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If asked to name a single film that has defined Hindi cinema, he will probably reply with the movie Sholay. Few movies in Indian cinema have achieved the iconic status of Sholay. Released in 1975, the film was directed by Ramesh Sippy and penned by the duo of Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar. It featured an ensemble cast of Dharmendra, Hema Malini, Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjeev Kumar, Jaya Bachchan, and Amjad Khan, who all had career-defining performances in the film.
Over the years, many stories about the making of Sholay have surfaced, taking fans through the effort that went into creating this masterpiece. Most recently, director Ramesh Sippy, at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), unveiled the dedication behind a simple minute-long scene between Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan. While it was just a minute for the fans, it took weeks for the movie makers to finally get that scene cleared.
It took 23 Days to shoot this Magic Hour Scene In Sholay
Among the many iconic moments in Sholay is a quiet, emotionally charged scene of the unspoken bond between Amitabh Bachchan’s reserved Jai and Jaya Bachchan’s stoic Radha. The scene required no dialogue, only an exchange of glances. Yet it captured a universe of emotions, which dialogue might have failed to do.
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What makes this scene extraordinary is the sheer effort and time it took to film. Ramesh Sippy revealed that it took 23 days to capture this two-minute sequence. The reason? The scene was shot during the “magic hour,” when day transitions into night, and the atmosphere has that golden tint.
The magic hour lasts only for a few minutes each day. To ensure everything was perfect, the crew spent their mornings and afternoons setting up the shot and rehearsing extensively. As evening approached, they timed the action to capture that golden light while Amitabh and Jaya did their parts.
While it took 23 days to clear that scene, it was all worth it. Decades later, the movie feels as fresh as the day it was released, thanks to the efforts of the cast and crew.
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