Editing Sholay (section)

{{short description|1975 Indian film by Ramesh Sippy}}
{{hatnote group|
{{other uses|Sholay (1984 film)|Sholay: The Making of a Classic}}
{{distinguish|Shola (disambiguation)}}
}}
{{protection padlock|small=yes}}
{{featured article}}
{{Use Indian English|date=November 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Sholay
| image          = Sholay-poster.jpg
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Ramesh Sippy]]
| producer       = [[G. P. Sippy]]
| writer         = [[Salim–Javed]]
| starring       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Dharmendra]]
* [[Sanjeev Kumar]]
* [[Hema Malini]]
* [[Amitabh Bachchan]]
* [[Jaya Bhaduri]]
* [[Amjad Khan (actor)|Amjad Khan]]
}}
| music          = [[R. D. Burman]]
| cinematography = [[Dwarka Divecha]]
| editing        = [[M. S. Shinde]]
| studio         = United Producers<br />[[G. P. Sippy|Sippy Films]]
| distributor    = Sippy Films
| released       = {{Film date|1975|8|15|df=yes}}
| runtime        = 204 minutes (Original version)<br />198 minutes (Theatrical version)
| country        = India
| language       = Hindi
| budget         = {{INR|30 million|link=yes}}{{sfn|Chopra|2000|p=143}}
| gross          = {{Estimation}} {{INR|350 million}} (India)<ref name="indiatoday" /> <br> 250 million tickets (worldwide)<ref name="indiatoday1985" />
| native_name    =
}}

'''''Sholay''''' ({{IPA|hns|ˈʃoːleː|lang|Sholay pronunciation.ogg}}, {{translation|'Embers'}}) is a 1975 Indian [[Epic film|epic]] [[action-adventure film]] directed by [[Ramesh Sippy]], produced by his father [[G. P. Sippy]], and written by [[Salim–Javed]]. The film is about two criminals, Veeru ([[Dharmendra]]) and Jai ([[Amitabh Bachchan]]), hired by a retired police officer ([[Sanjeev Kumar]]) to capture the ruthless [[dacoit]] [[Gabbar Singh (character)|Gabbar Singh]] ([[Amjad Khan (actor)|Amjad Khan]]). [[Hema Malini]] and [[Jaya Bhaduri]] also star, as Veeru and Jai's love interests, Basanti and Radha, respectively. The music was composed by [[R D Burman]].

The film was shot in the rocky terrain of [[Ramanagara]], in the [[South India|southern]] state of [[Karnataka]], over a span of two and a half years, beginning in October 1973. After the [[Central Board of Film Certification]] mandated the removal of several violent scenes, ''Sholay'' was released as a 198-minute long film. In 1990, the original [[director's cut]] of 204&nbsp;minutes became available on home media. When first released, ''Sholay'' received negative critical reviews and a tepid commercial response, but favourable [[Word of mouth|word-of-mouth]] publicity helped it to become a box office success. It broke records for continuous showings in many theatres across India, and ran for more than five years at Mumbai's Minerva theatre. The film was also an [[List of highest-grossing Indian films in overseas markets|overseas success]] in the [[Soviet Union]]. It was the [[List of highest-grossing Indian films|highest-grossing Indian film]] ever at the time, and was the [[List of highest-grossing films in India|highest-grossing film in India]] up until ''[[Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!]]'' (1994). By numerous accounts, ''Sholay'' remains one of the highest-grossing Indian films of all time, adjusted for inflation.

''Sholay'' is often regarded as [[List of films considered the best#National polls|one of the greatest and most influential Indian films of all time]]. It was ranked first in the [[British Film Institute]]'s 2002 poll of "Top 10 Indian Films" of all time. In 2005, the judges of the [[50th Filmfare Awards]] named it the [[Filmfare Best Film of 50 Years|Best Film of 50 Years]]. The film is a [[Dacoit Western]] (sometimes called a "[[Curry Western]]"), combining the conventions of Indian [[dacoit film]]s with that of [[Spaghetti Western]]s along with elements of [[Samurai cinema]]. ''Sholay'' is also a defining example of the [[masala film]], which mixes several genres in one work. Scholars have noted several themes in the film, such as [[Heroic bloodshed|glorification of violence]], conformation to [[Indian feudalism|feudal ethos]], debate between [[social order]] and mobilised usurpers, [[homosocial]] bonding, and the film's role as a [[National personification|national allegory]]. The combined sales of the original soundtrack, scored by [[R. D. Burman]], and the dialogues (released separately), set new sales records. The film's dialogues and certain characters became extremely popular, contributing to numerous cultural [[meme]]s and becoming part of India's daily [[vernacular]]. In January 2014, ''Sholay'' was re-released to theatres in the [[3D film|3D format]].