Sholay (1975, Embers) restored by Film Heritage Foundation with the original ending and deleted scenes had a grand premiere at the Il Cinema Ritrovato Festival in Bologna this June

In a grand celebration of 50 years of the film, Ramesh Sippy’s “Sholay” (1975), the most iconic film in the history of Indian cinema, restored by Film Heritage Foundation in association with Sippy Films Pvt. Ltd., had its world premiere at the prestigious Il Cinema Ritrovato Festival in Bologna on June 27, 2025. Planned as a marquee event befitting the legendary status of the film, the 70 mm film has made its debut on a gigantic open-air screen in the magnificent medieval Piazza Maggiore of the city of Bologna in front of an audience of thousands.


AMITABH BACHCHAN:

Some things in life remain permanently etched in your mind. Sholay is one such film. Shooting for the film was an unforgettable experience, but at the time I had no idea that it would be a watershed for Indian cinema. Its dramatic change in fortunes from being declared an unsuccessful venture, to its record-breaking box office run was an emotional rollercoaster for all of us. It’s wonderful that the Film Heritage Foundation has restored “Sholay” and that they have managed to locate and include the original ending as well as some deleted scenes in the restoration.I hope that even 50 years later, the film will capture the imagination of new audiences across the world.” 


DHARMENDRA:

“Sholay is the 8th wonder of the world. I am thrilled to hear that the film is being restored and I am sure it will have the same success as it had 50 years ago. Who can forget the dialogues of Salim-Javed and the direction of Ramesh Sippy? So many scenes have gone down in the history of Indian cinema and every character became a star. But the real hero was the coin. Few people know that I was offered the role of Gabbar and Thakur, but I was clear that I wanted to play the role of Veeru as he is so much like me. I had so much fun on the shoot. My favourite scenes were the tanki scene, the scene in the temple, and so many others, but the most powerful scene I feel was the death of Jai, which is still etched in my mind.”


SHIVENDRA SINGH DUNGARPUR

FILMMAKER, ARCHIVIST AND DIRECTOR, FILM HERITAGE FOUNDATION:

“My first memory of “Sholay” goes back to the time when I was six years old and I remember weeping because my mother refused to allow me to go to the cinema to watch the film. I would never have imagined that 50 years later, I would have the opportunity to work on the restoration of the film – often described as the greatest Indian film ever made – with Shehzad Sippy of Sippy Films. I know every frame and every dialogue of the film by heart. “Sholay” was a work of passion that generations of Indians have loved and seen time and time again.  Despite the fact that we could not use the original camera negative and that not a single 70mm print survives, we have left no stone unturned to ensure that this historic film has not only been beautifully restored, but that the restored version that will premiere in Bologna will have the original ending and some never-before-seen deleted scenes. I can’t wait to watch the film in the open air in the Piazza in Bologna along with thousands of cinephiles from around the world.”


SHEHZAD SIPPY

PRODUCER, SIPPY FILMS:

“Sholay” is the cornerstone of our family heritage and I am so proud that Sippy Films has been able to do a world-class restoration of the film with Film Heritage Foundation. It has taken us three years, but we were able to find the original ending and some deleted scenes that the world will see for the first time at the grand premiere at the Il Cinema Ritrovato Festival in Bologna. It’s been a labour of love to resurrect the film and I can’t wait for “Sholay” to begin its new lease of life.”


RESTORATION PROCESS:

In 2022, Shehzad Sippy of Sippy Films approached us about restoring “Sholay”. He said the film elements were in a warehouse in Mumbai and he would like to deposit it with us for preservation. When we opened the sack of film cans they had no labels, but we discovered that  the cans contained the original 35 mm camera and sound negative of the film. Ramesh Sippy came to our archive to see this amazing discovery for himself and had tears in his eyes as he looked at what survived of the original film. Shehzad Sippy also mentioned that there were film elements lying at Iron Mountain in UK and thanks to help from our friends at the British Film Institute we were able to access these elements. The reels from London and Mumbai were then shipped to L’Immagine Ritrovata in Bologna to begin the restoration process.

The restoration was complex and took almost three years. So what did we have to work with to restore the film? Sadly, the original camera negative was badly deteriorated and could not be used for the restoration. The main elements used were the interpositives found in London and Mumbai. Miraculously, the colour reversal intermediate found in London had the original ending and two deleted scenes. We had managed to acquire the original Arri 2C camera that was used to shoot “Sholay” for our archive. As no 70 mm prints were available, we spoke to veteran cinematographer Kamlakar Rao who had worked on “Sholay” with Dwarka Divecha, the cinematographer of the film. He told us that Dwarka Divecha suggested putting a ground glass in front of the camera lens on which Kamlakar Rao made markings so that the margins of the 70mm frame could be identified. This helped us to decide on the aspect ratio as 2.2:1 for the restored film. As luck would have it, we also found the original magnetic sound elements at the Sippy Films office. The sound restoration was done using the original sound negative and the magnetic elements.

The final restored  version is based on two interpositives and two colour reversal intermediates which includes the original ending and the deleted scenes reviving the original vision of the director.


RESTORATION CREDITS:

Restored by Film Heritage Foundation at L’Immagine Ritrovata laboratory in association with Sippy Films.

Funding provided by Sippy Films.

Sholay was restored using the best surviving elements: an interpositive and two colour reversal intermediates found in a warehouse in UK and a second interpositive dating from 1978 deposited by Sippy Films and preserved by Film Heritage Foundation.

The sound was restored using the original sound negative, and the magnetic soundtrack preserved by Film Heritage Foundation.

The film was originally shot on 35 mm and blown up to 70 mm for release. No 70 mm prints of the film survive.

The original camera negative was severely damaged due to heavy vinegar syndrome with coils adhesion and halos, overcoat deterioration both on base side and emulsion side and base distortion.

The Director’s Cut has been reconstructed and restored in 4K including the original ending as well as two deleted scenes and with the original 70 mm aspect ratio of 2.2: 1.


SYNOPSIS:

Voted the greatest Indian film ever made in a 2002 British Film Institute poll and honoured as “Film of the Millenium” by BBC India in 1999, the blockbuster film Sholay directed by Ramesh Sippy premiered at the Minerva cinema hall in Mumbai in 1975 where it ran for five years without a break. Scripted by the famed writer duo Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar (billed as Salim-Javed), the film described as a curry western, is a landmark of Indian cinema that is a mosaic of all genres: an action-thriller, revenge drama, a comedy and a tragedy set to music, song and dance composed by the iconic music composer R.D. Burman. Inspired by films like Sergio Leone’s Once Upon A Time in the West (1968), Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai (1954) and John Sturges’ film The Magnificent Seven (1960), India’s first 70mm film and the first Hindi film to use stereophonic sound featured an ensemble cast that included major stars Sanjeev Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Hema Malini, Jaya Bhaduri and  Amjad Khan in an unforgettable performance as the villainous Gabbar Singh.

The film tells the story of a former police officer Thakur Baldev Singh who recruits best friends and small-time crooks, the charming Veeru and the brooding taciturn Jai to capture the dreaded dacoit, Gabbar Singh, who is terrorizing the Thakur’s village, Ramgarh. Thakur and Gabbar share a turbulent past as Thakur had once jailed Gabbar, but he broke out of prison and massacred Thakur’s family except for his daughter-in-law and a loyal servant, and hacked off Thakur’s arms in one of the most brutal scenes. The element of romance is introduced in the film when Jai falls in love with Thakur’s widowed daughter-in-law Radha and Veeru Ramgarh’s chatterbox horse-and-cart driver Basanti. After several skirmishes, Gabbar is finally vanquished by Jai and Veeru and handed over to the police by Thakur in a dramatic yet tragic climax.

The rocky terrain and barren canyons of Ramanagara in South India where the village was created formed the perfect backdrop for the spectacular cinematography of the film. Two and a half years in the making and over three hours long, after a slow start the film topped the national box office for 19 years and the dialogues became so popular that they are mouthed by audiences even 50 years after it was released.


CAST AND CREW DETAILS:

Sholay (Embers), India, 1975, Ramesh Sippy

204 mins, Colour, Hindi, English Subtitles, Aspect Ratio 2.2:1, Sound 5.1

Direction: Ramesh Sippy, Original Story by: Salim-Javed, Screenplay: Salim-Javed, Cinematographer: Dwarka Divecha, Editor: M. S. Shinde, Sound: S. Y. Pathak, Music: R. D. Burman, Art Direction: Ram Yedekar, Producer: G. P. Sippy, Production House: Sippy Films 

Cast: Dharmendra, Sanjeev Kumar, Hema Malini, Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bhaduri, Amjad Khan, A. K. Hangal, Satyen Kappu, Iftekhar, Leela Mishra, Vikas Anand, Mac Mohan, Keshto Mukherjee, Sachin, Master Alankar, Viju Khote, Major Anand, Bihari, Bhagwan Sinha, Arvind Joshi, Bhanumati, Mushtaq Merchant, Mansaram, Mamaji, Jerry, Birbal, Asrani, Helen, Geeta, Jairaj, Jagdeep, Jalal Agha, Om Shivpuri, Sharad Kumar


WORLD PREMIERE: SCREENING AT IL CINEMA RITROVATO 2025, BOLOGNA ON JUNE 27, 2025


NEWS ARTICLES

(Click on image to read the full article)

Ei Samay

 

 

 


Bombay Times
The Parallel
Abplive.com
Delhi Times

The Indian Express
Onno Samay
BBC News
Jagran.com

Delhi Times
Variety Magazine
The Telegraph
Screen Magazine