'Sholay' to be screened at TIFF 2025 on 50th anniversary
What's the story
Ramesh Sippy's iconic film Sholay, which is celebrating its golden jubilee soon, will be getting a special 4K restoration. The Film Heritage Foundation has restored the movie, and it will be screened at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in September 2025. The special screening will take place on September 6, 2025, at Roy Thomson Hall.
Announcement
'Sholay's North American premiere at TIFF
On Saturday, the Film Heritage Foundation took to X (formerly Twitter) to announce the North American premiere of Sholay's restored version. The organization shared a poster of the film and wrote, "Indian cinematic epic Sholay (1975), directed by Ramesh Sippy, celebrates 50 years with the North American Premiere of the restored version at TIFF!"
Twitter Post
See the announcement here
Indian cinematic epic ‘Sholay’ (1975), directed by Ramesh Sippy, celebrates 50 years with the North American Premiere of the restored version at the 50th edition of the TIFF Toronto International Film Festival! pic.twitter.com/hJUJqIaRjk
— Film Heritage Foundation (@FHF_Official) August 9, 2025
Fan reactions
Fans urge for Indian screening of restored version
Meanwhile, fans have been left wondering about the Indian release of the restored version. One fan wrote, "I am just waiting for its release in Calcutta in selected theatres." Another added, "When will it be released in India? This ought to have a countrywide release!" A netizen quipped, "Should've been part of Indian Film Festival Melbourne."
Legacy
About the iconic film 'Sholay'
Sholay, called a 'curry western' inspired by Hollywood cowboy films, starred Dharmendra, Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjeev Kumar, Amjad Khan, Hema Malini, and Jaya Bachchan. Upon its release in 1975, it broke every box-office record to become the highest-grossing Indian film at the time. Although it lost that record a decade later, Sholay remains the most-watched Indian film ever with over 25 crore footfalls globally, per Hindustan Times.