After the release of Angry Young Men, the documentary series that explores the lives and work of legendary screenwriting duo Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar, actor Salman Khan has expressed an intriguing desire—he wants to remake the iconic 1975 blockbuster Sholay. The film, penned by Salim-Javed and directed by Ramesh Sippy, remains one of the most revered classics in Indian cinema, starring Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Sanjeev Kumar, Amjad Khan, Jaya Bachchan, and Hema Malini in unforgettable roles. During a candid conversation with filmmaker Farah Khan, Salman playfully declared that not only would he love to remake Sholay, but he'd also be up for the challenge of playing both Amitabh Bachchan's Jai and Dharmendra's Veeru.
Yes, both! Why pick just one when you can have it all? When Farah posed the question, "If you had to remake any of Salim-Javed’s films?" Salman was quick to respond, "I’d make Sholay and Deewar." Farah couldn’t resist digging deeper and asked the inevitable follow-up: "So, would you be Jai or Veeru?" As everyone at the roundtable—filmmaker Zoya Akhtar, editor Namrata Rao, and others—playfully chimed in with, "He’s Veeru," even Javed Akhtar nodded in agreement. But Salman had a trick up his sleeve, quipping, "Also Jai.
I can play both. Gabbar also." This wasn’t just playful banter—Salman’s comments rekindle a long-standing fascination with Sholay.
Interestingly, as Salim Khan revealed, nearly every male star in the film originally had their sights set on playing the larger-than-life villain Gabbar Singh. The role, famously portrayed by Amjad Khan, initially went to Danny Denzongpa, who had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts. Salim reminisced, “Everybody in the film’s star cast had gone to Ramesh Sippy personally to tell him, ‘Main yeh role karunga (I want to do this role).
’” Javed Akhtar added, “Even Sanjeev Kumar and Amitabh wanted to do it. Amitabh said, ‘Aap yeh role mujhe de dijiye (Please give me this role).’ Dharam ji was just happy playing Veeru.
” Released on August 15, 1975, Sholay is not just a film; it’s a cultural phenomenon. Its dialogues, characters, and scenes have seeped into the very fabric of Indian pop culture. The idea of Salman Khan attempting to breathe new life into this cinematic classic, and possibly playing multiple roles, is as bold as it is fascinating.
However, whether fans will accept anyone other than Amitabh and Dharmendra in those legendary roles remains to be seen..
