Sholay (Hindustani: [ˈʃoːleː] (About this listen), transl. Embers) is a 1975 Indian action-adventure film written by Salim-Javed, directed by Ramesh Sippy and produced by his father G. P. Sippy. The film is about two criminals, Veeru (Dharmendra) and Jai (Amitabh Bachchan), hired by a retired policeman (Sanjeev Kumar) to capture the ruthless dacoit Gabbar Singh (Amjad Khan). Hema Malini and Jaya Bhaduri also play the roles of Veeru and Jai's love interests, Basanti and Radha, respectively. Sholay is considered a classic and one of the best Indian films. It was ranked first in the British Film Institute's 2002 poll of the “10 Best Indian Films” of all time. In 2005, the judges of the 50th Filmfare Awards named it the best film of the 50 years.

The film was shot in the rocky terrain of Ramanagara, in the southern state of Karnataka, over a period of two and a half years. After the Central Board of Film Certification ordered the removal of several violent scenes, Sholay was released with a running time of 198 minutes. In 1990, the original 204-minute director's cut became available on home media. On its first release, Sholay received negative reviews and a lukewarm commercial response, but favorable word of mouth helped it become a box office success. It broke records for continuous performances in numerous theaters across India and worked for over five years at the Minerva Theater in Mumbai. The film was also successful abroad in the Soviet Union. It was the highest grossing Indian film ever made at the time, and was the highest grossing film in India until Hum Aapke Hain Koun ..! (1994). By some accounts, Sholay remains the highest grossing Indian film of all time, adjusted for inflation.

The film is a Dacoit Western (sometimes referred to as "Curry Western"), combining the conventions of Indian dacoit films with those of spaghetti westerns as well as elements of samurai cinema. Sholay is also a defining example of the masala film, which blends several genres into one work. The researchers noted several themes in the film, such as the glorification of violence, the conformation to feudal ethos, the debate between the social order and mobilized usurpers, homosocial ties, and the film's role as national allegory. Combined sales of the soundtrack, written by R. D. Burman, and dialogues (released separately), set new sales records. The film's dialogues and some of the characters have become extremely popular, contributing to many cultural memes and part of India's everyday vernacular. In January 2014, Sholay was re-released in theaters in 3D format.

Cast

• Dharmendra as Veeru
• Sanjeev Kumar as Thakur Baldev Singh
• Hema Malini as Basanti
• Amitabh Bachchan as Jai (Jaidev)
• Jaya Bhaduri as Radha, Thakur's daughter-in-law
• Amjad Khan as Gabbar Singh
• Satyen Kappu as Ramlaal, Thakur's servant
• A. K. Hangal as Rahim Chacha, the imam in the village
• Sachin as Ahmed, son of the imam
• Jagdeep as Soorma Bhopali, a comical wood trader
• Leela Mishra as Mausi, Basanti's maternal aunt
• Asrani as the Jailor, a comical character modelled after Charlie Chaplin in The Great Dictator
• Keshto Mukherjee as Hariram, prison barber and Jailor's side-kick
• Mac Mohan as Sambha, Gabbar Singh's sidekick
• Viju Khote as Kaalia, another of Gabbar's men whom he kills in a game of Russian roulette
• Iftekhar as Inspector Khurana, Radha's Father
• Helen in a special appearance in song "Mehbooba Mehbooba"
• Jalal Agha in a special appearance in song "Mehbooba Mehbooba"
• Raj Kishore as a jail inmate with gayish mannerisms
• Arvind Joshi as elder son of Thakur Baldev Singh
• Sharad Kumar as Ninni, younger son of Thakur Baldev Singh
• Gita Siddharth as Geeta, Arvind Joshi's wife