In 1975, Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra’s ‘Sholay’ made Rs 50 crores; then why was it declared a FLOP? |
‘Arey ooh samba kitne aadmi the?’ asked Gabbar and got the reply ‘Sarkaar do!’ Yes, they were two men – Jay and Veeru aka Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra. Yes, they were two men, two writers, Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar, and one Bollywood classic – ‘Sholay.’ According to film experts and cinephiles, Bollywood has lived in two eras, divided between before and after Sholay’s release. In 1975, when this mass entertainer was released, it set a new benchmark. According to trade reports, the movie was a blockbuster hit. Yet, despite the great box office numbers, Ramesh Sippy’s ‘Sholay’ was declared a ‘flop.’ What was the yardstick for success back in the day?
Why was Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra’s ‘Sholay’ declared a flop?
‘Sholay’ earned Rs 50 crore worldwide at the box office, according to Sacnilk. This included Rs 15 crore from the overseas market and Rs 35 crore from domestic. Considering the emergency era and the economy of those days, the film broke all records. Yet, “Newspapers declared Sholay a flop,” Ramesh Sippy recalled in 2025, during a conversation with Siddharth Kannan.He continued, “They wrote that the investment was too high, that the makers would never recover it. They even claimed that such expensive films would destroy the industry. If filmmakers continued spending like this, the industry would sink. But five weeks later, they took back their words and admitted they were wrong.”Ramesh Sippy admitted that the movie did go over the expected budget. The movie starring Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Hema Malini, Jaya Bachchan, Amjad Khan, Sanjeev Kapoor, Asrani and others was supposed to be made with a budget of Rs 1 crore. However, in the end, the cost went up to Rs 3 crore. Rs 1 crore in 1975 is equivalent to today’s Rs 100 crore.
What was the industry’s reaction when ‘Sholay’ was announced as a flop film?
When initially there was silence at the box office upon the release of ‘Sholay,’ the industry didn’t come to support; it rather celebrated. Sippy recalled, “The industry was happy. They said, ‘Good that the big film didn’t work.’”
Dharmendra and Amitabh Bachchan in the iconic coin-toss scene from Sholay.(Image Credit: Instagram)
The filmmaker shared that this report of the movie’s debacle was more than gossip. It raised concerns about the business. He said, “This was the discussion among distributors, exhibitors, and producers. They thought the film would destroy them. People thought we were crazy to make something so expensive.”However, the movie didn’t only face such scepticism and challenges after the release. Even before it made it to the 70mm, the film faced multiple obstacles. For instance, the makers were asked to change the ending of ‘Sholay.’
Why was the ending of ‘Sholay’ changed?
When the movie went to the censor board, under their pressure Ramesh Sippy had to “reshoot the climax.” Sippy explained, “They said, ‘Sanjeev Kumar is playing a police officer—how can he take someone’s life?’ According to them, he couldn’t kill Gabbar; Gabbar had to be sent to jail.”
Ramesh Sippy had a different ending planned for Gabbar and Sholay.(Image Credit: Instagram)
“This was during the Emergency. You couldn’t argue with anyone. If the censor board ordered a change, you had no choice. I had to return to Bangalore and shoot the climax all over again,” he continued.
From ‘Sholay’ to ‘Sholay: The Final Cut’
Celebrating 50 years of ‘Sholay’ in 2025, the makers re-released the film. Titled ‘Sholay: Final Cut,’ it was a 3 hours 29 minutes movie with the original ending that Ramesh Sippy had in mind. Ahead of its theatrical premiere, Sippy said, “In the re-release, we will show you the original ending. I felt terrible when they asked me to change it.”The audience welcomed the re-released movie with utmost love and appreciation. They celebrated the movie, its characters and songs, and described it as one of the biggest entertainers.
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