The fact that Sholay became the greatest hit of the century and went on to create new milestones for itself inspired many filmmakers to recreate the magic on-screen.
However, what Ramesh Sippy could achieve, no other filmmaker could even come close. Can anyone ever match up to the charm of Dharmendra, or the wit of Amitabh Bachchan, or the energy level of the most hated character in the film, Gabbar played by Amjad Khan? The answer is a certain NO. But still, there have been filmmakers in the past who have tried to create something of their own about Sholay in the name of 'remake'.
RGV Ki Aag
To start with the recent one, director Ram Gopal Varma attempted to remake Sholay by casting the Amitabh Bachchan as Gabbar in his version of Sholay called RGV Ki Aag. May be Ram Gopal Varma hypnotised Big B to get a ‘yes’ from him because Mr Bachchan faced a lot of flak for his decision, perhaps the worst one. Even Ajay Devgn, playing the modern Veeru, was written off by everyone. No doubt Amitabh Bachchan was top notch, but the film was unbearable.
Gabbar
This film was produced by Ekta Kapoor in Bhojpuri, it was a big box office hit. Ravi Kissen, superstar of the Bhojpuri industry, played the role of 'Gabbar', and without doubt won the hearts of his fans. Jumping jack of Bollywood, Jeetendra played the role of 'Thakur'. The twist in this story is that Gabbar is a retired soldier who later turns a dacoit as he is trapped in a conspiracy. Basanti’s role was portrayed by Mona Thiba.
Ramgarh Ke Sholay
Ramgarh Ke Sholay is a spoof film on Sholay which stars Amjad Khan playing the role of Gabbar again. The film released in 1991, didn't do well at the box office. A year after that, Amjad suffered a massive heart attack.
Dhoondte Reh Jaoge
Directed by Umesh Shukla, this film had glimpses of Sholay. The film was not a remake per say but many scenes were lifted directly from the film and shown in a humorous way. Johnny Lever played 'Gabbar', Sonu Sood played 'Veeru' while Soha Ali Khan played 'Basanti' in the comedy sequence.
Pritish Nandy Communications has acquired the rights of Sholay the film from Sascha Sippy, chairman of Sholay Media and Entertainment. Pritish plans to make an animated version of Sholay.
No matter how many filmmakers attempt to remake the legendary Sholay, one thing is certain that masterpieces are created only once.
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