Sholay’s Original Ending: A Look at the Unseen Conclusion and Why It Was Changed

The iconic Indian film ‘Sholay’ continues to captivate audiences, decades after its release. A restored, uncut version of Ramesh Sippy’s directorial is set to premiere at the Il Cinema Ritrovato Festival in Bologna, Italy, offering a glimpse into the original vision for the film’s ending. The original plan involved Thakur taking Gabbar Singh’s life, a stark contrast to the version that ultimately reached the screen. Instead, the final cut saw Jai meeting his demise, while Thakur only managed to attack Gabbar. This alteration, as revealed, was a result of censorship concerns. The Censor Board found Thakur killing Gabbar to be problematic, deeming the scene overly violent. The film stars Dharmendra, Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjeev Kumar, Amjad Khan, Hema Malini, and Jaya Bachchan.