Kolkata: Sholay, the Bollywood blockbuster that marks the 50th anniversary of its release on Friday, continues to retain its appeal in the 21st century for its vivid portrayal of the Indian tradition of living through its crop of ordinary characters leading ordinary lives, says a noted film scholar.
The 1975 film, directed by Ramesh Sippy, remains a towering milestone in Indian cinematic history, effortlessly amalgamating action, romance, comedy and pathos. Over the years, it has transcended genre boundaries to emerge as the quintessential "masala" epic deeply rooted in the Indian psyche, says Sanjay Mukhopadhyay, former professor of Film Studies at Jadavpur University.
In an exclusive interaction with UNI, Mukhopadhyay reflected on the timeless appeal of Sippy's magnum opus, asserting that Sholay is "not merely a film but a cultural phenomenon embedded in the Indian psyche".
Mukhopadhyay observed that "Sholay" was a rare confluence of Curry Western style (dacoit genre) with Samurai tradition.
"Though there are several blockbusters like 'Mughal-e-Azam', 'Awaara', 'Sholay' stands differently. In fact, we have two types of films in India. One is like Satyajit Ray's 1955 'Pather Panchali', which we call a symbol of art in cinema, And the second type includes 'Sholay', released just 20 years after, which we call an emblem of popular cinema.
“'Sholay' depicts history within a patriarchal society, so it has become a certain kind of 'national biography', one would not find in films like 'Hum Aapke Hain Kaun', 'Allah Rakha' or any other cinema. It is a kind of narration of history under the garb of popular narrative,” he said.
The scholar lauded the film's technical craftsmanship: Dwarka Divecha's panoramic cinematography that turned Ramgarh's rocky terrain almost into something mythic; R.D. Burman's score like 'Mehbooba Mehbooba' and many other tracks that wove menace and melancholy into melody; and unprecedented precision of its sound design and noise effects.
"Talking of the cinematography, one has to be in awe of the extreme long and close-up shots. These unique things, all precisely calculated, when combined give shape to the film and form a tapestry of life," he said.
Mukhopadhyay dismissed the notion of Sholay as formulaic. "Ramesh Sippy was clever to offer a cross-chain presentation of life. You see ordinary people, living ordinarily. Everyone belonged to the Indian tradition of living. That is why this appealed so much to the audience. Even the construction of the villain, Gabbar Singh (played by Amjad Khan) is like Ravana in Ramayana. He is never the object of ridicule. We never come to know about his villain arc era and yet at times we sympathise with him."
Mukhopadhyay described the duo Radha (Jaya Bhaduri) and Basanti (Hema Malini) as "shadows following the men in their lives."
He added, "Radha and Basanti were like puppets in the hands of Thakur Sahab (Sanjeev Kumar, Jay (Amitabh Bachhan), Veeru (Dharmendra) and even Gabbar. Though we can see Basanti as the driver of a tanga, she is quite subdued in the presence of Veeru. Radha, the widow, too, was quite low-profile only expressing her love through unspoken words.
“If you consider this in the 21st-century scenario, you will consider Basanti and Radha as relics of the forgotten past. How lovely were our yesteryears! If 'Sholay' is remade today both the women would undergo a metamorphosis and would be placed in a different scenario,” said Mukhopadhyay.
The internet age has given "Sholay" a curious afterlife. Mukhopadhyay, a noted writer-cum-translator, remarked, "This is the only film which has created thousands of advertisements. Phrases from Sholay like 'Kitne aadmi the?' or 'Yeh haath mujhe de de Thakur', these catchphrases have become a part of our vocabulary.”
In Mukhopadhyay's summation, "Sholay" is a part of Indian life.
He said: “Shekhar Kapur once jokingly quipped, “We have Sholay B.C. and Sholay A. D”, putting across Sholay’s deep impact on the mind of Indians.
“Though this is an exaggeration, Sholay represents people from every walk of life. It is a kind of chapter that cannot be erased from public memory," Mukhopadhyay signed off.
