India has been the largest producer of feature-length films in the entire world with close to 2000 films being produced every year. And as budding economists are told in the first chapter of their 11th-grade book, demand creates supply. Cinema has been an integral part of the Indian livelihood and household. Indian cinema is a canvas that is painted with bright colors, confident brush strokes to portray a way of being, a distorted picture that is far away from the harsh reality of the existing world. The over the top action, the ‘do jism ek jaan’ romance, the idealistic hero mirroring the ‘maryada purshotam’ persona of Lord Ram has been integrated into mainstream Hindi cinema since the onset of narrative motion pictures in our country. The livelihood of the 'mango man' in India is like the splashing of waves on the cold sand of a beach. It looks exciting from afar, but a closer look will deem it monotonous. Mainstream Hindi cinema is unlike any other movie-watching experience. The characters of the film become legendary, the actors who portray them become legends, and the transcendental experience, the film, becomes no less than a ‘granth’ like the Gita or the Quran.
A film that is etched in the memory of every cinephile, both casual and the student of the film is ‘Sholay’. The film is synonymous with Bollywood and was a catalyst in making its star-cast legends of Hindi cinema. In this blog, I, like millions before me will try to analyze this classic.
The violent star
The film has been noted for its glorification of violence and has played a big role in the Hindi film industry incorporating similar troupes throughout the years. 70 percent of action and violence that takes place in the film were aboard horses. The gunfights in the film aren’t static or stationary and are almost always in constant motion. It is absolutely incredible if you consider the fact that Sholay began production in the early 70s when VFX and computer-generated imagery were virtually non-existent. The train robbery sequence in the first act of the film is edited beautifully. The sequence which according to Ramesh Sippy, the director took over 7 weeks to film is marvelous to behold. The entire sequence is shot on film and does not employ any VFX or CGI. Most of the stunts are carried out by the stars themselves and is a fitting scene to introduce the strength, vigor, bravery, and most importantly the comradery shared between Jai and Veeru.
‘Kitne aadmi they?’ Gabbar- the (im)perfect villain
Gabbar Singh in my humble opinion is the most iconic villain produced by the Hindi film industry. Unlike most dacoits of Bollywood Gabbar does not have an eye drenching back-story where he was cheated by the system and embraced a life of crime to exact vengeance. On the contrary, the character lacks the emotional and motivational depth that is essential to impose the relatability of the character. We never understand Gabbar’s motivation or what led him to this path of destruction. Unlike the dacoits of Hindi cinema that don the pitch-black tilak on their heads, wear khaki kurta pajamas, and cry the slogan of ‘Jai Bhavani’, Gabbar wears army colors, has no moral code, and indulges in song and dance. The character is the epitome of pure evil. He lacks conscience and a moral sense of right or wrong which even the most gruesome of outlaws have. Perhaps he was supposed to be sans any moral code. The lack of these traits does not deem the character depthless. Amjad Khan with his performance does not let you care much about the nitty-gritty of the character. Rather, his amazing dialogues that ring in every Bollywood cinephile’s ear to date is a testament to the character’s superior stature in Indian pop culture.
Basanti and Radha- The not so stereotypical heroines
Ziauddin Sardar says in his book ‘The secret politics of our desires: Innocence, Culpability and Indian popular cinema’ “… the sole function of one female character (Radha) is to suffer her fate in silence, while the other (Basanti) is just a garrulous village belle.’ I do not entirely disagree with Mr. Sardar but respectfully dispute his claim that this is all these two characters stand for. In an era dominated by so-called male chivalry and the glorification of an ideal man whose primary purpose in life is to support the family and be the sole breadwinner, Basanti is a working woman in the most orthodox sub-society in Indian culture, the rural village. She is headstrong and not at all petite or docile as was the norm in those days. She questions Veeru’s advances and is firm in her initial rejection of Veeru’s love. I will also argue that in a film that incorporates a plethora of action sequences, it was Basanti’s horse cart chase that was the most thrilling and nerve-wracking.
Radha’s character has been deemed the blandest and without a clear graph. Both the average cine goer and film scholars have intensely debated her character for years and the unstable conclusion that comes forth is that her character lacks a cohesive characterization and/or character progression. These claims do not make sense to me. The subtle longingness of love and affection in her eyes when she watches Jai playing the harmonica every evening says a thousand words about a character that has lost the most integral part of an Indian bride’s life, a ‘suhag’, the husband and the ‘grahisthi’, the household. We do dwell into Radha’s past when she was a young, cheerful woman who was often frolicking around her courtyard with a wide smile and a young heart. This sequence is edited seamlessly as we do not expect the cut back to Radha’s present self, her white sari not only a symbol of her lost love but a harsh reminder of the lost colors in her life.
Jai and Veeru- Brothers for life and beyond?
The introduction to the characters of Jai and Veeru is a perfect one. It peels off their layers and establishes their motivation and traits like a charm. They are rogues, criminals who live only for one thing, themselves. In their mind, no task is unachievable if there is the right price for it. However, they aren’t heartless or emotionless scoundrels that leech off of any golden opportunity. They have a conscience and a heart. Having been told about Thakur’s tragic history with Gabbar they offer to carry out the task of bringing Gabbar to Thakur for free. They also gamble with their own lives on the basis of a pact they made with themselves to save Thakur, the policeman in charge of escorting them to the jaws of justice.
Theirs is a dynamic duo that in modern and contemporary Indian cinema has been deemed stereotypical. However, back in the day this truly was a ‘rab ne bana di jodi’. Their personality was contrasting yet their motivations were parallel which made their chemistry a pot brimming with excitement. Veeru is a careless Casanova who has a child-like innocence and is always ready to jump and seize the opportunity to embrace, spend time or profess his love to his beloved Basanti. Jai, on the other side, is reserved and mindful of what he says or expresses. He is the one who makes major decisions and is always ready with his witty and unapologetic one-liners that act as a reality check for Veeru. My major problem with the film is the unresolved character arc of Radha. Jai and Radha’s relationship was pure and did in my opinion need a conclusive resolve that was cut short after Jai’s death.
What makes a cult classic?
It is relatively difficult to truly pinpoint the validity and actual cause for an artistic expression gaining cult and/or legendary status. If we delve deeper into the film, it is clear that the script, the characters, and their portrayal by outstanding actors mixed together formed an incredible concoction. The dialogues are the most quotable in Indian cinema. The brilliant songs are sung to date and have been parodied multiple times. The song ‘Yeh dosti hum nahi todenge’ is still a friendship anthem. No film or artistic expression can gain cult status overnight. A lot of factors come into play. Relatability and word of mouth were essential for the film to succeed in the 1970s. There were no social media and the media, in general, was in a very novice state. Despite a slow start and having been declared a flop during its initial run at the box office, the film picked up considerably and has been in recent times declared as the greatest Indian film ever made by the likes of International educational organizations like the British Film Institute. Needless to say, ‘Sholay’ is a generational film that you shouldn’t miss at any cost.
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