Bollywood’s legendary blockbuster Sholay still rules hearts with its iconic songs and unforgettable dialogues. But very few people know that the film’s original ending was completely different — and far more violent.
On 12 December, Sholay returns to cinemas across India in a restored 4K 50th-anniversary release, where fans will finally get to watch the never-seen-before original climax.
Director Ramesh Sippy revealed that in 1975, the Censor Board rejected the first ending for being “too violent.” With India under Emergency, creative freedom was tightly restricted, forcing the team to rewrite the climax.
In the original version, Thakur Baldev Singh (Sanjeev Kumar) brutally kills Gabbar Singh (Amjad Khan) with his spiked shoes in an intense, emotional revenge scene. The violence was so graphic that it had to be removed. The released version instead shows police arriving, stopping Thakur, and arresting Gabbar — deleting all the brutal shots.
Farhan Akhtar shared that the raw, emotional original ending carried far more power and truly showcased Thakur’s painful journey of revenge. But due to strict censorship, writers Javed Akhtar and Salim Khan had no choice but to tone it down.
Featuring iconic performances by Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Hema Malini, Jaya Bachchan, Asrani, and Amjad Khan, Sholay remains one of the most loved films ever made.
Now, in “Sholay: The Final Cut”, audiences will finally witness the ending that stayed hidden for 50 years.