Sholay’s Rarely Seen Ending To Be Shown After Decades(Photo Credit –YouTube)
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Everyone remembers the 1975 classic Sholay for its legendary characters, gripping climax, and timeless appeal. But did you know the ending you saw wasn’t originally planned? Director Ramesh Sippy had to change it before release.
The film gave us unforgettable moments — from “Arre o Samba, kitne aadmi the?” to “Tumhara naam kya hai, Basanti?” — yet the real twist lay behind the scenes, in how Gabbar Singh’s fate was altered at the very last moment.
How Did Sholay Originally End?
Sholay’s original ending had Thakur Baldev Singh (Sanjeev Kumar) jumping dramatically and impaling the villainous dacoit Gabbar Singh (Amjad Khan), thus killing him. However, this was changed due to censorship concerns during the Emergency period in India. Just days before the film’s scheduled release, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) intervened. The CBFC thought that showing an honest police officer executing a criminal personally could send a wrong message to the audience and encourage unlawful acts.
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How Sholay Writers Reacted Back Then
A report by NDTV quotes Javed Akhtar’s son, Farhan Akhtar, saying Thakur was originally meant to kill Gabbar Singh with his bare feet as revenge after losing his family and arms to the dacoit. He said Thakur is plotting to kill Gabbar after his hands were cut off, forming the emotional core of the film. Since the ending was supposed to be changed, the filmmakers had to reshoot the ending, softening the tone and altering the fate of key characters. Farhan admitted that the changed ending frustrated his father, Javed Akhtar, and his co-writer, Salim Khan.
The classic film returned to TIFF’s Roy Thomson Hall
The restored version was set to make its North American debut at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 6, 2025 with a gala screening scheduled at Toronto’s 1,800-seat Roy Thomson Hall.
Sholay Plot
Veeru and Jai (Dharmendra and Amitabh Bachchan) are two small-time crooks released from prison. They are recruited by former Inspector Thakur Baldev Singh to capture the notorious dacoit Gabbar Singh, who has been terrorizing Ramgarh village. Thakur offers them a reward, motivated by a personal vendetta since Gabbar killed his family and cut his hands.
Upon arriving in Ramgarh, Veeru falls for the spirited horse-cart driver Basanti (Hema Malini), while Jai develops a mutual affection with Radha (Jaya Bachchan), Thakur’s widowed daughter-in-law. The duo bravely confronts Gabbar’s gang, protecting the villagers from extortion and attacks, especially during the Holi festival.
Enraged, Gabbar resorts to killing the son of the village imam to ensure that the villagers remain scared. This makes villagers support Jai and Veeru against Gabbar’s henchmen. A fierce gunfight ensues in which Jai is wounded and ultimately sacrifices himself.
Veeru is heartbroken and, out of anger, nearly kills Gabbar. Thakur then reminds him of their vow to capture him alive. Using his spiked shoes, Thakur severely injures Gabbar before the police arrive to arrest him. The story ends with Veeru leaving Ramgarh with Basanti while mourning Jai’s death.
The movie has a strong supporting cast, including A.K. Hangal as Rahim Chacha (the village imam), Satyendra Kapoor as Ramlal (Thakur’s servant), Iftekhar as Narmalaji (Radha’s father), Leela Mishra as Mausi (Basanti’s aunt), Mac Mohan as Sambha, and Viju Khote as Kaalia (Gabbar’s henchmen). Sachin Pilgaonkar plays Ahmed, the imam’s son killed by Gabbar’s gang. Govardhan Asrani is the Jailor, Keshto Mukherjee the prison barber, Jagdeep as the comic Soorma Bhopali, Helen features as a special gypsy dancer, and Jalal Agha appears as a banjo player. Om Shivpuri plays Inspector Saheb, investigating Gabbar’s crimes.
