When Amjad Khan, Sachin Pilgaonkar also helped shoot Sholay; latter reveals Ramesh Sippy directed only scenes involving Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra

When Amjad Khan, Sachin Pilgaonkar also helped shoot Sholay; latter reveals Ramesh Sippy directed only scenes involving Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra

As a lifestyle expert with a keen interest in cinema and its intricate production processes, I find myself captivated by the revelations from actor-director Sachin Pilgaonkar about the making of the iconic film Sholay. His anecdotes offer a fascinating glimpse into the collaborative efforts that went into creating this cinematic masterpiece.


As a devoted cinema enthusiast, I can’t help but express my admiration for the timeless masterpiece “Sholay,” a 1975 Indian film that continues to captivate audiences even today. Not too long ago, the talented actor Sachin Pilgaonkar shared an interesting tidbit about this iconic production: Ramesh Sippy, credited as the director, actually primarily focused on guiding Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, and Sanjeev Kumar in their performances. Furthermore, Pilgaonkar revealed that a significant portion of the film was directed by the secondary film unit.

Discussing captivating stories from behind the scenes of Sholay, actor-director Sachin Pilgaonkar, who worked as an assistant director on the movie, has shared interesting facts about its creation. In a recent chat with Kunal Vijaykar on his YouTube channel Khane Mein Kya Hai, Sachin disclosed that Ramesh Sippy decided to delegate some action scenes not featuring the main actors to a secondary film crew, primarily responsible for quick cuts and shots.

To accomplish this task, he recruited the talents of well-known stunt director Mohammed Ali and action coordinator Azim. Furthermore, Azim invited two professionals from Hollywood, Jim and Jerry, to lend a hand. Sachil mentioned that Ramesh desired team members with a global perspective, considering their diverse backgrounds.

In that moment, he playfully pointed out that Amjad Khan and himself were the only ‘non-contributing’ individuals within the group. He put it this way, “At that time, there were just two of us who didn’t seem to be pulling our weight in the unit: one was Amjad Khan and I was the other.

Ramesh Sippy recognized and nurtured the budding directorial aspirations of Sachin and Amjad by giving them roles in the movie’s production. In a joking manner, Sachin said that Sippy asked if they wanted to work for him, making a comparison to a blind man asking for one eye but receiving two instead. This allowed him to be present on set, even when the secondary filming crew wasn’t actively working.

Ramesh’s role on set was limited to when Dharmendra, Amitabh Bachchan, and Sanjeev Kumar were filming their scenes. For the rest of the movie production, it was Sachin and Amjad who took charge of the other scenes. In other words, “Ramesh was only expected during scenes involving Dharamji, Amitji, and Hari bhai. He filmed those parts while we managed the rest.

In Sholay, Sachin took on the role of Ahmed, while Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra gave unforgettable performances as Jai and Veeru respectively. The movie featured a number of well-known actors including Sanjeev Kumar, Hema Malini, Amjad Khan, Jaya Bachchan, Iftekhar, A.K. Hangal, Jagdeep, Asrani, Mac Mohan, and Viju Khote in important parts.

This action-adventure drama is often considered a significant achievement in the career of writing duo Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar. The movie was financed by G.P. Sippy. After its debut, it broke records to become the highest-earning Indian film of all time.

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2024-09-27 13:23