Sydney film festival to screen 'Sholay' with original ending
What's the story
The iconic Bollywood film Sholay, starring Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Hema Malini, and Jaya Bachchan, is set to be screened at the Indian Film Festival of Sydney (IFFS) with its original ending. This follows a successful screening at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), where audiences were treated to the film as director Ramesh Sippy originally intended. The IFFS will take place from October 9-11.
Film restoration
Restored version of 'Sholay' features original ending
The original ending of Sholay, which features Sanjeev Kumar's character Thakur killing the notorious villain Gabbar Singh, was initially rejected by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for being too violent. Consequently, the makers shot an alternate ending where Thakur hands over Singh to the police. However, the restored version of Sholay has brought back this original ending.
Festival details
'Bringing back original ending is restoring full vision of creator'
The decision to screen Sholay's original ending at IFFS was met with an overwhelming demand from audiences. Mitu Bhowmick Lange, director of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM), which is presenting the festival, said, "To bring back the film's original ending after all these years is to restore not just a different final scene but the full vision of its creator."