The Salim-Javed Story - Page 5

One scene where Jay goes to Mausi  with Veeru's proposal for Basanti 😆

Mausi   : Arre beta, bas itna samajh lo ke ghar me jawaan beti seene par pathhar ke sil ki tarah hoti hai. Basanti ka byaah ho jaaye to chain ki saans loo.
Jay     : haa sach kaha mausi aapne. bada bojh hai aap par.
Mausi   : Lekin beta, is bojh ko koi kunwe me to phaik nahi deta.Bura nahi maananaa , itanaa to poochhanaa hi padataa hai ke ladke kaa khaandaan kyaa hai uske lachhchhan kaise hai, kamaataa kitnaa hai?
Jay     : Kamaane ka to ye hai mausi,..,ke ek baar biwi bachhon ki jimmedaari sar pe aa gayi to .. kamaane bhi lagegaa.
Mausi   : To kya abhi kuchh bhi nahi kamaataa?
Jay     : Nahi nahi ye maine kba kahaa mausi, kamaataa hai lekin,... ab roj roj to aadmi jeet nahi sakataa na. .. kabhi haar bhi jaataa hai bechaaraa?
Mausi   : haar jaata hai?
Jay     : haan mausi ab ye kambakht juwaa cheej hi aisi hai ab mai kyaa kahoon ?
Mausi   : heynnnn. to kya juwaari hai?
Jay     : chhi chhi chhi chhi mausi, woh aur juwaari na na. woh to bahot hi achchha aur nek ladka hai.Lekin mausi, ek baar sharaab pi li na phir, achchhe bure ka kahaa hosh rahataa hai. Haath pakad ke bitha liyaa   kisi ne juwaa khelane. ab isme bechare Veeru ka kya dosh?
Mausi   : Thik kahate ho beta. juwaari woh sharaabi woh lekin, uska koi dosh nahi.
Jay     : Mausi aap to mere dost ko galat samaz rahi hai. woh to itanaa seedha aur bhola hai. aare basanti se uski shaadi karke to dekhiye, ye juwe aur sharaab ki aadat to do din me chhoot jaayegi.
Mausi   : Arre beta, mujh budhiyaa ko samjhaa rahe ho. ye sharaab aur juwe ki aadat kisi ki chhooti hai aaj tak.
Jay     : Mausi aap Veeru ko nahi jaanati , wishwaas kijiye wo is tarah kaa insaan nahi hai. Ek baar shaadi ho gayi to woh us gaane-waali ke ghar jaanaa band kar degaa. bas, sharaab apne aap chhoot jaayegi.
Mausi   : Hi hi, bas yehi ek kami raha gayi thi. to kya kisi gaane-waali ke ghar bhi aanaa jaanaa hai?
Jay     : To isme kaunsi buri baat hai mausi. arre , gaana soonane to raajaa-mahaaraajaa unche unche khaandaan ke log jaate hai, haan.
Mausi   : Achchha ! to beta ye bhi bataate jaao ki tumhare yeh gunwaan dost kis khaandaan ke hai?
Jay     : Bas mausi, khaandaan ka pataa chalate hi ham aap ko khabar de denge.
Mausi   : Ek baat ki daad doongi beta. bhale sau buraayiyaan hai tumhare dost me ,phir bhi tumhare munh se us ke liye taareefe hi nikalti hai.
Jay     : ab Kya karoo mausi.. mera to dil hi kuchh aisa hai.(pause)... To.. mai ye rishtaa pakkaa samazoo?
Mausi   : Pakkaa? . bhale saari jindagi ladaki kuwaari baithi rahe. lekin mai aise aadami se Basanti ko nahi byaahanewaali. Sagi mausi hoon. koi sautelee maa nahi.
Jay     : Ajeeb baat hai. mere itane samjhaane par bhi aap ne inkaar kar diyaa.. Bechaaraa Veeru... naa jaane kya karega?
Edited by Sunitha.V - 17 years ago

HOME  |  MOVIES  |  FEEDBACK Dinesh Raheja India's first 70 mm curry Western Sholay ran for five consecutive years at Mumbai's Minerva theatre. It has gone on to become an ineluctable part of the collective cinema consciousness of 1970s audiences and a must-see film experience for the generations thereafter. What is particularly relevant is that this rather violent bone-cruncher not only shattered records but is also a lambent example of perceptive filmmaking. On paper, this Salim-Javed story seems deceptively simple. A thakur-cum-policeman (Sanjeev Kumar) who takes pride in the fact that Shayad khatron se khelne ka shauk hai mujhe [Perhaps I like playing with danger], succeeds in nabbing a dreaded dacoit, Gabbar Singh (Amjad Khan). Gabbar then cold-bloodedly massacres Thakur's family and hacks off the Thakur's arms. The Thakur now lives in Ramgarh, an isolated village within Gabbar's circle of power, and hires the services of two petty thieves Veeru (Dharmendra) and Jai (Amitabh) to execute his retribution. CREDITS Producer Director Music Director Stars  GP Sippy  Ramesh Sippy  RD Burman Dharmendra, Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjeev Kumar, Hema Malini, Jaya Bhaduri, Amjad Khan The pulsating drama gets most of its throb from the engaging, action-packed confrontations, verbal and otherwise, between the hunter and hunted. The tension is kept alive by Gabbar's periodic attempts to pillage the village. Two well-integrated romantic plots --- a muted romance between the Thakur's widowed daughter-in-law Radha (Jaya Bhaduri) and Jai, and a boisterous love track between chatterbox tangewali Basanti (Hema Malini) and Veeru --- ensure fair doses of songs besides humanising the two gunmen and giving us an emotional stake in their fight. Salim-Javed's dialogues are unforgettable and the story has the in-built ingredients of a sumptuous entertainer, but it is Ramesh Sippy's vision that elevates the film to cult status. The story may have been inspired by the Akira Kurosawa classic The Seven Samurai, and the shot of the family's murder in broad daylight has shades of Sergio Leone's Western Once Upon A Time In The West. But Sippy's individualistic spin on the story is undeniable in the manner in which he marshalls his team, frames his shots and in his unhurried exposition to even seemingly peripheral scenes. The film scores with its sharply delineated characters --- Thakur, a committed officer; Jai, a con man given to sardonic humour; Veeru, a hard-drinking smooth-talking flirt; Basanti, a tangewali whose speech competes with her tonga; Radha, a widow whose sad glances are occasionally laced with a faint glimmer of expectancy. And Gabbar, a dacoit with a homicidal temper and raucous laugh. There's rich detailing even in the cameos, whether it is Jagdeep as Soorma Bhopali, Keshto as the khabri, or Asrani spoofing a Hitler-like jailor. No song is treated like a filler, each unfolds with an event-laden story within itself. Shinde's editing gives the film a cutting edge. He blends the scene where Gabbar raises his sword to chop Thakur's hands with the scene of an armless Thakur standing in front of the villagers. Sippy leaves some of the worst violence to our imagination --- the shot of a petrified child awaiting death at the hands of Gabbar cuts to the shot of a hooting train whistle, Gabbar squashes an ant and we are shown Ahmed's (Sachin's) dead body saddled on a horse entering the busy village square. The audience is spared the gory visuals but still feels the emotional impact like a slap. Sippy and cinematographer Dwarka Divecha's collaboration works wonders --- the harsh sunlight on the bare chalky rocks of Gabbar's den add to the grim atmosphere; the fight sequences whether on the train or on galloping horses are captivatingly shot. The first time you see Gabbar only his legs are shown atop some boulders, in line with the faces of three of his dacoits. The power inequality strikes you instantly. Famous songs from Sholay   Song  Singers   Yeh dosti hum nahin todenge  Kishore Kumar, Manna Dey   Holi ke din dil  Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar   Mehbooba mehbooba  RD Burman   Koi haseena jab rooth jaati hai  Kishore Kumar   Jab tak hai jaan  Lata Mangeshkar The Jaya-Amitabh romance is built with the help of some imaginative visual blocks: Amitabh rides a buffalo and involuntarily brings a smile to Jaya's sad face, he nabs a gamboling lamb and hands it back to Jaya, Jaya wistfully steals a glance at Amitabh while extinguishing the lanterns at night. Though the songs may not make it to the RD Top 20 compilation, his background score is astounding. He even has a chilling signature tune for Gabbar. But the sound that stayed in my mind, long after the film ended, was the ominous squeak of a swing after the massacre of Thakur's family. Dharmendra is totally at home, his drunken scene where he threatens suicide from atop a tank, is his piece de resistance. Sanjeev Kumar's grey wig can only take a fraction of the credit for the credibility he brings to his role. Amitabh Bachchan speaks his pithy lines in his deep baritone with elan, a trait that became the hallmark of his performances. He ensures that you grieve for his death. Hema Malini's rapid-fire dialogue delivery strikes an instant chord with the audience. Jaya Bhaduri's brooding silences are deafening. Amjad Khan, aided by a gargoyle grin and whiplash dialogue delivery, makes an unforgettable Gabbar. The till-then unproven actor even blackened his teeth to suggest tobacco stains and the end result is a textbook performance that could inspire many a wannabe villain. Sholay has been much copied but remains unsurpassed. Ironically, it has been one milestone that seems to have yoked Ramesh Sippy --- he could never come close to duplicating Sholay's success again. Famous dialogues: Jai: Basanti, tumhara naam kya hai [Basanti, what is your name]? Gabbar: Yeh haath mujhe de de Thakur [Give me these hands, Thakur]! Imamsaab: Jaante ho duniya mein sabse bada bhoj kya hota hai? Baap ke kandhe par bete ka janaza [Do you know what the heaviest burden in the world is? A son's coffin on a father's shoulders]. Much-remembered catchphrases: *Kitney aadmi the [How many men were there]? *Bahut yaarana lagta hai [Looks like you two are very close]. *Kyonki mujhe befizul baat karne ki aadat toh hain nahee [Because I don't have the habit of talking needlessly]. *Jo dar gaya samjho mar gaya [He who gets scared, is dead].     More Classics Waqt Kagaz Ke Phool Saraswatichandra Sadhana Mera Saaya Navrang MORE Sidelights: *Danny was originally pencilled for the role of Gabbar Singh. However, since he was committed to Feroz Khan's Dharmatma, relative newcomer Amjad Khan bagged the role and created history. *Dharmendra and Hema were very much in love during the making of Sholay, their ninth success together. Jaya Bhaduri had married Amitabh soon after signing Sholay and was pregnant during the shooting of the film. *September 20, 1973 was a red letter day for Amjad. He was officially signed for Sholay and his wife Shaila gifted him with a baby boy, Shadaab. *Ramesh Sippy didn't work with Dharmendra, Sanjeev or Amjad thereafter; he did a string of films like Shaan, Shakti and Akayala with Amitabh.

Edited by Sunitha.V - 17 years ago

'Though the songs may not make it to the RD Top 20 compilation, his background score is astounding. He even has a chilling signature tune for Gabbar. But the sound that stayed in my mind, long after the film ended, was the ominous squeak of a swing after the massacre of Thakur's family.'

So true! Edited by Sunitha.V - 17 years ago

thanks was really interesting article
i never knew Javed Akhtar's view on Gulzar before

Originally posted by: Sunitha.V

'Though the songs may not make it to the RD Top 20 compilation, his background score is astounding. He even has a chilling signature tune for Gabbar. But the sound that stayed in my mind, long after the film ended, was the ominous squeak of a swing after the massacre of Thakur's family.'

So true!

Absolutely agree... 😃 I would add Jay's harmonica tune as well to the list 😳

Originally posted by: Sunitha.V

'Though the songs may not make it to the RD Top 20 compilation, his background score is astounding. He even has a chilling signature tune for Gabbar. But the sound that stayed in my mind, long after the film ended, was the ominous squeak of a swing after the massacre of Thakur's family.'

So true!

You are right Sunitha. Recently I watched Javedsaab's interview on TV and he was talking about Sholey, He said he had written each and every move of Gabbar in the story, Gabbar should walk while particular dialogue and He should raise and lower the voice etc etc.

Originally posted by: Sunitha.V

Sholay is pretty much a perfect movie...one that I have watched over and over and not got tired of. Thakur Saheb, Gabbar, Jay, Veeru are all classic characters cast to perfection and well directed. It sure has some very powerful, memorable dialogues.

But I'm afraid I can't say the same about its music 😕. Never enjoyed the songs in Sholay much.

Yes, the songs were not great to hear. But they are a treat to watch because they take the story forward or reveal something about the characters. In "yeh dosti" we come to know about the deep bond of friendship between Jai and Veeru. In "holi ke din" we see that Basanti and Veeru have made up and are declaring their love while Jai and Radha are exchanging soulful looks. In "koi haseena jab rooth jaati hai" you see all the tricks employed by Veeru to pacify Basanti. In "jab tak hain jaan" you see how you should be prepared to dance on glass pieces for your beloved 😆. In Mehbooba Mehbooba um er well, you just see Helen's exquisite belly dancing. 😃

Originally posted by: punjini

Yes, the songs were not great to hear. But they are a treat to watch because they take the story forward or reveal something about the characters. In "yeh dosti" we come to know about the deep bond of friendship between Jai and Veeru. In "holi ke din" we see that Basanti and Veeru have made up and are declaring their love while Jai and Radha are exchanging soulful looks. In "koi haseena jab rooth jaati hai" you see all the tricks employed by Veeru to pacify Basanti. In "jab tak hain jaan" you see how you should be prepared to dance on glass pieces for your beloved 😆. In Mehbooba Mehbooba um er well, you just see Helen's exquisite belly dancing. 😃
 

Oh yes...no complaints about the picturisation of the songs 😊 . I truly enjoyed them in the film. Just never feel like listening to the songs by themselves, that's all. By normal RDB standards, the songs in Sholay were very ordinary in my opinion.  

Originally posted by: Sunitha.V

Oh yes...no complaints about the picturisation of the songs 😊 . I truly enjoyed them in the film. Just never feel like listening to the songs by themselves, that's all. By normal RDB standards, the songs in Sholay were very ordinary in my opinion.  

Agree with Sunitha here. I too watched Sholay countless times but I never recall sitting in my living room and putting Sholay CD in my sound system. All the songs were great to watch along the flow of the movie but not as good to listen later by themselves the way you would listen to RD's songs from other movies like Teerasi Manzil, Kati Patang, Amar Prem, Parichay, Andhi, Kinara.......

Originally posted by: punjini

😆 Well, Danny was supposed to play Gabbar originally. Wonder how he would have acted. We will never know!

Here is something interesting that I came across on how Amjad Khan came in to play Gabbar... Read on 😊

Anupama Chopra on how a great actor got a great role in a great film. A fascinating glimpse from her book, Sholay, The Making of a Classic. Amjad Khan filled the doorway. He was not a particularly large man, but his lumbering gait, thickset face and curly hair gave him the appearance of one. Director Ramesh Sippy was lying on the diwan with his back to the door. From the low angle, Amjad loomed larger. Something clicked. 'He had an interesting face,' says Ramesh. 'I felt very positive.' Panic had set in after Danny's departure. Shooting was less than a month away. And Gabbar Singh was no ordinary character. It was a pivotal role. The actor had to have both talent and charisma to hold his own against the galaxy of stars. Bad casting could destroy the film. Amjad was the younger son of character artiste Jayant. His home production, Patthar ke Sanam,which was supposed to launch him, was announced but never made. He had assisted K Asif in Love and Godand also done a bit role in the film. The credentials were hardly impressive. But in theatre Amjad had a strong reputation. A few days after Danny left, Salim bumped into Amjad. Salim knew Amjad's father, and had been visiting their home since Amjad was a little boy. A polite conversation ensued in which Salim asked Amjad about work. There wasn't much, just bit roles and theatre. Salim had heard about Amjad's skills as an actor, and physically he seemed to fit the role. 'I can't promise you anything,' he told Amjad, 'but there is a role in a big film. I'll take you to the director. Agar aap ko yeh role mil jaaye, aap ki koshish se yea aapki kismat se (If you get this role, whether by luck or effort),I tell you, it is the finest role in this film.' Amjad seemed to fit the part, but he was unknown. Could he carry the film? He was asked to grow a beard and come back. Meanwhile, Ramesh and Salim-Javed pondered. Salim-Javed were convinced that Amjad was the right choice. A screen test was done. They shot pictures in the office garden. Amjad had grown a beard and blackened his teeth. His diction was right, his language was perfect. He was confirmed for the role. Amjad hurried ecstatically to hospital to break the news to wife Shaila. The date was 20 September 1973. His son Shadaab was born that afternoon. Normal life took a back seat. Amjad devoured Abhishapth Chambal,a book on Chambal dacoits written by Jaya Bhaduri's father, Taroon Coomar. He marked out the pages on the real-life Gabbar, insisting that Shaila read it too. He rehearsed his lines and fleshed out his character. He remembered a dhobi from his childhood who used to call out to his wife: 'Arre o Shanti.' The lilt in Gabbar's 'Arre o Sambha' came from this dhobi. The morning Amjad was to leave for Bangalore, he put the Quran on his head and prayed. Shaila was surprised. Amjad was a spiritual person, but he rarely prayed. As abruptly as he had started, he stopped. He placed the holy book back in its place, 'I think I'll be able to do it,' and drove to the airport. The flight didn't reach Bangalore. There was a hydraulic failure, and the pilot was forced to keep circling over Mumbai. After dumping fuel, the plane landed back in Mumbai. Amjad sat at the airport, but didn't call home. After five hours, it was announced that the technical fault had been fixed and the plane was ready for take off. Not many passengers had the stomach to get on that plane again. Amjad was among the four or five who finally flew on it. He had to reach Bangalore. Through the flight, he wasn't thinking about his wife or his son. His only terror was: 'If this plane crashes, Danny gets Gabbar.' Gabbar Singh was not having a good day. It was Amjad's first day of shooting. They were starting with the scene in which he is introduced. His first line was, 'Kitne aadmi the?' All his life had led to this moment. The years of theatre rehearsals, knocking on doors for acting jobs, sweating it out as an assistant -- the Gabbar role had made all that seem worthwhile. His army fatigues, picked up from Mumbai's Chor Bazaar, had the right weathered look. His teeth were blackened. His face was appropriately grimy. He had lived the part for the last few months. But now, when it was time to deliver, he just could not get it right. Gabbar had to mince tambaku (tobacco) as he talked. The motion of one hand grinding against another added to his menace. It was supposed to be his habit. But Amjad could not make it look casual. He would grind the tobacco, speak a few lines, look around awkwardly and then return to grinding. He was nervous and it showed; his hands were stiff, his movements seemed rehearsed, and his dialogue delivery was shaky. There was nothing natural about his performances; Gabbar was a stranger to Amjad. Ramesh kept talking to him, trying to help him get his lines right. They struggled for two days. After forty-odd takes, both Ramesh and cameraman Dwarka Divecha decided the actor needed a break. Divecha told Amjad to keep his costume on and just sit on the sets. 'Tu apne aap ko season kar de (Season yourself).' Amjad cried that night. His father was in hospital fighting cancer. His son was only a month old. His family's hopes were pinned on this film. For the rest of the schedule, Amjad lived in the fatigues, trying to become Gabbar. He wrote often to his wife, but never shared with her the extent of his trauma. All he wrote was: 'I'm very impatient… I don't know… I hope I can do it.' Since he didn't drink, he would spend the evenings nursing endless cups of tea. Through the entire schedule, he didn't do a single shot. In the next schedule, Amjad was more prepared. He got it right in the first few takes. He was living his character, and would stay in costume even when he was not shooting. But some members of the unit, unable to forget his earlier awkwardness, didn't seem to think this was enough. Besides, Amjad was the only new face in a sea of superstars and slowly talk started in the unit that perhaps Ramesh had made a mistake. The murmurs grew, till it became impossible even for Salim and Javed, who had been the most keen to have Amjad as Gabbar, to ignore them. Anxious, perhaps, to not be seen as people responsible for ruining the film, they spoke to Ramesh. 'If you aren't satisfied with Amjad, change him,' they said. For a few days the unit was rocked by rumours that Amjad was getting the boot. But Ramesh finally put his foot down. Only Amjad would play Gabbar. Amjad found out about the rumours much later. But the incident sowed the seeds of misunderstanding between him and Salim-Javed. He could not understand why two people, who had ardently recommended him for the role, had then tried to get him thrown out. He saw it as a move to sabotage his career. The hurt stayed with him till his death. Salim-Javed gave birth to the Amjad myth, but they never worked with him again.

Excerpted from Sholay, The Making of a Classic, by Anupama Chopra, Penguin India, 2001