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Sholay at 50: Ramesh Sippy shares why Jaya Bachchan’s silent role was never a “waste” but one of the strongest parts of the classic.
Jaya Bachchan’s silent role in Sholay left a lasting mark, says Ramesh Sippy as the film completes 50 years.
Sholay turned 50 this week, and its legacy continues to stir emotions even after five decades. As fans celebrated the golden jubilee on 15 August, director Ramesh Sippy looked back at the choices that shaped the film into a timeless phenomenon. One such decision was casting Jaya Bachchan as Radha – a part that many at the time dismissed as being “wasted.” For Sippy, however, her quiet presence was the very reason she was chosen.
“A lot of people asked me, ‘Why are you working with Jaya Bachchan? It’s a waste… an actress like her.’ I said exactly why I took her. It’s a silent role. Even the silence didn’t stop her from conveying her feelings. In the end, the satisfaction is that after 50 years we are talking about the film. All the hard work has paid off in every way,” Sippy told Zoom.
Radha, the widowed daughter-in-law of Thakur Baldev Singh (Sanjeev Kumar) and love interest of Jai (Amitabh Bachchan), barely spoke in the film. Yet her presence gave Sholay its emotional core, showing that silence can sometimes be more powerful than dialogue.
Sippy also recalled the painstaking detail that went into capturing the magic between Jaya and Amitabh on screen. “It was crazy. Getting what I wanted in that magic hour. It’s 3-4 minutes. The face can’t be behind the pillars, it had to be just right. The counter shots of Mr Bachchan had to be done in a way that the sequence feels right. When you pursue that, it takes time, but it comes out right in the end.”
Released in 1975, Sholay brought together Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Hema Malini, Jaya Bachchan, Sanjeev Kumar and Amjad Khan in what is now considered India’s greatest masala entertainer. With Salim–Javed’s sharp writing, unforgettable characters and lines like “Kitne aadmi the?”, the film went far beyond a blockbuster – it became part of Indian pop culture.
Earlier, speaking with SCREEN, Dharmendra reflected on the gruelling schedules, memorable moments with Sholay co-stars.
He said he never thought Sholay would go on to become a blockbuster. “I didn’t [expect Sholay to be such a milestone],” Dharmendra said. “Of course, we worked very hard on the film. The shoots on the outskirts of Bangalore were gruelling. There were no hotels around. We had to drive down to the location 50 kilometres away from Bangalore every day. But it was a lot of fun. Lots of memories. Hema was there with me. Jaya was there; she was expecting her first child.”
Dharmendra also shared stories about casting choices. “Yes, I did put in a word for Bachchan Saab [Amitabh Bachchan] to Ramesh Sippy. But he finally got the part on merit.” On playing Veeru, he said, “No, I was very happy playing Veeru. It is the part that chose me, more than I chose it.”
Shreyanka Mazumdar is Chief Sub Editor of the entertainment team at News18. With an unbridled passion for all things Bollywood, she loves deep-diving into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment world, bring…Read More
Shreyanka Mazumdar is Chief Sub Editor of the entertainment team at News18. With an unbridled passion for all things Bollywood, she loves deep-diving into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment world, bring… Read More
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