Sholay: The Final Cut

70mm · Restoration

Few classics of Indian cinema are as exhilarating as Ramesh Sippy’s Sholay. Join The Frida Cinema as we celebrate Indian Independence Day with a special presentation of the film on the 51st anniversary of its original release on August 15, 1975, presented in a stunning new 4K restoration. One of the foremost examples of the dacoit Western, the film follows two ne’er-do-wells, Veeru (Dharmendra) and Jai (Amitabh Bachchan), recruited by an old frenemy Thakur (Sanjeev Kumar) to rid his village of the villain Gabbar Singh (Amjad Khan). This genuine marvel riffs off Sergio Leone’s spaghetti Westerns, Akira Kurosawa’s samurai films and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and even influenced various Hong Kong action titles of the 1980s, many of which we’ve been playing all year long at The Frida. Restored by Film Heritage Foundation at L’Immagine Ritrovata laboratory in association with Sippy Films. Funding provided by Sippy Films. This restoration of the film in 4K includes the original ending as well as two deleted scenes and with the original 70mm aspect ratio of 2.2:1. This film will be presented in its original Hindi language with English subtitles. Enhanced Accessibility: this film has Assisted Listening!