not believe that Gabbar Singh’s role was first offered to Danny. He is our friend and was very junior with me at the film institute. When I was an instructor at the film institute, Danny was a student there. At that time Jaya Bhaduri, Shatrughan Sinha, Shabana Azmi, Rehana Sultan, Naveen Nischal were my students.
Danny was doing Feroz Khan’s film ‘Dharmma’ at that time. When Danny told Feroz Kumar about the film ‘Sholay’, he said that have you gone mad? Nobody will give you a role for the role I have given to you and you are going to play the robber. Danny is a very straightforward person. Hearing Feroz Khan, he turned down the offer of ‘Sholay’.
If Sunil Dutt’s condition did not accept, he turned down Gabbar Singh’s role
Asrani said on this, Sunil Dutt played the role of a robber in Mehboob Khan’s film ‘Mother India’. Sunil Dutt’s career was made from this film. After Danny, Gabbar Singh’s role was offered to Sunil Dutt. He thought that if Dharmendra and Amitabh Bachchan are in the film, then their name should come first in the film. Perhaps ‘Sholay’ makers would not have agreed with this. That is why Sunil Dutt left the film.
Then Ramesh Sippy went to Shatrughan Sinha. I do not know what Shatrughan Sinha demanded, Gabbar Singh’s role came out of Shatrughan’s hand. Salim-Javed went to watch a drama at Final National College. There he saw a play by Amjad Khan and suggested Ramesh Sippy’s name for Gabbar Singh’s role.
Amjad Khan, who was afraid to lose the role, created history
When my dubbing was running Rajkamal Studios, the voice of Amjad Khan’s voice was going on. Amjad Khan told me that today my life is to be decided, I do not know whether I will finalize my voice or not. Recordist Mangesh Desai said that there is quality in his voice.
Salim- Javed said what to do now, it has approved the voice. It is surprising that after ‘Mughal-e-Azam’, there was a record braking in the voice of Amjad Khan, the dialogue of ‘Sholay’. Big banners started that Gabbar’s real choice biscuits. Earlier, Villain did not take any name. The most dialogue audio cassettes sold, it was also a record in itself.
Amjad Khan had tears in his eyes-Asrani
I was going into a program in Gujarat Vadodara. I was working in Gujarati films. I was also invited with Amjad Khan. Amjad Khan’s little child also went along. When he was thirsty, we got down to a small shop on the way to get a cold drink. As soon as the child opened a bottle of cold drinks, the voice came from behind. I was shocked where this voice came from.
Amjad Khan’s voice cassette was going on everywhere. I saw that Amjad Khan had tears in his eyes. They were thinking that this voice was rejected by people.
Now know how the character of the jailer of the British era in Sholay-
Asrani said on her role in the film– I did not know anything about the film. I felt that the producer-director was calling for a role. When I went to meet, Salim-Javed was also found with Ramesh Sippy. Javed Saheb narrated the script that we are the jailer of the British era. This character is stupid, but it seems that this is the most intelligent man in the world. I thought that never played such a character. He gave me a book during World War II to read. Hitler had 10-12 poses in it.
He said that before coming between Hitler Public, he used to rehearsed an army dress with a photographer in his room. I caught 3-4 pose out of it and brought the same attitude in the character. When the film became long, my scene was cut. In Nagpur, a journalist saw the scene and said that the scene is the life of the film. Then later my scene was added. Even today people recognize me because of this character.
I felt that if Javed Saheb had read what he had made a mistake in it, then the director will kill, even the writers will kill. I practiced the dialogue until 10 days before the shooting started. I remembered one thing of Ashok Kumar to leave the dialogue to the rest of the director. They will get the work done according to their own. Accordingly, I had made complete preparations before going on shooting.
I don’t think there could have played any other character other than the jailer. All characters are very difficult. Yes, a character could play Thakur’s servant Ram Lal. This character was played by Satyen Kappu.
There was a very interesting scene with Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra in the jail. Only one news has been received that a tunnel is being built in the jail. In which prisoners are involved. I had to inspect it. In it, the writer has told the character of every prisoner. This was a very amazing thing. That scene was very good without any dialogue.
When the film Sholay was released on 15 August 1975, the theater remained empty in the beginning. The makers started believing that the film may flop. When Asrani saw the empty theater, he got very upset. Amjad Khan was also very sad. But who knew that this film is going to create history.
Asrani said on thisI live in Juhu, Mumbai. There was a film (Sholay) in the Chandan Theater. When I went to see the film, the entire theater was empty in the 3 o’clock show. I became very nervous. Could not watch the whole film. I came into depression that what happened is that people did not come to see the film?
One day I was shooting a film at Mehboob Studio. Amjad Khan was home in front of the studio. When I got some time from the shooting, Amjad went to meet Khan. He was also very sad. He did not even understand the reason for not running the film. He said that it seems that the bus was left out.
People bought flats by selling tickets in black- Asrani
The film was running on the 70mm screen at the Minerva Theater in Mumbai. People around were hearing the sound of coins falling. It was the scene of the film, but people felt that the audience was throwing coins after watching the film. The audience started coming to the theater.
Even today people recognize the role of the jailer
Asrani saysI was just shooting in a village near Kota in January. All the villagers gathered. There was a four -year -old girl in it. The producer said that the girl and her mother want to meet. I felt that would the four -year -old young girl recognize an actor, but that girl saw me, she said that Asrani jailer. I think this is a character’s victory.