Sholay’s original ending: The climax India never saw, and reason it was scrapped

‘Sholay’ is making it way back to theatres soon in a newly restored 4K version. The iconic Hindi film, considered a true blue Bollywood legend, is being re-released with its original ending that the audience never got to see.

Back then, director Ramesh Sippy was compelled to change the climax for the film’s release, and the original version was shelved. As the film completes 50 years, Sippy has announced that audiences are finally in for a treat, with an ending that he believes makes ‘Sholay’ even more iconic. But what exactly was this original climax, and why was it changed?

In an interview earlier this year, Sippy revealed that they had to re-shoot its ending at the last minute, right before the theatrical release. The reason: Censor Board for Film Certification.

The year 1975 — when ‘Sholay released — was a volatile time for creative expression, as then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had imposed the Emergency: a 21-month period during which civil liberties were suspended, critics and opponents were jailed, and the press was heavily censored.

Speaking to the Times of India, Sippy recalled that the censor board felt the original ending was too violent for the period. “At that time, 1975, when the film was released, there was an Emergency on. So, it was not very easy to have a showdown with the information ministry or the censor board. Therefore, we had to accept the verdict,” he said.

He added, “They tried to reduce the impact of too much violence and things like that. So, I think ultimately, what was released was accepted equally well.”

So how violent was the original ending?

In the final version shown to audiences, Amjad Khan’s Gabbar Singh, one of Indian cinema’s most menacing villains, is arrested by the police, as Thakur insists on not taking the law into his own hands.

However, in the original climax written by Salim-Javed, Thakur Baldev Singh, played by Sanjeev Kumar, kills Gabbar with a spiked shoe in an act of vengeance.

Describing the discarded climax, Sippy said, “There’s not that much of a difference. It’s just that Thakur Baldev Singh gets his vengeance at the end and kills Gabbar. And in the version released in the last 50 years, he has to stop when the police officer comes in and tells him that ‘you are a law officer yourself. So, it’s not right to take the law in your hand and kill Gabbar.'”

‘Sholay’, featuring Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Hema Malini, Jaya Bachchan, the late Asrani and Amjad Khan, remains iconic for its storytelling, music and performances. It continues to be one of the most revered Indian films across the world.

Titled ‘Sholay: The Final Cut’, the restored 4K version is set to hit the screens on December 12.