#WhatIf: 'Sholay' would be REMADE with the cast of 'Ishqbaaaz'

The idea of 'what if' is always extremely exciting, isn't it? To think, that is there is no limitation, and there are endless possibilities to various things is a thought that fascinates me a lot. I hope you have your humour and imaginative guns blazing for this piece, as I have hit that zone to the maximum for this one.

So, here we begin, our latest series on #WhatIf Bollywood masterpieces were remade for TV. No, we don't actually want that to happen, but to think, that it can is certainly a lot of fun, for sure.

The first one on our list today is one of the biggest blockbusters and cult movies of all time, Sholay. And considering Sholay was an ensemble cast film, we couldn't find a better ensemble cast on television than the blockbuster of Indian TV, Ishqbaaaz.

Trying to stay true to the explanation and character traits, we have of course made some changes in the actual pairings and descriptions. So, sit back, have a read and get amused.

There did not seem to be any doubt for us on this one. He is macho - check, he is ruthless - check, He tortured Basanti - here, Veer tortures Anika - Check. Nikitin is a proven villain on-screen, and playing Gabbar is totally justifiable to his talent.

We had our doubts about this one initially, but then, if we go to compare the character traits, Bhavya (Mansi) comes the closest to being Radha in Sholay. Of course, the flashback scene of Radha would pass for Anika (Surbhi Chandna) or Gauri (Shrenu Parikh), but the widowed Radha is mellow, and conveys a lot, purely through her eyes. Mansi can totally do that, we are certain.

There couldn't have been a more apt person to play Veeru than Leenesh aka Rudra. The playfulness, the innocence, and at times, the much needed rage and strength; Dharmendra's Veeru does quite seem to be a character sketch for Leenesh's Rudra. It may be not, but we see Leenesh totally acing the character of Veeru.

No, we did not choose Mahesh Thakur as Thakur, only because the common word being Thakur. But, the various shades to Tej as a character is quite similar to that of Thakur. While Thakur was almost like a father figure to Jai and Veeru, here Tej is exactly the same to the Oberoi brothers. He may have his share of sins, but, we have seen flashes of Tej being a good man too.

I don't think anyone can debate on this one at all. Be it Surbhi or her character, Anika, the lady is as Basanti as anyone can be. Jovial, madcap, crazy and of course, a talker, Surbhi Chandna or Anika absolutely pronounce Basanti like no one else can. Yun ki, humein zyada baat karne ki aadat to hai nai, to aage badhte hai.

The hero. The man himself. Shivaay Singh Oberoi or Jai- they are righteous, taskmasters, no-nonsense preachers and of course, can do anything for their loved ones. Most importantly above everything, Shivaay's love for his brothers is a benchmark for many to follow, just like Jai's friendship and sacrifice for Veeru.

So, there you have it.I know, some of you may not like the fact that we have reversed the pairings of Rudra-Bhavya and Shivaay-Anika, but it purely on the character traits that we have done so. The playfulness and innocence of Veeru and Basanti suit Rudra and Anika more than Shivaay and Bhavya; while the subtlety, maturity and seriousness of Jai and Radha is more aptly associated to Jai and Bhavya. (It's all in fun guys!)

Also, we feel terrible for being unable to cast Kunal Jaisingh and Shrenu Parikh in any roles, but Sholay's principal cast would suit best with the above mentioned names according to us, and it would have been unfair to cast them for the sake of it.

So, did you enjoy that? We cannot wait to know. Also, as we said, this is a series and we have a lot more coming up every week. Have any special requests? Please tell us in the comments below..