The undying f(l)ame

Soumya Mukherjee,software engineer
Sholay is a landmark in Indian cinema. The very fact that I like the movie,despite being born much after its release,speaks volumes about the film. My favourite scene is when Amitabh Bachchan goes to Mausi to ask for Basanti’s hand in marriage.

Amruta Bangad,dancer
The best part of Sholay is the value of friendship that it instills through the characters of Jai and Veeru. It shows us how there are some things in this world that are worth dying for. My favourite scenes are when Dharmendra gets drunk and when he pretends to be God while Basanti is praying.

Haimanti Banerjee,documentary maker
I remember this one incident when my father joked about how if one doesn’t see Sholay ,his Indian citizenship will be revoked. The movie boasted of a remarkable script,but above all,one thing that I can’t forget is that Sholay was the start of violence in Indian cinema. For the first time,dead bodies were shown casually on screen.

Neeraj Jain,convenor,Lokayat
I feel that Sholay has oversimplified the concept of good vs evil. Such stark distinctions between black and white can only happen in cinema. However,one cannot deny the power of the dialogues in the movie,like Gabbar Singh’s famous utterance,which is popular even today. One thing though – when the movie released,I quite liked it but with age and maturity,I don’t anymore.

Abolee Athavale,homemaker
I have seen Sholay several times; it’s an excellent film. I really love the way it has been picturised. Also,the script is tight and the character formation is so good. My favourite scene in the movie is Dharmendra’s ‘suicide’ one on the water tank.