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Sholay

2026-08-06T07:03:37Z

2401:4900:8F58:657C:15B2:58F0:CBCF:4CB3:

{{short description|1975 Indian film by Ramesh Sippy}}
{{distinguish|Shola (disambiguation)}}
{{featured article}}
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{{Use Indian English|date=December 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2025}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Sholay
| image = Sholay-poster.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = [[Ramesh Sippy]]
| producer = [[G. P. Sippy]]
| writer = [[Salim–Javed]]
| starring = {{Plainlist|
* [[Dharmendra]]
* [[Sanjeev Kumar]]
* [[Hema Malini]]
* [[Amitabh Bachchan]]
* [[Jaya Bhaduri]]
* [[Amjad Khan (actor)|Amjad Khan]]
}}
| music = [[R. D. Burman]]
| cinematography = [[Dwarka Divecha]]
| editing = [[M. S. Shinde]]
| studio = United Producers [[G. P. Sippy|Sippy Films]]
| distributor = Sippy Films
| released = {{Film date|1975|8|15|df=yes}}
| runtime = 204 minutes (Original version) 198 minutes (Theatrical version)
| country = India
| language = Hindi
| budget = {{INR|35 million|link=yes}}<ref name="budget">{{cite web|url=https://boxofficeindia.com/report-details.php?articleid=4467|title=2.0 - Among The Biggest Films Ever Made In India|date=27 November 2018}}</ref>
| gross = {{Estimation}} {{INR|580 million}} (India)<ref>{{cite news|title=Sholay emerges as Bollywood's most successful re-run product even after 20 years|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/society-and-the-arts/films/story/19950915-sholay-emerges-as-bollywoods-most-successful-re-run-product-even-after-20-years-807750-1995-09-14|work=[[India Today]]|date=15 September 1995|access-date=15 November 2017|archive-date=1 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170101010917/http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/sholay-emerges-as-bollywoods-most-successful-re-run-product-even-after-20-years/1/289356.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>[http://smartinvestor.business-standard.com/market/ipoNews-418220-Top_10_biggest_commercial_hits_of_Amitabh_Bachchan.htm Top 10 biggest commercial hits of Amitabh Bachchan] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107015514/http://smartinvestor.business-standard.com/market/ipoNews-418220-Top_10_biggest_commercial_hits_of_Amitabh_Bachchan.htm |date=7 November 2017 }}, ''[[Business Standard]]'', 11 October 2016</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=B-Town rewind: The tale of the first Bollywood crore|url=http://www.mid-day.com/articles/b-town-rewind-the-tale-of-the-first-bollywood-crore/15162064|access-date=16 March 2014|work=[[Mid-Day]]|archive-date=16 March 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140316114251/http://www.mid-day.com/articles/b-town-rewind-the-tale-of-the-first-bollywood-crore/15162064|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Mitra |first1=Sumit |date=31 July 1985 |title=After series of box-office duds, Ramesh Sippy strikes back with romantic venture Saagar |work=[[India Today]] |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/society-the-arts/films/story/19850731-after-series-of-box-office-duds-ramesh-sippy-strikes-back-with-romantic-venture-saagar-770238-2013-12-27 |url-status=live |access-date=7 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190209135521/https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/society-the-arts/films/story/19850731-after-series-of-box-office-duds-ramesh-sippy-strikes-back-with-romantic-venture-saagar-770238-2013-12-27 |archive-date=9 February 2019}}</ref> 250 million tickets (worldwide)<ref name="indiatoday1985" />
}}

'''''Sholay''''' ({{IPA|hns|ˈɕoːleː|lang|Sholay pronunciation.ogg}}, {{translation|'Embers'}}) is a 1975 Indian [[Action-adventure game|action-adventure crime]] [[film]] directed by [[Ramesh Sippy]], produced by his father [[G. P. Sippy]], and written by [[Salim–Javed]]. The film follows two criminals, Veeru ([[Dharmendra]]) and Jai ([[Amitabh Bachchan]]), who are hired by a retired police officer ([[Sanjeev Kumar]]) to capture the ruthless bandit [[Gabbar Singh (character)|Gabbar Singh]] ([[Amjad Khan (actor)|Amjad Khan]]). [[Hema Malini]] and [[Jaya Bhaduri]] also star as Veeru and Jai's love interests, Basanti and Radha, respectively. The soundtrack was composed by [[R D Burman]].

Filming took place in the rocky terrain of [[Ramanagara]], in the [[South India|southern]] state of [[Karnataka]], over two and a half years, beginning in October 1973. After the [[Central Board of Film Certification]] mandated the removal of several violent scenes, ''Sholay'' was released theatrically as a 198-minute long film. The first version of the [[director's cut]] (running at 204 minutes) became available on home media in 1990. In 2025, the fully restored Director's Cut was released worldwide as ''Sholay: The Final Cut.''

''Sholay'' is a [[Dacoit Western]] (sometimes called a "[[Curry Western]]"), combining the conventions of Indian [[dacoit film]]s with that of [[Spaghetti Western]]s along with elements of [[Samurai cinema]]. It is also a defining example of the [[masala film]], which mixes several genres in one work. Scholars have noted several themes in the film, such as [[Heroic bloodshed|glorification of violence]], conformation to [[Indian feudalism]], debate between [[social order]] and mobilised usurpers, [[homosocial]] bonding, and the film's role as a [[National personification|national allegory]].

''Sholay'' received negative critical reviews and a tepid commercial response during its initial release. However, favorable [[Word of mouth|word-of-mouth]] publicity helped it to become a box office success. It then went on to break records for continuous showings in many theatres across India, and ran for more than five years at Mumbai's Minerva theatre. The combined sales of the original soundtrack, scored by [[R. D. Burman]], and the dialogues (released separately), set new records at the time. In addition, the film's dialogue and certain characters became extremely popular, contributing to numerous cultural [[meme]]s and becoming part of India's daily [[vernacular]]. ''Sholay'' is now regarded as [[List of films considered the best#National polls|one of the greatest and most influential Indian films of all time]]. It was ranked first in the [[British Film Institute]]'s 2002 poll of "Top 10 Indian Films" of all time. In 2005, the judges of the [[50th Filmfare Awards]] named it the [[Filmfare Best Film of 50 Years|Best Film of 50 Years]]. It was also an [[List of highest-grossing Indian films in overseas markets|overseas success]] in the [[Soviet Union]]. ''Sholay'' was also at one point the [[List of highest-grossing Indian films|highest-grossing Indian film]] ever at the time, and was the [[List of highest-grossing films in India|highest-grossing film in India]] up until ''[[Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!]]'' (1994).

== Plot ==
===Theatrical release (1975)===
Jai and Veeru are small-time crooks who are released from prison, where they are recruited by a former [[police Inspector|Inspector]] [[Thakur (title)|Thakur]] Baldev Singh, who a corrupt police officer to capture a notorious [[dacoit]] named Gabbar Singh wanted for {{INR|50000}},{{efn|name=exchange|The exchange rate in 1975 was 8.94 Indian rupees ({{INR}}) per 1 US dollar (US$).{{sfn|Statistical Abstract of the United States|1977|p=917}}}} as the duo had saved Thakur from a train robbery, which makes Thakur recruit them for the mission with an additional {{INR|20000}} reward. The duo leaves for Thakur's village in [[Chambal (region)|Ramgarh]], where Gabbar, decides to young man is residing and terrorising the villagers.

After reaching Ramgarh, Veeru falls for Basanti, a feisty, talkative [[Driving (horse)|horse-cart driver]]. Jai meets Thakur's widowed daughter-in-law, Radha, and falls for her; she later reciprocates his feelings. The two thwart Gabbar's dacoits, who came to extort money and goods. Later on, the three dacoits, including Kaalia, are killed by Gabbar. During the festival of [[Holi]], an explosion Gabbar's gang attacks the villagers, where actions they corner his henchmen Jai and Veeru, but the duo manage to attack bomb blasts and chase them away from the village. The duo is upset at Thakur's inaction (when Jai and Veeru were cornered, Thakur had a gun within his reach, but did not help them) and considers calling off the mission. Thakur reveals that a few years ago, Gabbar had killed his family (save for Radha and Ramlal), and had bomb both his arms cut off; he concealed the dismemberment by always wearing a [[shawl]], the sole reason he could not use the gun.

Realising how much Thakur has suffered, Jai and Veeru take pity by taking an oath that they will capture Gabbar alive, free of charge. After learning the duo's heroics, Gabbar kills Ahmed, the local [[imam]] Rahim Chacha's son, to threaten the villagers to make Jai and Veeru surrender to him. The villagers refuse and instead get the duo to kill a few of Gabbar's henchmen in revenge for the boy's death. Dangerous and tries, Gabbar angrily retaliates by having his men capture Veeru and Basanti. Jai arrives and attacks the hideout, where the trio gangster can flee Gabbar's hideout with dacoits in pursuit. Shooting from behind a rock, Jai and Veeru nearly run out of machine gun they [[ammunition]]. Unaware that Jai was wounded in the gunfight, Veeru is forced to leave for more ammunition and also to drop Basanti at a safe place.

Jai sacrifices himself by using his last bullet to ignite dynamite sticks on a bridge from close range, killing Gabbar's men. Veeru returns, and Jai dies, leaving Radha and Veeru devastated. Enraged, Veeru attacks Gabbar's den and kills his remaining men, where he catches Veeru fights Gabbar and nearly beats him to death. Thakur appears and reminds Veeru of the vow to hands over Gabbar alive. Thakur uses his spike-soled shoes to severely injure Gabbar and his hands. As Thakur is about to kill Gabbar, the police arrive, and the senior officer convinces Thakur to let go, explaining that he was also a police officer, whose example is legendary. Convinced, Thakur lets go, and the police arrest Gabbar for his crimes.

After Jai's funeral, Veeru decides to leave Ramgarh, with Thakur empathising with him. After boarding the train, he finds Basanti waiting for him on the train, and they help both embrace each other.

=== Director's cut ===
The original [[director's cut]] has a different ending. The police do not arrive to stop Thakur. Instead, he kicks Gabbar onto a nail on one of the two poles that Gabbar had used to chain Thakur when he had cut off his arms, thus stabbing him in the back and killing him. This version also has deleted scenes that include Thakur's shoe soles getting laced with spikes, the scene in which Thakur's family is massacred, and the scene in which the imam's son is killed (all of which were originally cut by India's [[Central Board of Film Certification|Censor Board]]).{{sfn|Chopra|2000|pp=77–79}} The Censor Board was concerned about the violence, and that viewers may be influenced to violate the law by punishing people severely.<ref name="ending" /> Although Sippy fought to keep the scenes, he ultimately had to reshoot the ending, and as directed by the Censor Board, have the police arrive just before Thakur can kill Gabbar.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Prabhakar, Jyothi |date=28 April 2013 |title=Changed 'Sholay' climax because of the Censor Board: Ramesh Sippy |work=The Times of India |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/Changed-Sholay-climax-because-of-the-Censor-Board-Ramesh-Sippy/articleshow/19754678.cms? |url-status=live |access-date=5 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150817120148/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/Changed-Sholay-climax-because-of-the-Censor-Board-Ramesh-Sippy/articleshow/19754678.cms |archive-date=17 August 2015}}</ref>

The fully restored director's cut was released in 2025 as [[Sholay#Sholay:_The_Final_Cut_(2025)|''Sholay: The Final Cut'']]. It was remastered in 4K and Dolby 5.1, and theatrically reissued on 12 December 2025 globally. This release is classified at 206 minutes.<ref>{{cite web |date=11 December 2025 |title='Sholay' (15) |url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/sholay-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0zmzy4odc |access-date=18 December 2025 |publisher=[[British Board of Film Classification|BBFC]] |language=en-GB}}</ref>

Prior to this release, the censored, theatrical cut was the only one seen by audiences for fifteen years. Versions of the director's cut initially surfaced in 1990 via a British [[VHS]] release.<ref name="DVD" /> [[Eros International]] then released two versions on DVD: a director's cut that preserved the original full frame and is 204 minutes in length, and the censored widescreen version which ran at 198 minutes long.<ref name="Runtime" /><ref name="DVD" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=17 February 2001 |title=Sholay DVD review :: zulm.net :: definitive indian dvd guide |url=http://www.zulm.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=103&mode=&order=0 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120811131134/http://www.zulm.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=103&mode=&order=0 |archive-date=11 August 2012 |access-date=3 July 2013 |publisher=zulm.net}}</ref>{{efn|name=runtime|The [[British Board of Film Classification]] (BBFC) notes three running times: the film submission is 198 minutes; the video is 188 minutes (BBFC notes that "When a film is transferred to video, the running time will be shorter by approximately 4% due to the differing number of frames per second. This does not mean that the video version has been cut or re-edited."); and the director's cut is 204 minutes.<ref>{{Cite web |date=25 September 2012 |title=''Sholay'' |url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/website/Classified.nsf/c2fb077ba3f9b33980256b4f002da32c/cde1a8bb41dd72ca8025660b0006032d?OpenDocument |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021153210/http://www.bbfc.co.uk/website/Classified.nsf/c2fb077ba3f9b33980256b4f002da32c/cde1a8bb41dd72ca8025660b0006032d?OpenDocument |archive-date=21 October 2013 |access-date=11 May 2013 |publisher=British Board of Film Classification}}</ref>}}

== Cast ==
{{Cast listing|
* [[Dharmendra]] as Veeru
* [[Sanjeev Kumar]] as [[Thakur (title)|Thakur]] Baldev Singh, a retired Police Officer
* [[Hema Malini]] as Basanti, Veeru's love interest
* [[Amitabh Bachchan]] as Jaidev "Jai"
* [[Jaya Bhaduri]] as Radha, Thakur's daughter-in-law and Jai's love interest
* [[Amjad Khan (actor)|Amjad Khan]] as [[Gabbar Singh (character)|Gabbar Singh]], a wanted [[dacoit]].
* [[A. K. Hangal]] as Rahim Chacha, the [[imam]] in the village
* [[Satyen Kappu]] as Ram Lal, Thakur's servant
* [[Iftekhar]] as [[Inspector]] Khurana, Radha's Father
* [[Leela Mishra]] as Mausi, Basanti's maternal aunt
* [[Vikas Anand]] as Jailor
* [[Mac Mohan]] as Sambha, Gabbar Singh's sidekick
* [[Keshto Mukherjee]] as Hariram, prison barber and Jailor's side-kick
* [[Sachin (actor)|Sachin Pilgaonkar]] as Ahmed, son of the imam
* Master Alankar as grandson of Thakur Baldev Singh; the character's name is not mentioned in the film.
* [[Viju Khote]] as Kaalia, one of the Gabbar's men whom he kills in a game of [[Russian roulette]]
* Major Anand as unnamed, one of the Gabbar's men whom he kills in a game of Russian roulette
* Bhagwan Sinha as unnamed, one of the Gabbar's men killed by him in a game of Russian roulette
* [[Arvind Joshi]] as elder son of Thakur Baldev Singh<ref>{{Cite news |title=Sharman Joshi father Arvind Joshi workedin Amitabh Bachchan-Dharmendra Sholay |publisher=TimesNowHindi.com |url=https://www.timesnowhindi.com/entertainment/bollywood/article/sharman-joshi-father-arvind-joshi-worked-in-amitabh-bachchan-dharmendra-sholay/290925 |access-date=12 October 2020 |archive-date=22 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122125347/https://www.timesnowhindi.com/entertainment/bollywood/article/sharman-joshi-father-arvind-joshi-worked-in-amitabh-bachchan-dharmendra-sholay/290925 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* Bhanumati as Nirmala
* Birbal as the prisoner with half shaven mustache
* [[Raj Kishore]] as a jail inmate with gayish mannerisms<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sarkar |first=Suparno |date=6 April 2018 |title=Sholay actor Raj Kishore latest among Bollywood celebs who died in 2018 |work=International Business Times |location=India |url=https://www.ibtimes.co.in/sholay-actor-raj-kishore-passes-away-85-766026 |url-status=live |access-date=6 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180406160230/https://www.ibtimes.co.in/sholay-actor-raj-kishore-passes-away-85-766026 |archive-date=6 April 2018}}</ref>
* [[Asrani]] as the [[Prison officer|Jailor]], a comical character modelled after [[Charlie Chaplin]] in ''[[The Great Dictator]]''{{sfn|Banerjee|Srivastava|1988|pp=166–169}}
* [[Gita Siddharth]] as Geeta, Thakur Baldev Singh's daughter in law<ref>{{Cite news |title=Parichay And Sholay Actor Gita Siddharth Kak Passes Away |publisher=India.com |url=https://www.india.com/entertainment/parichay-and-sholay-actor-gita-siddharth-kak-passes-away-3878236/ |access-date=12 October 2020 |archive-date=14 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201014034125/https://www.india.com/entertainment/parichay-and-sholay-actor-gita-siddharth-kak-passes-away-3878236/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[Helen (actress)|Helen]] in a special appearance in song "Mehbooba Mehbooba"
* [[P. Jairaj|Jairaj]] as Police Commissioner
* [[Jagdeep]] as Soorma Bhopali, a comical wood trader
* [[Jalal Agha]] in a special appearance in song "Mehbooba Mehbooba"
* [[Om Shivpuri]] as a police officer investigating Gabbar's attack in the village.
* Sharad Kumar as Ninni, younger son of Thakur Baldev Singh<ref>{{Cite news |title=Biography: Sharad Kumar |publisher=Amazon.com |url=https://www.amazon.com/prime-video/actor/Sharad-Kumar/nm0474886/ |access-date=12 October 2020 |archive-date=22 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211022104355/https://www.amazon.com/prime-video/actor/Sharad-Kumar/nm0474886/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
}}

== Production ==
=== Development ===
The screenwriter pair [[Salim–Javed]], consisting of [[Salim Khan]] and [[Javed Akhtar]], began narrating the idea for ''Sholay'' as a four-line snippet to filmmakers in 1973.<ref name="open" />{{sfn|Chopra|2000|pp=22–28}} The idea was rejected by two producer/director teams, including directors [[Manmohan Desai]] and [[Prakash Mehra]].{{sfn|Chopra|2000|pp=22–28}} About six months after the release of ''[[Zanjeer (1973 film)|Zanjeer]]'' (1973),{{efn|name=Zanjeer|Salim-Javed won their first [[Filmfare Awards]] for ''Zanjeer'': [[Filmfare Award for Best Screenplay]] and [[Filmfare Award for Best Story|Best Story]] in [[21st Filmfare Awards|1974]].}} Salim-Javed contacted [[G. P. Sippy]] and his son [[Ramesh Sippy]],<ref name="open" /> and narrated the four-line snippet to them.{{sfn|Chopra|2000|pp=22–28}} Ramesh Sippy liked the concept of ''Sholay'' and hired them to develop it. The original idea of the film involved an army officer who decided to hire two ex-soldiers to avenge the murder of his family. The army officer was later changed to a policeman because Sippy felt that it would be difficult to get permission to shoot scenes depicting army activities. Salim-Javed completed the script in one month, incorporating names and personality traits of their friends and acquaintances.{{sfn|Chopra|2000|pp=22–28}} The film's script and dialogues are in [[Hindustani language|Hindustani]];<ref name="Cinar" /> Salim-Javed wrote the dialogues in [[Urdu script]], which was then transcribed by an assistant into [[Devanagari]] script so that Hindi readers could read the Urdu dialogues.<ref name="Akhtar" />

The film's plot was loosely styled after [[Akira Kurosawa]]'s 1954 [[samurai cinema]] film, ''[[Seven Samurai]]''.<ref name="nyt" /><ref name="rediff1" /> ''Sholay'' is a defining example of the [[Dacoit Western]] film, combining the conventions of Indian [[dacoit film]]s, especially [[Mehboob Khan]]'s ''[[Mother India]]'' (1957) and the [[Dilip Kumar]] and [[Nitin Bose]] film ''[[Gunga Jumna]]'' (1961),<ref name="Teo" /> with that of [[Western (genre)|Westerns]],<ref name="nyt" /><ref name="rediff1" /> especially [[Sergio Leone]]'s [[Spaghetti Western]]s such as ''[[Once Upon a Time in the West]]'' (1968) as well as ''[[The Magnificent Seven]]'' (1960).<ref name="rediff1" /> It also has some plot elements borrowed from the Indian films ''[[Mera Gaon Mera Desh]]'' (1971) and ''[[Khote Sikkay]]'' (1974).{{sfn|Chopra|2000|pp=22–28}} A scene depicting an attempted train robbery was inspired by a similar scene in ''Gunga Jumna'',<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ghosh |first=Tapan K. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0d6GAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA55 |title=Bollywood Baddies: Villains, Vamps and Henchmen in Hindi Cinema |date=2013 |publisher=[[SAGE Publishing|SAGE Publications]] |isbn=9788132113263 |page=55 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171130151204/https://books.google.com/books?id=0d6GAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA55 |archive-date=30 November 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> and has also been compared to a similar scene in ''[[North West Frontier (film)|North West Frontier]]'' (1959).{{sfn|Varma|2010|pp=159–160}} A scene showing the massacre of Thakur's family has been compared with the massacre of the McBain family in ''Once Upon a Time in the West''.{{sfn|Heide|2002|p=52}} ''Sholay'' may have also been influenced by [[Sam Peckinpah]]'s Westerns, such as ''[[The Wild Bunch]]'' (1969) and ''[[Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid]]'' (1973), and [[George Roy Hill]]'s ''[[Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid]]'' (1969).<ref>{{Cite web |date=22 June 2009 |title=Bollywood continues to lift from Hollywood scripts |url=http://www.sify.com/movies/bollywood-continues-to-lift-from-hollywood-scripts-news-bollywood-kkfrNmejhbc.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101205195840/http://sify.com/movies/bollywood-continues-to-lift-from-hollywood-scripts-news-bollywood-kkfrNmejhbc.html |archive-date=5 December 2010 |access-date=22 December 2010 |website=[[Sify]]}}</ref>

The character [[Gabbar Singh (character)|Gabbar Singh]] was modelled on a real-life dacoit [[Gabbar Singh Gujjar]] who had menaced the villages around [[Gwalior]] in the 1950s. Any policeman captured by Gujjar had his ears and nose cut off, and was released as a warning to other policemen.{{sfn|Khan|1981|pp=88–89, 98}}{{sfn|Chopra|2000|p=26}} The fictional Gabbar was also influenced by larger-than-life characters in Pakistani author [[Ibn-e-Safi]]'s [[Urdu literature|Urdu novels]],<ref>{{Cite news |date=10 July 2011 |title=Urdu pulp fiction: Where Gabbar Singh and Mogambo came from |work=[[Daily News and Analysis]] |url=https://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/review-urdu-pulp-fiction-where-gabbar-singh-and-mogambo-came-from-1564148 |access-date=3 June 2019 |archive-date=3 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190603155106/https://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/review-urdu-pulp-fiction-where-gabbar-singh-and-mogambo-came-from-1564148 |url-status=live }}</ref> Dilip Kumar's dacoit character Gunga from the film ''Gunga Jumna'' who speaks with a similar mixed [[Kauravi dialect|Khariboli]] and [[Awadhi language|Awadhi]] dialect,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chopra |first=Anupama |date=11 August 2015 |title=Shatrughan Sinha as Jai, Pran as Thakur and Danny as Gabbar? What 'Sholay' could have been |url=https://scroll.in/article/745687/shatrughan-sinha-as-jai-pran-as-thakur-and-danny-as-gabbar-what-sholay-could-have-been |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151108092131/http://scroll.in/article/745687/shatrughan-sinha-as-jai-pran-as-thakur-and-danny-as-gabbar-what-sholay-could-have-been |archive-date=8 November 2015 |website=Scroll}}</ref> and villains from Sergio Leone's films.{{sfn|Chopra|2000|p=34}} Sippy wanted to do away with the clichéd idea of a man becoming a dacoit due to societal issues, as was the case in other films, and focused on Gabbar being an emblem of pure evil. To emphasise the point of Gabbar being a new type of villain, Sippy avoided the typical tropes of dacoits wearing [[dhoti]]s and [[Pagri (turban)|pagris]] and sporting a [[Tilaka|tika]] and worshipping "[[Bhavani|Ma Bhavani]]"; Gabbar would be wearing [[Military uniform|army fatigues]].{{sfn|Chopra|2000|p=38}} The look of the character of the jailer, played by [[Asrani]] was influenced by [[Adolf Hitler]]. Javed Akhtar brought a book on [[World War II]] which had several pictures of Hitler posing to set the typical posture of the character in the film. Asrani spiced up his character with some ideas about Hitler's speech delivery he had heard from a teacher in [[Film and Television Institute of India|FTII]]. The trademark 'Ha Ha' at the end of his monologues was inspired by a similar performance by [[Jack Lemmon]] in ''[[The Great Race]]''.{{sfn|Chopra|2000|p=37}}{{sfn|Banerjea|2005|p=183}} Soorma Bhopali, a minor [[comic relief]] character, was based on an acquaintance of actor Jagdeep, a forest officer from [[Bhopal]] named Soorma. The real-life Soorma eventually threatened to press charges when people who had viewed the film began referring to him as a woodcutter.<ref>{{Cite web |date=13 February 2013 |title=How 'Soorma Bhopali' and 'Calendar' were created! |url=https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/features/how-soorma-bhopali-and-calendar-were-created/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161121104754/http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/features/how-soorma-bhopali-and-calendar-were-created/ |archive-date=21 November 2016 |access-date=24 April 2013 |website=[[Bollywood Hungama]]}}</ref> The main characters' names, Jai and Veeru, mean "victory" and "heroism" in Hindi.{{sfn|Hogan|2008|p=90}}

=== Casting ===
The producers considered [[Danny Denzongpa]] for the role of Gabbar Singh, but he could not accept it as he was committed to act in [[Feroz Khan (actor, born 1939)|Feroz Khan]]'s ''[[Dharmatma]]'' (1975), under production at the same time.<ref>{{Cite news |date=30 August 2008 |title=Danny Denzongpa's loss |work=[[The Times of India]] |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/did-you-know-/Danny-Denzongpas-loss/articleshow/3422978.cms |access-date=26 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141113081159/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/did-you-know-/Danny-Denzongpas-loss/articleshow/3422978.cms |archive-date=13 November 2014}}</ref> Amjad Khan, who was the second choice, prepared himself for the part by reading the book ''Abhishapta Chambal'', which told of the exploits of [[Chambal division|Chambal]] dacoits. The book was written by Taroon Kumar Bhaduri, the father of fellow cast member Jaya Bhaduri.{{sfn|Chopra|2000|p=60}} Sanjeev Kumar also wanted to play the role of Gabbar Singh, but Salim-Javed "felt he had the audience's sympathy through roles he'd done before; Gabbar had to be completely hateful."<ref name="open" />

Sippy wanted [[Shatrughan Sinha]] to play the part of Jai, but there were already several big stars signed, and Amitabh Bachchan, who was not very popular yet, lobbied hard to get the part for himself.{{sfn|Chopra|2000|pp=22–28}} He was cast after Salim-Javed recommended him for ''Sholay'' in 1973; Bachchan's performance in their first collaboration, ''Zanjeer'', convinced Salim-Javed he was the right actor for the part.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Chaudhuri |first=Diptakirti |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Cri9CgAAQBAJ&pg=PT93 |title=Written by Salim-Javed: The Story of Hindi Cinema's Greatest Screenwriters |date=2015 |publisher=[[Penguin Group]] |isbn=9789352140084 |page=93 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171130151204/https://books.google.com/books?id=Cri9CgAAQBAJ&pg=PT93 |archive-date=30 November 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> Salim-Javed were also impressed with Bachchan's performance in ''[[Raaste Kaa Patthar]]'' (1972), and at Bachchan's request, Dharmendra had personally put in a word for him. All these factors ensured that the role was Bachchan's.{{sfn|Chopra|2000|p=31}}

As cast members had read the script ahead of time, many were interested in playing different parts. [[Pran (actor)|Pran]] was considered for the role of Thakur Baldev Singh, but Sippy thought Sanjeev Kumar was a better choice.{{sfn|Chopra|2000|pp=31–32}} Initially, Salim-Javed approached [[Dilip Kumar]] to play Thakur's role, but he turned down the offer; Dilip Kumar later said it was one of the few films he regretted turning down.<ref name="open" /> Initially, Dharmendra was also interested to play the role of Thakur. He eventually gave up the role when Sippy informed him that Sanjeev Kumar would play Veeru if that happened, and would thus be paired with Hema Malini, who Dharmendra was trying to woo. Dharmendra knew that Kumar was also interested in Malini.{{sfn|Chopra|2000|pp=35–36}} Malini was reluctant to play the role of a ''tangewali'', more so after Sippy told her that the film belongs to Sanjeev Kumar and Amjad Khan, but she trusted Sippy to give her a meaty role, given that he had played a huge role in essaying her stardom through their previous collaborations.{{sfn|Chopra|2000|p=30}}

During the film's production, four of the leads became romantically involved.<ref name="rediff1" /> Bachchan married Bhaduri four months before filming started. This led to shooting delays when Bhaduri became pregnant with their daughter [[Shweta Bachchan Nanda|Shweta]]. By the time the film released, she was pregnant with their son [[Abhishek Bachchan|Abhishek]]. Dharmendra had begun courting Malini during their earlier film ''[[Seeta Aur Geeta]]'' (1972), also directed by Sippy, and used the location shoot of ''Sholay'' to further pursue her. During their romantic scenes, Dharmendra would often pay the light boys to spoil the shot, thereby ensuring many retakes which would allow him to spend more time with her. The couple married five years after the film's release.{{sfn|Chopra|2000|pp=91–105}}

=== Filming ===
[[File:Ramdevarabetta.jpg|thumb|Ramdevarabetta, near the town of [[Ramanagara]]; much of ''Sholay'' was shot in rocky locations such as this.|alt=A rocky outcrop such as those used in filming Sholay]]

Much of ''Sholay'' was shot in the rocky terrain of [[Ramanagara]], a town near [[Bangalore]], [[Karnataka]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Prabhu |first=Nagesh |date=29 August 2019 |title=The hills around Bengaluru are alive with the sound of tourists |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/the-hills-around-bengaluru-are-alive-with-the-sound-of-tourists/article29292458.ece |access-date=3 February 2020 |issn=0971-751X |archive-date=3 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200203014051/https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/the-hills-around-bengaluru-are-alive-with-the-sound-of-tourists/article29292458.ece |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=22 June 2007 |title=Ramgarh of Sholay to become district |work=The Times of India |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/Ramgarh-of-Sholay-to-become-district/articleshow/2140172.cms? |url-status=live |access-date=23 December 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151013005634/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/Ramgarh-of-Sholay-to-become-district/articleshow/2140172.cms |archive-date=13 October 2015}}</ref> The filmmakers had to build a road from the Bangalore highway to Ramanagara for convenient access to the sets.{{sfn|Chopra|2000|p=45}} Art director Ram Yedekar had an entire township built on the site. A prison set was constructed near [[Rajkamal Studios]] in [[Bombay]], also outdoors, to match the natural lighting of the on-location sets.{{sfn|Roy|2003|p=225}} One part of Ramanagara was for a time called "Sippy Nagar" as a tribute to the director of the film.<ref>{{Cite web |date=30 December 1999 |title='We are not remaking ''Sholay''...' |url=http://www.rediff.com/entertai/1999/dec/30sholay.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021153903/http://www.rediff.com/entertai/1999/dec/30sholay.htm |archive-date=21 October 2013 |access-date=20 April 2013 |publisher=Rediff}}</ref> {{As of|2010}}, a visit to the "Sholay rocks" (where much of the film was shot) was still being offered to tourists travelling through Ramanagara.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Mekkad |first=Salil |date=19 June 2010 |title=Sholay ka Ramgarh |work=[[Hindustan Times]] |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/art-and-culture/sholay-ka-ramgarh/story-wFY6D54CpoRCtuqPKhk2LL.html |url-status=live |access-date=27 September 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151005114908/http://www.hindustantimes.com/art-and-culture/sholay-ka-ramgarh/story-wFY6D54CpoRCtuqPKhk2LL.html |archive-date=5 October 2015}}</ref>

Filming began on location on 3 October 1973, with a scene featuring Bachchan and Bhaduri.{{sfn|Chopra|2000|p=64}} The film had a lavish production for its time (with frequent banquets and parties for the cast),{{sfn|Chopra|2000|pp=66–67}} took two and a half years to make, and went over budget. One reason for its high cost was that Sippy re-filmed scenes many times to get his desired effect. "Yeh Dosti", a 5-minute song sequence, took 21 days to shoot, two short scenes in which Radha lights lamps took 20 days to film because of lighting problems, and the shooting of the scene in which Gabbar kills the imam's son lasted 19 days.{{sfn|Chopra|2000|pp=77–79}} The train robbery sequence, shot on the [[Mumbai–Pune Shatabdi Express|Bombay–Poona railway]] route near [[Panvel]], took more than 7 weeks to complete.<ref>{{Cite news |last=[[Indo-Asian News Service|IANS]] |date=4 August 2010 |title=Sholay continues to smoulder |work=Pune Mirror |url=http://punemirror.in/index.aspx?page=article&sectid=2&contentid=20100804201008040006534547ec622a7&sectxslt=&pageno=1 |access-date=6 December 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120311160806/http://punemirror.in/index.aspx?page=article&sectid=2&contentid=20100804201008040006534547ec622a7&sectxslt=&pageno=1 |archive-date=11 March 2012}}</ref>

''Sholay'' was the first Indian film to have a [[Stereophonic sound|stereophonic]] soundtrack and to use the [[70 mm film|70 mm]] [[widescreen]] format.<ref name="ndtv" /> However, since actual 70 mm cameras were expensive at the time, the film was shot on traditional [[35 mm movie film|35 mm film]] and the [[4:3|4:3 picture]] was subsequently converted to a 2.2:1 frame.<ref name="DVD" /> Regarding the process, Sippy said, "A 70 mm ''[sic]'' format takes the awe of the big screen and magnifies it even more to make the picture even bigger, but since I also wanted a spread of sound we used six-track stereophonic sound and combined it with the big screen. It was definitely a differentiator."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Raghavendra |first=Nandini |date=10 April 2010 |title=3D effect: Back to 70 mm screens? |work=[[The Economic Times]] |url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/media/entertainment/3d-effect-back-to-70mm-screens/articleshow/5780184.cms |url-status=live |access-date=30 December 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170213005654/http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/media/entertainment/3d-effect-back-to-70mm-screens/articleshow/5780184.cms |archive-date=13 February 2017}}</ref> The use of 70 mm was emphasised by film posters on which the name of the film was stylised to match the [[CinemaScope]] logo. Film posters also sought to differentiate the film from those which had come before; one of them added the [[tagline]]: "The greatest star cast ever assembled – the greatest story ever told".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mazumdar, Ranjani |title=The Man Who Was Seen Too Much: Amitabh Bachchan on Film Posters (The Poster As Preview) |url=http://www.tasveergharindia.net/cmsdesk/essay/106/index_1.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150512142358/http://www.tasveergharindia.net/cmsdesk/essay/106/index_1.html |archive-date=12 May 2015 |access-date=9 May 2013 |publisher=Tasveer Ghar}}</ref>

== Themes and interpretations ==
Scholars have noted several themes in the film, such as [[Heroic bloodshed|glorification of violence]], conformation to [[Indian feudalism|feudal ethos]], debate between [[social order]] and mobilised usurpers, [[Homosociality|homosocial]] bonding, and the film's role as a [[National personification|national allegory]].<ref>For glorification of violence, see Wimal Dissanayake, Malti Sahai, ''Sholay: A Cultural Reading (Delhi: Wiley Eastern, 1992)'', 115-19. {{ISBN|8122403948}}; for feudal ethos, see Hrishikesh Ingle, "Regionalist Disjuncture in Bollywood", in Vikrant Kishore et al., eds., ''Salaam Bollywood: Representations and interpretations'' (London: Routledge, 2016), 202. {{ISBN|1317232852}}; on social order/disorder, see Dissanayake, "The Concepts of Evil and Social Order in Indian Melodrama: An Evolving Dialect", in ''Melodrama and Asian Cinema'', ed. Dissanayake (Cambridge Univ. Press, 1993); on homosocial bonding, Dinah Holtzman, "Between ''Yaars'': The Queering of ''Dost'' in Contemporary Bollywood Films", in Rini Bhattacharya et al., eds., ''Bollywood and Globalization: Indian Popular Cinema, Nation, and Diaspora'' (London: Anthem Press, 2011), 118-22. {{ISBN|0857288970}}; as national allegory, John Hutnyk, ''Global South Asia on Screen'' (NY: Bloomsbury Publishing USA, 2018), 206. {{ISBN|1501324985}}.</ref>

Koushik Banerjea, a sociologist in the [[London School of Economics]], notes that ''Sholay'' exhibits a "sympathetic construction of 'rogue' [[masculinity]]" exemplified by the likeable [[outlaw]]s Jai and Veeru.{{sfn|Banerjea|2005|p=164}} Banerjea argues during the film, the moral boundary between [[legality]] and [[Crime|criminality]] gradually erodes.{{sfn|Banerjea|2005|pp=177–179}} Film scholar Wimal Dissanayake agrees that the film brought "a new stage in the evolving dialectic between violence and social order" to Indian cinema.{{sfn|Dissanayake|1993|p=199}} Film scholar M. Madhava Prasad states that Jai and Veeru represent a [[Social exclusion|marginalised]] population that is introduced into conventional society.{{sfn|Prasad|1998|pp=156–160}} Prasad says that, through the elements of revenge included in the plot and the application of Jai and Veeru's criminality for the greater good, the narrative reflects reactionary politics, and the audience is compelled to accept [[Feudalism|feudal order]].{{sfn|Prasad|1998|pp=156–160}} Banerjea explains that though Jai and Veeru are [[Mercenary|mercenaries]], they are humanised by their emotional needs. Such dualism makes them vulnerable, in contrast to the pure evil of [[Gabbar Singh (character)|Gabbar Singh]].{{sfn|Banerjea|2005|pp=177–179}}

Gabbar Singh, the film's antagonist, was well received by the audience, despite his pervasive sadistic cruelty.{{sfn|Dissanayake|1993|p=199}} Dissanayake explains that the audience was fascinated by the dialogues and mannerisms of the character, and this element of spectacle outweighed his actions, a first for Indian melodrama.{{sfn|Dissanayake|1993|p=199}} He notes that the picturisation of violence in the film was glamourised and uninhibited.{{sfn|Dissanayake|1993|p=200}} He further notes that, unlike earlier melodramas in which the [[Male gaze|female body occupies the audience's attention]] as an object of male fetish, in ''Sholay'', the male body becomes the centrepiece. It becomes the battleground where [[good and evil]] compete for supremacy.{{sfn|Dissanayake|1993|p=200}} Dissanayake argues that ''Sholay'' can be viewed as a national allegory: it lacks a comforting logical narrative, it shows social stability being repeatedly challenged, and it shows the devaluation of human life resulting from a lack of emotions. Taken together, these elements comprise the allegorical representation of India.{{sfn|Dissanayake|1993|p=201}} The narrative style of ''Sholay'', with its violence, revenge, and [[vigilante]] action, is occasionally compared by scholars to the political unrest in India at the time of its release. This tension culminated in [[the Emergency (India)|the Emergency]] ([[rule by decree]]) declared by prime minister [[Indira Gandhi]] in 1975.{{sfnm|1a1=Hayward|1y=2006|1pp=63–64|2a1=Holtzman|2y=2011|2p=118}}

Dissanayeke and Sahai note that, although the film was influenced by the [[Western film|Hollywood Western genre]], particularly in its visuals, it was successfully "Indianised".{{sfnm|1a1=Dissanayake|1a2=Sahai|1y=1992|1p=125|2a1=Dissanayake|2y=1993|2p=197}} As an example, William van der Heide has compared a massacre scene in ''Sholay'' with a similar scene in ''Once Upon a Time in the West''. Although both films were similar in technical style, ''Sholay'' emphasised Indian family values and melodramatic tradition, while the Western was more materialistic and restrained in its approach.{{sfn|Heide|2002|p=52}} [[Maithili Rao]], in ''Encyclopedia of Hindi Cinema'', notes that ''Sholay'' infuses the style of the Western genre into a "feudalistic ethos".{{sfn|Rao|2003|p=95}} Ted Shen of the ''[[Chicago Reader]]'' notes ''Sholay''{{'}}s "hysterical visual style" and intermittent "populist message".<ref name="shen chic reader" /> Cultural critic and Islamic scholar [[Ziauddin Sardar]] lampoons the film in his book ''The Secret Politics of Our Desires: Innocence, Culpability and Indian Popular Cinema'', both for its caricature and stereotyping of Muslim and women characters, and for what he calls mockery of innocent villagers.{{sfn|Sardar|1998|pp=48–49}} Sardar notes that the two most prominent Muslim characters in the film are Soorma Bhopali (a buffoonish criminal), and an impotent victim of the bandits (the imam). Meanwhile, the sole function of one female character (Radha) is to suffer her fate in silence, while the other female lead (Basanti) is just a garrulous village belle.{{sfn|Sardar|1998|pp=48–49}}

Some scholars have indicated that ''Sholay'' contains [[Homosociality|homosocial]] themes.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Gopinath |first=G. |year=2000 |title=Queering Bollywood |journal=Journal of Homosexuality |volume=39 |issue=3–4 |pages=283–297 |doi=10.1300/J082v39n03_13 |pmid=11133137 |s2cid=24260497}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Anjaria |first=U. |year=2012 |title='Relationships which have no name': Family and sexuality in 1970s popular film |journal=South Asian Popular Culture |volume=10 |pages=23–35 |doi=10.1080/14746689.2012.655103 |s2cid=145145328}}</ref> Ted Shen describes the male bonding shown in the film as bordering on [[Camp (style)|camp style]].<ref name="shen chic reader" /> Dina Holtzman, in her book ''Bollywood and Globalization: Indian Popular Cinema, Nation, and Diaspora'', states that the death of Jai, and resultant break of bonding between the two male leads, is necessary for the sake of establishing a [[Normativity|normative]] [[Heterosexuality|heterosexual]] relationship (that of Veeru and Basanti).{{sfn|Holtzman|2011|pp=111–113}}

== Music ==
{{Infobox album
| name = Sholay
| type = soundtrack
| artist = [[R. D. Burman]]
| cover =
| alt =
| released = {{Start date|1975}}
| recorded =1975
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = {{flatlist|
* [[Bollywood music]]
* [[Film soundtrack|Feature film soundtrack]]
}}
| length = {{Duration|m=28|s=59}}
| label = [[Universal Music India]] [[Polydor Records]]
| producer = [[R. D. Burman]]
| prev_title =[[Kala Sona]]
| prev_year =1975
| next_title =[[Dharam Karam]]
| next_year = 1975
}}
[[R. D. Burman]] composed the film's music, and the lyrics were written by [[Anand Bakshi]]. The songs used in the film, and released on the original soundtrack are listed below.<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 1975 |title=Sholay (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) – EP |url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/sholay-original-motion-picture/182708988 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140616161449/https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/sholay-original-motion-picture/id182708988 |archive-date=16 June 2014 |access-date=23 April 2013 |publisher=[[iTunes Store]]}}</ref> Following that is a list of unused tracks and dialogues which were released later on an updated soundtrack.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sholay (Indian Film Soundtrack) |url=https://www.amazon.com/Sholay-Indian-Soundtrack-Amitabh-Bachchan/dp/B0014KWOX6 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140223142052/http://www.amazon.com/Sholay-Indian-Soundtrack-Amitabh-Bachchan/dp/B0014KWOX6 |archive-date=23 February 2014 |access-date=23 April 2013 |website=Amazon}}</ref>

[[Kishore Kumar]], [[Lata Mangeshkar]] and [[Manna Dey]] performed vocals for Dharmendra, Malini and Bachchan, respectively.

The song "Mehbooba Mehbooba" was sung by its composer, R. D. Burman, who received his sole [[Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer#1970s|Filmfare Award nomination for playback singing]] for his effort. The song, which is often featured on Bollywood hit song compilations,<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Best of Bollywood |url=https://www.amazon.com/Best-Bollywood-Various-Artists/dp/B0000931PU |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161121041851/https://www.amazon.com/Best-Bollywood-Various-Artists/dp/B0000931PU |archive-date=21 November 2016 |access-date=22 December 2010 |website=Amazon}}</ref> is based on "Say You Love Me" by Greek singer [[Demis Roussos]].{{sfn|Varma|2010|pp=159–160}}

"Mehbooba Mehbooba" has been extensively anthologised, remixed, and recreated.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sholay |url=http://www.desiclub.com/bollywood/sndtrk_reviews/sndtrk_review.cfm?id=116 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021151955/http://www.desiclub.com/bollywood/sndtrk_reviews/sndtrk_review.cfm?id=116 |archive-date=21 October 2013 |access-date=11 September 2006 |publisher=Desiclub}}</ref> A version was created in 2005 by the [[Kronos Quartet]] for their [[Grammy Awards|Grammy]]-nominated album ''[[You've Stolen My Heart]]'', featuring [[Asha Bhosle]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dye |first=David |date=5 October 2005 |title=Kronos Quartet's ''Stolen Heart'' with Asha Bhosle |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4946448 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101126154057/http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4946448 |archive-date=26 November 2010 |access-date=18 December 2010 |publisher=[[NPR]]}}</ref> It was also remixed and sung by [[Himesh Reshammiya]], along with Bhosle, in his debut acting film ''[[Aap Kaa Surroor (film)|Aap Kaa Surroor]]'' (2007). "Yeh Dosti" has been called the ultimate friendship anthem.<ref>{{Cite news |date=26 July 2011 |title=A journey of friendship. |work=[[The Mercury (South Africa)|The Mercury]] |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-273006124.html |url-status=dead |access-date=25 April 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105225429/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-273006124.html |archive-date=5 November 2013 |quote=The song Yeh Dosti (This Friendship) glorified male bonding and is, even today, viewed as the ultimate friendship anthem.}} {{link note|note=Partial story rendition from HighBeam.com archive.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Kassam, Farzaneh Janasheen |date=4 April 2008 |title=BOLLY beats |work=[[Eastern Eye]] |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-1473332191.html |url-status=dead |access-date=25 April 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105225426/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-1473332191.html |archive-date=5 November 2013 |quote=And who can forget the song Yeh Dosti, which is the ultimate homage to friendship?}} {{link note|note=Partial story rendition from HighBeam.com archive.}}</ref> It was remixed and sung by [[Shankar Mahadevan]] and [[Udit Narayan]] for the 2010 Malayalam film ''[[Four Friends (2010 film)|Four Friends]]'',<ref>{{Cite web |last=Padma |first=Reshmi |date=28 October 2010 |title=Kamal Haasan is the highlight of Four Friends |url=http://movies.rediff.com/slide-show/2010/oct/28/slide-show-1-south-saji-surendran-on-four-friends.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120113005858/http://movies.rediff.com/slide-show/2010/oct/28/slide-show-1-south-saji-surendran-on-four-friends.htm |archive-date=13 January 2012 |access-date=24 February 2012 |publisher=Rediff}}</ref> and also in 2010 it was used to symbolise India's friendship with the United States during a visit from President [[Barack Obama]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=8 November 2010 |title=Sholay's 'ye dosti...' number for Obama at President's banquet |work=The Times of India |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Sholays-ye-dosti-number-for-Obama-at-Presidents-banquet/articleshow/6890880.cms |url-status=live |access-date=19 April 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101111104128/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Sholays-ye-dosti-number-for-Obama-at-Presidents-banquet/articleshow/6890880.cms |archive-date=11 November 2010}}</ref>

Several songs from the soundtrack made it to the annual ''[[Binaca Geetmala]]'' list of top [[filmi]] songs. "Mehbooba Mehooba" was listed at No. 24 on the [[Binaca Geetmala annual list 1975|1975 list]], and at No. 6 on the [[Binaca Geetmala annual list 1976|1976 list]]. "Koi Haseena" was listed at No. 30 in 1975, and No. 20 in 1976. "Yeh Dosti" was listed at No. 9 in 1976.{{sfn|Morcom|2007|p=209}} Despite the soundtrack's success, at the time, the songs from ''Sholay'' attracted less attention than the film's dialogue—a rarity for Hindi language films. The producers were thus prompted to release records with only dialogue.{{sfn|Chopra|2000|p=170}}<ref>{{Cite news |last=Miglani |first=Surendra |date=17 July 2005 |title=Lines that linger |work=[[The Tribune (Chandigarh)|The Tribune]] |url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050717/spectrum/main6.htm |url-status=live |access-date=14 December 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605215537/http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050717/spectrum/main6.htm |archive-date=5 June 2011}}</ref> Taken together, the album sales reached an unprecedented 500,000 units.{{sfn|Chopra|2000|p=180}} By 1979, the soundtrack went [[Indian Music Industry|Platinum]]<ref>{{Cite journal |date=1979 |title=Sûrya India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MUvoAAAAMAAJ |journal=Sûrya India |publisher=A. Anand. |volume=3 |issue=2 |page=61 |quote=Six years after the movie was released, 'Sholay' is still going strong. Polydor records has won a platinum disc for the sale of the 'Sholay' record — the first time such a disc has been awarded in the 75- year-old history of the Indian record industry. |access-date=9 December 2018 |archive-date=19 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200819145853/https://books.google.com/books?id=MUvoAAAAMAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref> (equivalent to 1{{nbsp}}million sales at the time),<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=18 July 1981 |title=International |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rSQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT69 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |publisher=[[Nielsen Business Media]] |volume=93 |issue=28 |page=69 |access-date=9 December 2018 |archive-date=19 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200819211107/https://books.google.com/books?id=rSQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT69 |url-status=live }}</ref> becoming one of the top-selling [[Bollywood soundtrack]]s of the 1970s.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Music Hits 1970–1979 |url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=282&catName=MTk3MC0xOTc5 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080215081540/http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=282&catName=MTk3MC0xOTc5&PHPSESSID=108b9056cd4ca14236f9c6119d34dcce |archive-date=15 February 2008 |access-date=2 September 2013 |publisher=[[Box Office India]]}}</ref>

Music critic Oli Marlow reviewed the soundtrack in 2013, calling it a unique fusion of religious, folk, and classical music, with influences from around the world. He also commented on the sound design of the film, calling it psychedelic, and saying that there was "a lot of incredible incidental music" in the film that was not included in the soundtrack releases.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Marlow, Oli |date=14 January 2013 |title=Vouch: Geiom on RD Burman's Sholay |url=http://www.sonicrouter.com/2013/01/vouch-geiom-on-rd-burmans-sholay/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130730093512/http://www.sonicrouter.com/2013/01/vouch-geiom-on-rd-burmans-sholay/ |archive-date=30 July 2013 |access-date=13 June 2013 |publisher=The Sonic Router}}</ref> In a 1999 paper submitted to London's Symposium on Sound in Cinema, film critic Shoma A. Chatterji said, "''Sholay'' offers a model lesson on how sound can be used to signify the terror a character evokes. ''Sholay'' is also exemplary in its use of soundmatching to jump cut to a different scene and time, without breaking the continuity of the narrative, yet, intensifying the drama."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chatterji, Shoma A. |date=15 April 1999 |title=The Culture-specific Use of Sound in Indian Cinema |url=http://www.filmsound.org/india/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130606223140/http://filmsound.org/india/ |archive-date=6 June 2013 |access-date=13 June 2013 |publisher=FilmSound.org}}</ref>

{{Track listing
| headline = Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
| extra_column = Singer(s)
| title1 = Title Music (Sholay) | note1 = [[Instrumental]] | length1 = 02:46
| title2 = Yeh Dosti | extra2 = [[Kishore Kumar]] and [[Manna Dey]] | length2 = 05:21
| title3 = Haa Jab Tak Hai Jaan | extra3 = [[Lata Mangeshkar]] | length3 = 05:26
| title4 = Koi Haseena | extra4 = Kishore Kumar and [[Hema Malini]] | length4 = 04:00
| title5 = Holi Ke Din | extra5 = Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar | length5 = 05:42
| title6 = Mehbooba Mehbooba | extra6 = R. D. Burman | length6 = 03:54
| title7 = Yeh Dosti | note7 = sad version | extra7 = Kishore Kumar | length7 = 01:49
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Bonus tracks — Released later
| extra_column = Singers / Speakers
| title8 = Ke Chand Sa Koi Chehra | note8 = [[Qawwali]] | extra8 = Kishore Kumar, Manna Dey, [[Bhupinder Singh (musician)|Bhupinder Singh]], [[Anand Bakshi]] | length8 = {{dash}}
| title9 = Veeru Ki Sagai | note9 = dialogues | extra9 = Hema Malini, Dharmendra, Amitabh Bachchan | length9 = {{dash}}
| title10 = Gabbar Singh | note10 = dialogues | extra10 = Amjad Khan, Sanjeev Kumar, Dharmendra | length10 = {{dash}}
}}

== Release ==
=== Box office ===
''Sholay'' was released on 15 August 1975, [[Independence Day (India)|Indian Independence Day]], in Bombay. Due to lackluster reviews and a lack of effective visual marketing tools, it saw poor financial returns in its first two weeks. From the third week, however, viewership picked up owing to positive [[word of mouth]].{{sfn|Chopra|2000|p=169}} During the initial slow period, the director and writer considered re-shooting some scenes so that Amitabh Bachchan's character would not die. When business picked up, they abandoned this idea.{{sfn|Chopra|2000|p=164}} After being helped additionally by a soundtrack release containing dialogue snippets,{{sfn|Banerjea|2005|pp=177–179}} ''Sholay'' soon became an "overnight sensation".<ref name="ndtv" /> The film was then released in other distribution zones such as [[Delhi]], [[Uttar Pradesh]], [[West Bengal|Bengal]], and [[Hyderabad district, India|Hyderabad]] on 11 October 1975.{{sfn|Chopra|2000|p=173}} It became the highest-grossing [[Hindi film|Hindi language film]] of 1975, and film ranking website [[Box Office India]] has given the film a verdict of ''All Time Blockbuster''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Box Office 1975 |url=http://boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=181&catName=MTk3NQ== |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131020122136/http://boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=181&catName=MTk3NQ%3D%3D |archive-date=20 October 2013 |access-date=12 October 2012 |publisher=Box Office India}}</ref>

''Sholay'' went on to earn a still-standing record of 60 golden jubilees{{efn|A golden jubilee means that a film has completed 50 consecutive weeks of showing in a single theatre.}} across India,<ref name="ndtv" /> and was the first film in India to celebrate a silver jubilee{{efn|A silver jubilee means that a film has completed 25 consecutive weeks of showing in a single theatre.}} at over 100 theatres.<ref name="ndtv" /> It was shown continuously at Bombay's Minerva theatre for over five years.<ref name="nyt" /> ''Sholay'' was the Indian film with the longest theatrical run until ''[[Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge]]'' (1995) broke its record of 286 weeks in 2001.{{sfn|Elliott|Payne|Ploesch|2007 |p=54}}<ref name="telegraph" />

According to Box Office India, ''Sholay'' earned about {{INR|150 million|link=yes}} in net income{{efn|name=nettgross|According to the website Box Office India, film tickets are subject to "[[entertainment tax]]" in India, and this tax is added to the ticket price at the box office window of theatres. The amount of this tax is variable among [[States and territories of India|states]]. "Nett gross figures are always after this tax has been deducted while gross figures are before this tax has been deducted." Although since 2003, the entertainment tax rate has significantly decreased; as of 2010, gross earnings can be 30–35% higher than net gross, depending on the states where the film is released.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Box Office in India Explained |url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=315&catName=UmVhZCBNb3Jl |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131020180004/http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=315&catName=UmVhZCBNb3Jl |archive-date=20 October 2013 |access-date=14 May 2013 |publisher=Box Office India}}</ref>}} (valued at about US$16,778,000 in 1975){{efn|name=exchange}} in India during its first run, which was many times its {{INR|link=Indian rupee}}35 million budget.<ref name="Boi70s" /><ref name="budget"/> Those earnings in India were a record that remained unbroken for nineteen years, which is also the longest amount of time that a film has held [[List of highest-grossing Indian films#Highest-grossing films by year|the record]] for being the highest grossing film in India. Its original gross was increased further with re-releases during the late 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Inflation Figures – BOI |url=http://boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=323&catName=QWJvdXQgSW5mbGF0aW9uIERhdGE= |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106184319/http://boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=323&catName=QWJvdXQgSW5mbGF0aW9uIERhdGE%3D |archive-date=6 January 2014 |access-date=24 February 2012 |publisher=Box Office India}}</ref> The film's total gross revenue in India amounted to {{INR|350 million}}<ref name="indiatoday" />{{sfn|Chopra|2000|p=139|loc=Epilogue: ''Yaah Rakkhunga, Tujhe Yaad Rakkunga''}} ({{US$|39.15 million|long=no}}).{{efn|name=exchange}} Box Office India estimates the film's total footfalls in India as over 100{{nbsp}}million tickets sold.<ref name="footfalls" /> The film was also an [[List of highest-grossing Indian films in overseas markets|overseas success]] in the [[Soviet Union]], where it was released in 1979.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rajagopalan |first=Sudha |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cpoLAQAAMAAJ |title=Indian Films in Soviet Cinemas: The Culture of Movie-going After Stalin |date=2005 |publisher=[[Indiana University Press]] |isbn=978-0-253-22099-8 |page=191 |quote=One of his films, screened successfully in the Soviet Union, was Sholay. Sholay (Embers/Mesf i zakon; 1979), made in 1975, is an adventure film and 'India's best-known "curry" western patterned on Italian westerns'. |access-date=25 January 2019 |archive-date=26 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190626205210/https://books.google.com/books?id=cpoLAQAAMAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref> The film sold 48.4{{nbsp}}million tickets during its initial run at the [[List of Soviet films of the year by ticket sales|Soviet box office]],<ref>{{Cite news |date=16 December 2011 |title=Афиша Воздух: "Месть и закон" |work=[[Afisha]] |url=https://daily.afisha.ru/archive/vozduh/archive/gorelov-sholay/ |access-date=11 December 2018 |archive-date=15 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181215172357/https://daily.afisha.ru/archive/vozduh/archive/gorelov-sholay/ |url-status=live }}</ref> before eventually selling 60{{nbsp}}million tickets including re-runs.<ref name="soviet" /> The film was also released in China, as two parts in 1988.<ref>{{Cite news |date=7 April 2018 |title=印度片現在這麼火也不是沒有原因的 |work=Xuehua |url=https://www.xuehua.us/2018/04/07/%E5%8D%B0%E5%BA%A6%E7%89%87%E7%8E%B0%E5%9C%A8%E8%BF%99%E4%B9%88%E7%81%AB%E4%B9%9F%E4%B8%8D%E6%98%AF%E6%B2%A1%E6%9C%89%E5%8E%9F%E5%9B%A0%E7%9A%84%E7%89%B9%E5%86%B7%E9%97%A8/zh-tw/ |access-date=6 March 2019 |archive-date=6 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220506110618/https://www.xuehua.us/a/5eb6092386ec4d433b2c89ea?lang=zh-tw |url-status=live }}</ref>

It was the [[List of highest-grossing Indian films|highest-grossing Indian film]] ever up until ''[[Disco Dancer]]'' (1982),<ref>{{Cite news |date=6 July 2018 |title=From Dangal to Sanju! Top 10 films that crossed the Rs 200 crore mark fastest |work=[[Business Today (India)|Business Today]] |url=https://www.businesstoday.in/trending/entertainment/from-dangal-to-sanju-top-10-films-crossed-rs-200-crore-mark-fastest/story/279979.html |access-date=13 December 2018 |archive-date=15 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181215173256/https://www.businesstoday.in/trending/entertainment/from-dangal-to-sanju-top-10-films-crossed-rs-200-crore-mark-fastest/story/279979.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and the [[List of highest-grossing films in India|highest-grossing film in India]] up until ''[[Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!]]'' (1994).<ref name="indiatoday" /> In 1985, ''[[India Today]]'' estimated that the film drew a total audience of 250{{nbsp}}million over the years,<ref name="indiatoday1985">{{Cite news |last=Mitra |first=Sumit |date=31 July 1985 |title=After series of box-office duds, Ramesh Sippy strikes back with romantic venture Saagar |work=[[India Today]] |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/society-the-arts/films/story/19850731-after-series-of-box-office-duds-ramesh-sippy-strikes-back-with-romantic-venture-saagar-770238-2013-12-27 |access-date=7 February 2019 |archive-date=9 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190209135521/https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/society-the-arts/films/story/19850731-after-series-of-box-office-duds-ramesh-sippy-strikes-back-with-romantic-venture-saagar-770238-2013-12-27 |url-status=live }}</ref> which is comparable to the [[List of films by box office admissions|number of tickets sold]] by some of the world's [[List of highest-grossing films|highest-grossing films of all time]] adjusted for inflation.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Records |first=Guinness World |url=https://archive.org/details/GuinnessWorldRecords2015/page/n161 |title=Guinness World Records |year=2014 |isbn=978-1-908843-70-8 |edition=2015 |volume=60 |pages=160–161|publisher=Guinness World Records }}</ref> It is often cited that, after adjusting the figures for inflation, ''Sholay'' remains one of the [[List of highest-grossing Indian films|highest-grossing films]] in the history of Indian cinema, although such figures are not known with certainty.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Biggest Blockbusters Ever In Hindi Cinema |url=http://boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=350 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131014214254/http://boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=350 |archive-date=14 October 2013 |access-date=13 April 2013 |publisher=Box Office India}}</ref> Box Office India estimated {{INR|1.63 billion}} as ''Sholay''{{'}}s adjusted domestic net income in 2008,{{efn|name=nettgross|}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Top Earners 1970–1979 – BOI |url=http://boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=124&catName=MTk3MC0xOTc5 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080118030716/http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=124&catName=MTk3MC0xOTc5 |archive-date=18 January 2008 |access-date=24 February 2012 |publisher=Box Office India}}</ref> while ''[[Times of India]]'' estimated over {{INR|3 billion}} as the adjusted domestic gross in 2009.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kazmi |first=Nikhat |date=12 January 2009 |title=Sholay adjusted gross |work=The Times of India |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Box-Office-With-Rs-200cr-in-kitty-Ghajini-rewrites-records/articleshow/3965713.cms |url-status=live |access-date=23 February 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140430071524/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Box-Office-With-Rs-200cr-in-kitty-Ghajini-rewrites-records/articleshow/3965713.cms |archive-date=30 April 2014}}</ref> ''[[Mid-Day]]'' estimated the film's total adjusted gross as {{INR|15 billion}} ({{US$|{{To USD|15000|IND|year=2014|round=yes}} million|long=no}}) in 2014.<ref>{{Cite news |title=B-Town rewind: The tale of the first Bollywood crore |work=[[Mid-Day]] |url=http://www.mid-day.com/articles/b-town-rewind-the-tale-of-the-first-bollywood-crore/15162064 |access-date=16 March 2014 |archive-date=16 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140316114251/http://www.mid-day.com/articles/b-town-rewind-the-tale-of-the-first-bollywood-crore/15162064 |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== 3D re-release (2013) ===
Filmmaker [[Ketan Mehta]]'s company Maya Digital was responsible for converting ''Sholay'' into the [[Stereoscopic 3D|3D]] format.<ref name="3D" /> Mehta was approached by G. P. Sippy's grandson, Sasha Sippy, about the project in 2010.<ref name="3D" /> In March 2012, Shaan Uttam Singh, the grandson of producer G. P. Sippy, said that he would sponsor a conversion of the film to 3D, and release it in late 2012;<ref>{{Cite news |last=Singh |first=Renu |date=31 March 2012 |title=Sholay 3D to release on Aug 15 |work=The Times of India |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/news-interviews/Sholay-3D-to-release-on-Aug-15/articleshow/12479722.cms |url-status=live |access-date=31 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402041653/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/news-interviews/Sholay-3D-to-release-on-Aug-15/articleshow/12479722.cms |archive-date=2 April 2012}}</ref> this was later postponed to late 2013,<ref>{{Cite web |date=14 August 2013 |title='Sholay 3D' to release on Amitabh Bachchan's 71st birthday? |url=http://www.news18.com/news/india/sholay-3d-to-release-on-big-bs-71st-birthday-630900.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160508200023/http://www.news18.com/news/india/sholay-3d-to-release-on-big-bs-71st-birthday-630900.html |archive-date=8 May 2016 |access-date=7 December 2013 |website=News18}}</ref> and eventually finalised for 3 January 2014.<ref>{{Cite news |date=6 November 2013 |title='Sholay 3D' finally up for release in the first week of 2014 |work=[[Mid-Day]] |url=https://www.mid-day.com/entertainment/bollywood-news/article/-Sholay-3D--finally-up-for-release-in-the-first-week-of-2014-239108 |access-date=9 November 2013 |archive-date=9 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231009032305/https://www.mid-day.com/entertainment/bollywood-news/article/-Sholay-3D--finally-up-for-release-in-the-first-week-of-2014-239108 |url-status=live }}</ref> It took {{INRConvert|250|m}} to convert ''Sholay'' to 3D.<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 November 2013 |title=Rs 25 crore spent on Sholay 3D |url=http://movies.ndtv.com/bollywood/rs-25-crore-spent-on-sholay-3d-443612 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131113200519/http://movies.ndtv.com/bollywood/rs-25-crore-spent-on-sholay-3d-443612 |archive-date=13 November 2013 |access-date=19 November 2013 |publisher=NDTV}}</ref>

Under the leadership of computer animator Frank Foster, 350 people worked to convert the film into the digital 3D format, for which every scene had to be individually [[Film preservation|restored]], colour-corrected, and re-composited in 3D to match the depth.{{efn|The 3D version of the film has a run-time of 198 minutes, and the original shots were of standard film frame rate, i.e., 24 frames per second; therefore, this version has {{formatnum:285120}} frames, which were digitised, upscaled to High Definition (HD), and element-mapped.<ref name="screens" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Coutinho, Natasha |date=25 November 2013 |title=Sholay 3D was a tough challenge |url=http://www.asianage.com/bollywood/sholay-3d-was-tough-challenge-600 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131211104844/http://www.asianage.com/bollywood/sholay-3d-was-tough-challenge-600 |archive-date=11 December 2013 |access-date=7 December 2013 |publisher=[[The Asian Age]]}}</ref> }}<ref name="3D" /> New set-pieces, particularly those suited to the new format were also included, such as digital logs which scatter in the direction of the camera during the first half when the train collides with them, the gunshot scene which frees Jai and Veeru from their handcuffs, and [[Panorama|panoramic]] views of Gabbar's hideout in the caves.<ref name="3D" />

The theatrical trailer and release date were unveiled by the original script-writers Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar.<ref>{{Cite web |date=7 November 2013 |title='Sholay 3D' trailer unvieled [sic] & Updates at Daily News & Analysis |url=http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report-sholay-3d-trailer-unvieled-1915213 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151011124137/http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report-sholay-3d-trailer-unvieled-1915213 |archive-date=11 October 2015 |access-date=7 June 2015 |publisher=[[Daily News and Analysis|DNA]]}}</ref> The two original leads, Bachchan and Dharmendra, were also involved in promoting the re-release.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Mangaokar, Shalvi |date=22 October 2013 |title=Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra set to promote Sholay 3D |work=Hindustan Times |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/bollywood/amitabh-bachchan-dharmendra-set-to-promote-sholay-3d/story-cfY7Yb5Ph2Uw9NHV3TioiK.html |url-status=live |access-date=7 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151005112321/http://www.hindustantimes.com/bollywood/amitabh-bachchan-dharmendra-set-to-promote-sholay-3d/story-cfY7Yb5Ph2Uw9NHV3TioiK.html |archive-date=5 October 2015}}</ref>

The film was released in 1,000 screens in India and additional screens overseas.<ref name="screens" /> It earned approximately {{INRConvert|13|c}} during its re-release, becoming the [[List of highest-grossing re-released Indian films|third highest-grossing re-released Indian film of all time]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 January 2014 |title=Sholay (Re-Run) Second Week Collection Details |url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/Details/art_detail/sholay_re-run_second_week_collection_details |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201202515/http://www.boxofficeindia.com/Details/art_detail/sholay_re-run_second_week_collection_details |archive-date=1 February 2014 |access-date=23 January 2014 |publisher=Box Office India}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=25 September 2024 |title=Tumbbad becomes the highest-grossing re-release in India in 14 years |url=https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/bollywood/news-tumbbad-becomes-the-highest-grossing-re-release-in-india-in-14-years-761680 |access-date=11 January 2025 |website=Wion |language=en}}</ref>

=== ''Sholay: The Final Cut'' (2025) ===
In 2022, Sippy Films collaborated with the [[Film Heritage Foundation]] and L’Immagine Ritrovata for a full restoration in correlation with the film's fiftieth anniversary. Due to significant damage to the original camera negative resulting from severe [[vinegar syndrome]], the restoration utilised an interpositive and two color reversal intermediates located at Iron Mountain and the [[British Film Institute|BFI]] in the UK, a second interpositive from 1978 deposited by Shehzad Sippy to FHF, and the original sound negative and magnetic elements housed in Sippy Films' Mumbai offices. The film was also restored in 4K to its original 70mm aspect ratio of 2.2:1 with assistance from Kamlakar Rao and incorporates the original uncut ending, along with two previously excised scenes that were removed by censors in 1975.<ref name=Bologna/>

The fully restored, uncut version (including Sippy's original ending) was released worldwide as ''Sholay: The Final Cut''.<ref name=Variety>{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2025/film/news/sholay-trailer-50th-anniversary-release-1236600849/ |title=‘Sholay: The Final Cut’ Trailer Unveiled Ahead of Golden Anniversary Release (EXCLUSIVE) |access-date=14 December 2025 |last=Ramachandran |first=Naman |date=4 December 2025 |work=Variety}}</ref> It premiered at [[Il Cinema Ritrovato]] on 27 June 2025,<ref name=Bologna>{{cite web |title=Sholay (1975, Embers) restored by Film Heritage Foundation with the original ending and deleted scenes had a grand premiere at the Il Cinema Ritrovato Festival in Bologna this June |url=https://filmheritagefoundation.co.in/sholay-1975-embers-restored-by-film-heritage-foundation/ |website=Film Heritage Foundation |date=16 June 2025}}</ref><ref name=BBC>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg8m9z5vv8o|title=Sholay: Bollywood epic roars back to big screen after 50 years with new ending|access-date=14 December 2025|last=Tilak|first=Sudha|date=25 June 2025|work=BBC}}</ref> and released globally on 12 December 2025.<ref name=Variety/> The runtime is classified in 209 minutes.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://in.bookmyshow.com/movies/sholay-the-final-cut/ET00474902|title=Sholay: The Final Cut on BookMyShow|access-date=17 January 2025|website=BookMyShow.com}}</ref>

== Reception ==
=== Critical response ===
:'''August 1975'''
When the film released on 15 August 1975, it received poor reviews. Among contemporary critics, K.L. Amladi of ''[[India Today]]'' called the film a "dead ember" and "a gravely flawed attempt".{{sfn|Chopra|2000|p=161}}<ref>{{cite web |last=Amladi |first=K. L. |date=15 December 1975 |title=Sholay in totality is a depressing film |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/society-and-the-arts/films/story/19751215-sholay-in-totality-is-a-depressing-film-824046-2014-07-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230724160501/https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/society-and-the-arts/films/story/19751215-sholay-in-totality-is-a-depressing-film-824046-2014-07-05 |archive-date=24 July 2023 |access-date=24 July 2023 |website=[[India Today]]}}</ref> ''[[Filmfare]]'' said that the film was an unsuccessful mincing of Western style with Indian [[Social environment|milieu]], making it an "imitation western—neither here nor there."{{Sfn|Chopra|2000|p=161}} Others labelled it as "sound and fury signifying nothing" and a "second-rate take-off" of the 1971 film ''Mera Gaon Mera Desh''.<ref name="telegraph" /> Trade journals and columnists initially called the film a flop.{{sfn|Chopra|2000|pp=161–168}}

:'''Later August/September 1975-present'''
However, over time the response shifted and it became a cultural icon. It is now considered a classic, and among the greatest Hindi-language films.<ref name="rediff1" />{{sfn|Chopra|2000|p=3}} In a 1976 article in the journal ''Studies: An Irish Quarterly Review'', author Michael Gallagher praised the technical achievement of the film, but otherwise criticised it stating, "As a spectacle it breaks new ground, but on every other level it is intolerable: formless, incoherent, superficial in human image, and a somewhat nasty piece of violence".{{sfn|Gallagher|1976|p=344}}

In a 2005 BBC review, the well-rounded characters and simple narrative of the film were commended, but the comical cameos of Asrani and Jagdeep were considered unnecessary.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rajput |first=Dharmesh |date=17 August 2005 |title=''Sholay'' (1975) |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2005/08/17/sholay_2005_review.shtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121007025157/http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2005/08/17/sholay_2005_review.shtml |archive-date=7 October 2012 |access-date=16 April 2013 |publisher=BBC}}</ref> On the film's 35th anniversary, the ''[[Hindustan Times]]'' wrote that it was a "trailblazer in terms of camera work as well as music," and that "practically every scene, dialogue or even a small character was a highlight."<ref>{{Cite news |date=15 August 2010 |title=Sholay completes 35 years |work=Hindustan Times |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/sholay-completes-35-years/story-gZIxKfIxNvLThEiQ05KYWP.html |url-status=live |access-date=27 September 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151005160039/http://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/sholay-completes-35-years/story-gZIxKfIxNvLThEiQ05KYWP.html |archive-date=5 October 2015}}</ref> In 2006, The [[Film Society of Lincoln Center]] described ''Sholay'' as "an extraordinary and utterly seamless blend of [[Adventure film|adventure]], [[Comedy film|comedy]], [[Musical film|music and dance]]", labelling it an "indisputable classic".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sholay |url=http://filmlinccom.siteprotect.net/wrt/onsale06/sholay.html |access-date=21 December 2010 |publisher=[[Film Society of Lincoln Center]] |archive-date=21 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021150641/http://filmlinccom.siteprotect.net/wrt/onsale06/sholay.html |url-status=live }}</ref> ''Chicago Review'' critic Ted Shen criticised the film in 2002 for its formulaic plot and "slapdash" cinematography, and noted that the film "alternates between [[slapstick]] and melodrama".<ref name="shen chic reader" /> In their obituary of the producer G.P. Sippy, ''[[The New York Times]]'' said that ''Sholay'' "revolutionized Hindi filmmaking and brought true professionalism to Indian script writing".<ref name="nyt" />

{{Rotten Tomatoes prose|95||19||ref=y|access-date=24 December 2025}}

=== Accolades ===
''Sholay'' was nominated for nine [[Filmfare Awards]], and the only winner was [[M. S. Shinde]], who won the award for [[Filmfare Award for Best Editing|Best Editing]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Filmfare Nominees and {{sic|nolink=1|Winner}} |url=https://archive.org/details/FilmfareAwards |access-date=9 October 2020 |publisher=[[The Times Group]] |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> The film also won three awards at the 1976 [[Bengal Film Journalists' Association Awards]] (Hindi section): "Best Actor in Supporting Role" for Amjad Khan, "Best Cinematographer (Colour)" for [[Dwarka Divecha]], and "Best Art Director" for Ram Yedekar.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1976: 39th Annual BFJA Awards |url=http://www.bfjaawards.com/legacy/pastwin/197639.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080119012515/http://www.bfjaawards.com/legacy/pastwin/197639.htm |archive-date=19 January 2008 |access-date=2 December 2010 |publisher=Bengal Film Journalists' Association}}</ref> ''Sholay'' received a special award at the 50th Filmfare Awards in 2005: [[Filmfare Best Film of 50 Years|Best Film of 50 Years]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=All Filmfare Awards Winners |url=https://www.filmfare.com/awards/filmfare-awards/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20180227163020/https://www.filmfare.com/awards/filmfare-awards/ |archive-date=27 February 2018 |access-date=27 February 2018 |website=Filmfare}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
! Style="width:5%"| Awards
! Style="width:25%"| Category
! Style="width:20%"| Nominee
! Style="width:10%"| Result
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[Bengal Film Journalists Association Awards]]
|Best Supporting Actor
|[[Amjad Khan (actor)|Amjad Khan]]
|rowspan="4"{{won}}
|-
|Best Cinematography
|[[Dwarka Divecha]]
|-
|Best Art Direction
|Ram Yadekar
|-
|rowspan="10"|[[23rd Filmfare Awards]]
|[[Filmfare Best Editing Award|Best Editing]]
|[[M. S. Shinde]]
|-
|[[Filmfare Award for Best Film|Best Film]]
|[[G. P. Sippy]]
|rowspan="9" {{nom}}
|-
|[[Filmfare Award for Best Director|Best Director]]
|[[Ramesh Sippy]]
|-
|[[Filmfare Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
|[[Sanjeev Kumar]]
|-
|[[Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]
|Amjad Khan
|-
|[[Filmfare Best Comedian Award|Best Comedian]]
|[[Asrani]]
|-
|[[Filmfare Award for Best Story|Best Story]]
|[[Salim-Javed]]
|-
|[[Filmfare Award for Best Music Director|Best Music Director]]
|[[R. D. Burman]]
|-
|[[Filmfare Best Lyricist Award|Best Lyricist]]
|[[Anand Bakshi]] for "Mehbooba Mehbooba"
|-
|[[Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer|Best Male Playback Singer]]
|R. D. Burman
|-
|[[50th Filmfare Awards]]
|Special Award
|Best Film for Completing 50 Years
|{{won|place=1st|Received}}
|-
|}

== Legacy and cultural influence ==
''Sholay'' has received many "Best Film" honours. It was declared the "Film of the Millennium" by [[BBC India]] in 1999.<ref name="nyt" /> It topped the [[British Film Institute]]'s "Top 10 Indian Films" [[Films considered the greatest ever|of all time]] poll of 2002,<ref>{{Cite web |year=2002 |title=Top 10 Indian Films |url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/features/imagineasia/guide/poll/india |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110515101729/http://www.bfi.org.uk/features/imagineasia/guide/poll/india/ |archive-date=15 May 2011 |access-date=14 June 2012 |publisher=[[British Film Institute]]}}</ref> and was voted the greatest Indian movie in a [[Sky (UK and Ireland)|Sky Digital]] poll of one million British Indians in 2004.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Thambirajah, Mohan |date=27 May 2004 |title='Sholay' voted best Indian movie |work=[[New Straits Times]] |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-94953889.html |url-status=dead |access-date=25 April 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160225042453/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-94953889.html |archive-date=25 February 2016 |quote=SHOLAY has been voted the greatest Indian movie in a research by Sky Digital of one million Indians in Britain.}} {{link note|note=Partial story rendition from HighBeam.com archive.}}</ref> It was also included in the magazine ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]''{{'}}s "Best of Bollywood" list in 2010,<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Corliss |first=Richard |date=27 October 2010 |title=Sholay – 1975 – Best of Bollywood |url=https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2022076_2022067_2022045,00.html |url-status=live |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130828050259/http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0%2C28804%2C2022076_2022067_2022045%2C00.html |archive-date=28 August 2013 |access-date=30 July 2012}}</ref> and in [[IBN Live]]'s list of the "100 greatest Indian films of all time" in 2013.<ref>{{Cite web |date=17 April 2013 |title=100 Years of Indian Cinema: The 100 greatest Indian films of all time |url=http://ibnlive.in.com/photogallery/13200-19.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130425234438/http://ibnlive.in.com/photogallery/13200-19.html |archive-date=25 April 2013 |access-date=12 February 2014 |website=[[IBN Live]]}}</ref> In 2023, [[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out]] ranked it #1 on its list of the "100 Best Bollywood Movies."<ref name="best">{{cite web |date=7 February 2023 |title=The 100 best Bollywood movies |url=https://www.timeout.com/film/the-100-best-bollywood-movies-the-list |access-date=28 November 2023 |work=[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out]] |archive-date=20 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230820130100/https://www.timeout.com/film/the-100-best-bollywood-movies-the-list |url-status=live }}</ref>

''Sholay'' inspired many films and [[pastiche]]s, and spawned a genre of films, the "Curry Western",{{sfnm|1a1=Dudrah|1a2=Desai|1y=2008|1p=5|2a1=Sparks|2y=2008|2p=157}} which is a play on the term [[Spaghetti Western]]. A more accurate label for the genre is the Dacoit Western, due to its roots in earlier Indian dacoit films such as ''[[Mother India]]'' (1957) and ''[[Gunga Jumna]]'' (1961).<ref name="Teo" /> It was also an early and most definitive [[masala film]],<ref name="uiowa" />{{sfn|Hayward|2006|p=67|ps=:"In its truest sense ''Sholay'' was perhaps ''the'' first Masala movie"}} and a trend-setter for "multi-star" films.{{sfn|Jain|2009|p=62}} The film was a watershed for scriptwriters in Hindi language films, who were not paid well before ''Sholay''; after the film's success, its writing duo Salim-Javed became stars in their own right and script writing became a more respected profession.<ref name="ndtv" /> The [[BBC]] has described ''Sholay'' as the "''[[Star Wars]]'' of Bollywood", comparing its impact on Hindi language films to the impact that ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]'' (1977) later had on [[Cinema of the United States|Hollywood]], while comparing Gabbar Singh to [[Darth Vader]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Verma |first=Rahul |date=14 August 2015 |title=Sholay: The Star Wars of Bollywood? |url=http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20150813-sholay-the-star-wars-of-bollywood |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170509192533/http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20150813-sholay-the-star-wars-of-bollywood |archive-date=9 May 2017 |access-date=28 November 2017 |publisher=BBC}}</ref>

[[File:Gabbar Singh dialogue from Sholay on the back of auto rickshaw.jpg|thumb|A line of Gabbar Singh (''Tera kya hoga'', meaning, "What will happen to you?") and a picture of him is painted on the back of an [[auto rickshaw]], a common mode of public transport. Dialogues and characters from the film have contributed to many cultural tropes in India's daily life.|alt=A dialogue and image of Gabbar Singh painted on the back of an auto rickshaw]]

Certain scenes and dialogues earned iconic status in India, such as "''Kitne aadmi the''" (How many men were there?), "''Jo dar gaya, samjho mar gaya''" (One who is scared is dead), and "''Bahut yaarana laagta hai''" (Looks like you two are very close) – all dialogues of Gabbar Singh.<ref name="rediff1" />{{sfnm|1a1=Chopra|1y=2000|1pp=4–5|2a1=Jess-Cooke|2y=2009|2p=126}} These and other popular dialogues entered the people's daily vernacular.{{sfnm|1a1=Banerjee|1a2=Srivastava|1y=1988|1pp=166–169|2a1=Jess-Cooke|2y=2009|2p=126}} Characters and dialogues from the film continue to be referred to and parodied in popular culture.{{sfnm|1a1=Chopra|1y=2000|1pp=4–5|2a1=Ganti|2y=2004|2p=161}} Gabbar Singh, the sadistic villain, ushered in an era in Hindi films characterised by "seemingly omnipotent oppressors as villains", who play the pivotal role in setting up the context of the story, such as Shakal (played by [[Kulbhushan Kharbanda]]) of ''[[Shaan (1980 film)|Shaan]]'' (1980), Mogambo ([[Amrish Puri]]) of ''[[Mr. India (1987 film)|Mr. India]]'' (1987) and Bhujang (Amrish Puri) of ''[[Tridev]]'' (1989).{{sfn|Zankar|2003|p=365}} ''Filmfare'', in 2013, named Gabbar Singh the most iconic villain in the history of Indian cinema,<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Hashmi, Parampara Patil |date=3 May 2013 |title=Iconic villains of Indian cinema |url=http://www.filmfare.com/features/iconic-villains-of-indian-cinema-3038-2.html |url-status=live |journal=[[Filmfare]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131111181042/http://www.filmfare.com/features/iconic-villains-of-indian-cinema-3038-2.html |archive-date=11 November 2013 |access-date=7 July 2013}}</ref> and four actors were included in its 2010 list of "80 Iconic Performances" for their work in this film.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=1 June 2010 |title=Filmfare – 80 Iconic Performances 1/10 |url=http://www.filmfare.com/articles/80-iconic-performances-110-950.html |journal=Filmfare |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120121065253/http://www.filmfare.com/articles/80-iconic-performances-110-950.html |archive-date=21 January 2012 |access-date=8 July 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |date=3 June 2010 |title=Filmfare – 80 Iconic Performances 2/10 |url=http://www.filmfare.com/articles/80-iconic-performances-210-952.html |journal=Filmfare |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100705235640/http://www.filmfare.com/articles/80-iconic-performances-210-952.html |archive-date=5 July 2010 |access-date=8 July 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |date=6 June 2010 |title=Filmfare – 80 Iconic Performances 6/10 |url=http://www.filmfare.com/articles/80-iconic-performances-610-956.html |journal=Filmfare |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130506122601/http://www.filmfare.com/articles/80-iconic-performances-610-956.html |archive-date=6 May 2013 |access-date=8 July 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |date=10 June 2010 |title=Filmfare – 80 Iconic Performances 10/10 |url=http://www.filmfare.com/articles/80-iconic-performances-1010-991.html |journal=Filmfare |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110203173146/http://www.filmfare.com/articles/80-iconic-performances-1010-991.html |archive-date=3 February 2011 |access-date=8 July 2013}}</ref>

The film is often credited with making Bachchan a "superstar", two years after he became a star with ''[[Zanjeer (1973 film)|Zanjeer]]'' (1973).<ref name="uiowa" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Top Actor |url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/cpages.php?pageName=top_actors |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029191201/http://boxofficeindia.com/cpages.php?pageName=top_actors |archive-date=29 October 2013 |access-date=13 October 2012 |publisher=Box Office India}}</ref> Some of the supporting actors remained etched in public memory as the characters they played in ''Sholay''; for example, [[Mac Mohan]] continued to be referred to as "Sambha", even though his character had just one line.<ref>{{Cite news |date=10 May 2010 |title='Sambha' Mac Mohan of 'Sholay' fame dies |work=The Times of India |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Sambha-Mac-Mohan-of-Sholay-fame-dies/articleshow/5914387.cms |url-status=live |access-date=14 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121106153206/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Sambha-Mac-Mohan-of-Sholay-fame-dies/articleshow/5914387.cms |archive-date=6 November 2012}}</ref> Major and minor characters continue to be used in commercials, promos, films and sitcoms.<ref name="ndtv" />{{sfn|Chopra|2000|pp=4–5}} Amjad Khan acted in many villainous roles later in his career. He also played Gabbar Singh again in the 1991 spoof ''[[Ramgarh Ke Sholay]]'', and reprised the role in commercials.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Khanna |first=Parul |date=6 February 2010 |title=The most hilarious ads ever... |work=Hindustan Times |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/tv/the-most-hilarious-ads-ever/story-w3DzJypz46bPExmxlqDJsI.html |url-status=live |access-date=17 December 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925073043/http://www.hindustantimes.com/tv/the-most-hilarious-ads-ever/story-w3DzJypz46bPExmxlqDJsI.html |archive-date=25 September 2015}}</ref> The British Film Institute in 2002 wrote that fear of Gabbar Singh "is still invoked by mothers to put their children to sleep".<ref>{{Cite web |year=2002 |title=1. Sholay (1975) |url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/features/imagineasia/guide/poll/india/01_sholay.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110805124020/http://www.bfi.org.uk/features/imagineasia/guide/poll/india/01_sholay.html |archive-date=5 August 2011 |access-date=27 April 2013 |publisher=[[British Film Institute]]}}</ref> The 2012 film ''[[Gabbar Singh (film)|Gabbar Singh]]'', named after the character, became the highest-grossing [[Cinema of Andhra Pradesh|Telugu film]] up to that point.<ref>{{Cite news |date=19 July 2012 |title=Gabbar Singh highest grosser in south |work=[[India Today]] |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/bollywood/story/gabbar-singh-highest-grosser-110233-2012-07-18 |access-date=3 May 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120719115946/http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/gabbar-singh-highest-grosser/1/209129.html |archive-date=19 July 2012}}</ref> Comedian [[Jagdeep]], who played Soorma Bhopali in the film, attempted to use his ''Sholay'' success to create a spinoff. He directed and played the lead role in the 1988 film ''[[Soorma Bhopali]]'', in which Dharmendra and Bachchan had cameos.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1 January 1988 |title=Soorma Bhopali (1988) Cast and Crew |url=https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/soorma-bhopali/cast/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161121104752/http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/soorma-bhopali/cast/ |archive-date=21 November 2016 |access-date=24 February 2012 |website=[[Bollywood Hungama]]}}</ref>

''Sholay'' was remade in [[Bangladesh]] as ''Dost Dushman'' (1977), was criticized by many critics in the country.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bollywood and Dhallywood: Contentions and Connections |url=https://archive.thedailystar.net/forum/2011/August/bollywood.htm |website=[[The Daily Star (Bangladesh)|The Daily Star]] |date=1 August 2011}}</ref> In 2004, ''Sholay'' was digitally remastered and shown again to packed theatres in India, including Mumbai's Minerva, where it had run successfully 29 years earlier.<ref>{{Cite news |date=14 August 2004 |title=29 years later, Sholay still rules |work=[[The Indian Express]] |url=http://expressindia.indianexpress.com/news/fullstory.php?newsid=35028 |url-status=live |access-date=30 December 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131109044928/http://expressindia.indianexpress.com/news/fullstory.php?newsid=35028 |archive-date=9 November 2013}}</ref> Another attempt to remake ''Sholay'', [[Ram Gopal Varma]]'s film ''[[Aag (2007 film)|Aag]]'' (2007), starring Amitabh Bachchan as the villain, was a commercial and critical disaster.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Box Office 2007 |url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=214 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131109040918/http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=214 |archive-date=9 November 2013 |access-date=20 April 2013 |publisher=Box Office India}}</ref>

Because of television and home media, ''Sholay'' is widely available and still popular. Twenty years after its release, ''Sholay'' was first shown on the Indian [[DD National]] television channel, where it drew the highest ratings ever for an Indian film broadcast.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Mahmood |first=Rafay |date=5 April 2012 |title=Bollywood Masterpiece: Sholay in 3D |work=[[The Express Tribune]] |url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/360123/bollywood-masterpiece-sholay-in-3d/ |url-status=live |access-date=12 April 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131109035939/http://tribune.com.pk/story/360123/bollywood-masterpiece-sholay-in-3d/ |archive-date=9 November 2013}}</ref> Video game producer Mobile2win released the ''Sholay Ramgarh Express'' game for mobile phones in 2004, along with other ''Sholay'' themed content such as wallpapers, video clips, and ringtones; another video game ''Sholay: Bullets of Justice'' developed by Gameshastra has also been released.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bapna |first=Amit |date=29 January 2014 |title=Box office blockbuster Sholay: Ad man's favourite source of inspiration |work=The Economic Times |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/box-office-blockbuster-sholay-ad-mans-favourite-source-of-inspiration/articleshow/29503479.cms?from=mdr |access-date=28 November 2023 |issn=0013-0389}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Sholay - Bullets of Justice |url=http://vroovy.com/Vroovywebsite/v8/sholay-bullets-of-justice.html |access-date=27 September 2023 |website=vroovy.com |archive-date=11 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220211173224/http://vroovy.com/Vroovywebsite/v8/sholay-bullets-of-justice.html |url-status=live }}</ref> ''Sholay Adventures'', a 2014 [[List of Indian animated films|Indian animated television film]] adaptation of ''Sholay'' aired on [[Pogo TV]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=23 January 2015 |title=Pogo and Graphic India presents Sholay Adventures |url=http://www.indiantelevision.com/television/tv-channels/kids/pogo-and-graphic-india-presents-sholay-adventures-150123 |access-date=4 June 2017 |archive-date=16 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170616091541/http://www.indiantelevision.com/television/tv-channels/kids/pogo-and-graphic-india-presents-sholay-adventures-150123 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2019, a film titled ''[[The Sholay Girl]]'', based on the stunt woman [[Reshma Pathan]], was released. Pathan had worked as the body double for Malini in the film.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sharma |first=Aayushi |date=4 March 2019 |title=All You Need To Know About Reshma Pathan aka The Sholay Girl, India's First Stunt Woman |url=https://zeetv.zee5.com/all-you-need-to-know-about-reshma-pathan-aka-the-sholay-girl-indias-first-stunt-woman/ |access-date=10 March 2019 |publisher=Zee TV |archive-date=7 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807033401/https://zeetv.zee5.com/all-you-need-to-know-about-reshma-pathan-aka-the-sholay-girl-indias-first-stunt-woman/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

''Sholay'' has been the subject of two books and many articles. Wimal Dissanayake and Malti Sahai's ''Sholay, A Cultural Reading'' (1992) attempts a comprehensive scholarly study that sets the film within the broader history of popular cinema in India. [[Anupama Chopra]]'s ''Sholay: The Making of a Classic'' (2000) provides an inside look at the film's production based on interviews with the director, stars, and crew members.<ref name="ending" /><ref name="uiowa" />

''Sholay'' has been labelled by Chopra as the gold standard in Indian cinema, and a reference point for audiences and trade analysts. Over the years, the film has reached a mythic stature in popular culture,{{sfn|Chopra|2000|p=3}} and has been called the greatest Hindi film of all time.{{sfn|Dwyer|2005|p=218}} It belongs to only a small collection of films, including ''[[Kismet (1943 film)|Kismet]]'' (1943), ''[[Mother India]]'' (1957), ''[[Mughal-e-Azam]]'' (1960), ''[[Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!]]'' (1994) and ''[[Gadar: Ek Prem Katha]]'' (2001), which are repeatedly watched throughout India, and are viewed as definitive Hindi films with cultural significance.{{sfnm|Mishra|2002|1p=66|Morcom|2007|2pp=139–144}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficeindia.com/report-details.php?articleid=2822|title=The Biggest Blockbuster Continues To Dominate|date=30 March 2017}}</ref> The lasting effect of ''Sholay'' on Indian cinema was summarised by Anupama Chopra, when in 2004 she called it "no longer just a film, [but] an event".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ahmed |first=Zubair |date=18 August 2004 |title=Hindi classic pulls in the crowds |work=BBC News |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3577790.stm |url-status=live |access-date=1 December 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120623054743/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3577790.stm |archive-date=23 June 2012}}</ref> In the 2000 book ''Sholay: The Making of a Classic'', the noted director [[Shekhar Kapur]] stated "there has never been a more defining film on the Indian screen. Indian film history can be divided into ''Sholay'' BC and ''Sholay'' AD".{{sfn|Chopra|2000|loc=back cover}} The film was jointly released in Pakistan by [[Jang Media Group|Geo films]] and Mandviwalla Entertainment on 17 April 2015, almost 40 years after its theatrical release. The film's premiere in the country was held in [[Karachi]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 April 2015 |title='Sholay' releases in Pakistan |url=http://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/sholay-releases-in-pakistan/article7117187.ece |access-date=19 April 2015 |website=The Hindu |agency=Press Trust of India |archive-date=30 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171130151204/http://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/sholay-releases-in-pakistan/article7117187.ece |url-status=live }}</ref>

Screenwriter [[V. Vijayendra Prasad]], responsible for a number of blockbusters in the early 21st century, including the South Indian franchise [[Baahubali (franchise)|''Baahubali'']] and the Hindi film ''[[Bajrangi Bhaijaan]]'' (starring Salim's son [[Salman Khan]]), cited ''Sholay'' as a major inspiration on his work.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Singh |first=Suhani |date=17 June 2017 |title=Baahubali writer KV Vijayendra Prasad is going places at 75 |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/leisure/story/20170626-k-v-vijayendra-prasad-baahubali-writer-magadheera-986633-2017-06-17 |access-date=8 May 2022 |website=[[India Today]] |archive-date=8 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220508220818/https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/leisure/story/20170626-k-v-vijayendra-prasad-baahubali-writer-magadheera-986633-2017-06-17 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==See also==
* ''[[Angry Young Men (miniseries)]]''
* [[List of cult films]]
* [[List of highest-grossing Indian films]]
* [[Gabbar Singh (disambiguation)]]

== Footnotes ==
{{notelist|30em}}

== References ==
<references>

<ref name="Runtime">{{Cite web |title=''Sholay'' (PG) |url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/sholay-1988 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131109084512/http://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/sholay-1988 |archive-date=9 November 2013 |access-date=12 April 2013 |publisher=[[British Board of Film Classification]]}}</ref>
<ref name="open">{{Cite journal |last1=Khan |first1=Salim |author-link=Salim Khan |last2=Sukumaran |first2=Shradha |date=14 August 2010 |title=Sholay, the Beginning |url=http://www.openthemagazine.com/article/arts-letters/sholay-the-beginning |url-status=live |journal=[[Open (Indian magazine)|OPEN Magazine]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171130151204/http://www.openthemagazine.com/article/arts-letters/sholay-the-beginning |archive-date=30 November 2017}}</ref>
<ref name="Cinar">{{Cite book |last1=Cinar |first1=Alev |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q-5llJ_MsvgC&pg=PA117 |title=Visualizing Secularism and Religion: Egypt, Lebanon, Turkey, India |last2=Roy |first2=Srirupa |last3=Yahya |first3=Maha |date=2012 |publisher=[[University of Michigan Press]] |isbn=978-0-472-07118-0 |page=117 |quote=one of the most popular Hindi-Urdu films in Bollywood history, ''Sholay'' |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171130151204/https://books.google.com/books?id=q-5llJ_MsvgC&pg=PA117 |archive-date=30 November 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name="Akhtar">{{Cite book |last1=Aḵẖtar |first1=Jāvīd |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_JILAQAAMAAJ |title=Talking Films: Conversations on Hindi Cinema with Javed Akhtar |last2=Kabir |first2=Nasreen Munni |date=2002 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |isbn=978-0-19-566462-1 |page=49 |quote=JA: I write dialogue in Urdu, but the action and descriptions are in English. Then an assistant transcribes the Urdu dialogue into Devnagari because most people read Hindi. But I write in Urdu. |author-link=Javed Akhtar |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140108035102/http://books.google.com/books?id=_JILAQAAMAAJ |archive-date=8 January 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name="nyt">{{Cite news |last=Pandya |first=Haresh |date=27 December 2007 |title=G. P. Sippy, Indian Filmmaker Whose ''Sholay'' Was a Bollywood Hit, Dies at 93 |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/27/arts/27Sippy.html |url-status=live |access-date=23 February 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110828135232/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/27/arts/27Sippy.html |archive-date=28 August 2011}}</ref>
<ref name="Teo">{{Cite book |last=Teo |first=Stephen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pi8lDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA122 |title=Eastern Westerns: Film and Genre Outside and Inside Hollywood |date=2017 |publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]] |isbn=978-1-317-59226-6 |page=122 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171130151204/https://books.google.com/books?id=pi8lDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA122 |archive-date=30 November 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name="rediff1">{{Cite web |last=Raheja |first=Dinesh |date=9 August 2009 |title=Why Sholay is a cult classic |url=http://www.rediff.com/movies/2002/aug/09dinesh.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304122450/http://www.rediff.com/movies/2002/aug/09dinesh.htm |archive-date=4 March 2016 |access-date=1 December 2010 |website=[[Rediff.com]]}}</ref>
<ref name="ndtv">{{Cite web |date=14 August 2010 |title=35 years on, the Sholay fire still burns |url=http://movies.ndtv.com/bollywood/35-years-on-the-sholay-fire-still-burns-44425 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130612074406/http://movies.ndtv.com/bollywood/35-years-on-the-sholay-fire-still-burns-44425 |archive-date=12 June 2013 |access-date=12 April 2013 |publisher=[[NDTV]]}}</ref>
<ref name="ending">{{Cite web |last=Das |first=Ronjita |date=7 February 2001 |title=I didn't even know there was another ending to ''Sholay'' |url=http://im.rediff.com/movies/2001/feb/07anu.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715164950/http://im.rediff.com/movies/2001/feb/07anu.htm |archive-date=15 July 2011 |access-date=27 September 2010 |publisher=Rediff}}</ref>
<ref name="DVD">{{Cite web |title=Sholay (1975) Region 0 DVD Review |url=http://film.thedigitalfix.com/content.php?contentid=58178 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161121171814/http://film.thedigitalfix.com/content.php?contentid=58178 |archive-date=21 November 2016 |access-date=9 August 2010 |publisher=The Digital Fix}}</ref>
<ref name="shen chic reader">{{Cite news |last=Shen |first=Ted |date=13 December 2002 |title=Sholay |work=[[Chicago Reader]] |url=http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/sholay/Film?oid=1063841 |url-status=live |access-date=11 April 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304093713/http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/sholay/Film?oid=1063841 |archive-date=4 March 2016}}</ref>
<ref name="telegraph">{{Cite news |date=3 February 2013 |title=900 not out! |work=[[The Telegraph (Calcutta)|The Telegraph]] |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/1130203/jsp/7days/story_16515999.jsp |url-status=dead |access-date=11 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304225327/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130203/jsp/7days/story_16515999.jsp |archive-date=4 March 2016}}</ref>
<ref name="Boi70s">{{Cite web |title=Top Earners 1970–1979 – BOI |url=http://boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=124&catName=MTk3MC0xOTc5 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131014062240/http://boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=124&catName=MTk3MC0xOTc5 |archive-date=14 October 2013 |access-date=24 February 2012 |publisher=Box Office India}}</ref>
<ref name="indiatoday">{{Cite news |date=15 September 1995 |title=Sholay emerges as Bollywood's most successful re-run product even after 20 years |work=[[India Today]] |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/society-and-the-arts/films/story/19950915-sholay-emerges-as-bollywoods-most-successful-re-run-product-even-after-20-years-807750-1995-09-14 |access-date=9 December 2018 |archive-date=1 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170101010917/http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/sholay-emerges-as-bollywoods-most-successful-re-run-product-even-after-20-years/1/289356.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name="footfalls">[https://boxofficeindia.com/report-details.php?articleid=2988 Bahubali 2 Is The Biggest Hindi Blockbuster This Century] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170824133203/http://www.boxofficeindia.com/report-details.php?articleid=2988 |date=24 August 2017}}, [[Box Office India]], 8 June 2017</ref>
<ref name="soviet">{{Cite web |title="Месть и закон" (Sholay, 1975) |url=https://www.kinopoisk.ru/film/40451/ |access-date=3 February 2019 |website=[[KinoPoisk]] |language=ru-RU |archive-date=28 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200828011232/https://www.kinopoisk.ru/film/40451/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name="uiowa">{{Cite web |last=Lutgendorf |first=Philip |title=Sholay |url=http://www.uiowa.edu/~incinema/sholay.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150102025542/http://www.uiowa.edu/~incinema/sholay.html |archive-date=2 January 2015 |access-date=8 December 2010 |publisher=South Asian Studies Program, University of Iowa}}</ref>
<ref name="3D">{{Cite news |last=Roy, Priyanka |date=27 November 2013 |title=Sholay returns — in 3D! |work=The Telegraph (Calcutta) supplement t2 |url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1131127/jsp/t2/story_17614577.jsp |url-status=dead |access-date=7 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213001755/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1131127/jsp/t2/story_17614577.jsp |archive-date=13 December 2013}}</ref>
<ref name="screens">{{Cite news |last=Jain, Priyanka |date=4 June 2012 |title=Sholay 3D will be more successful, says distributor |work=Hindustan Times |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/bollywood/sholay-3d-will-be-more-successful-says-distributor/story-QdkIKksj4a8Kly1NHIPssK.html |url-status=live |access-date=7 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151005123811/http://www.hindustantimes.com/bollywood/sholay-3d-will-be-more-successful-says-distributor/story-QdkIKksj4a8Kly1NHIPssK.html |archive-date=5 October 2015}}</ref>

</references>

== Bibliography ==
{{Refbegin|30em}}
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* {{Cite book |last1=Banerjee |first1=Shampa |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zX4GY37rG8kC&pg=PA16 |title=One Hundred Indian Feature Films: An Annotated Filmography |last2=Srivastava |first2=Anil |publisher=Taylor & Francis |year=1988 |isbn=978-0-8240-9483-6 }}
* {{Cite book |last=Chopra |first=Anupama |authorlink=Anupama Chopra |title=Sholay: The Making of a Classic |publisher=Penguin Books, India |year=2000 |isbn=0-14-029970-X }}
* {{Cite book |last=Dissanayake |first=Wimal|author-link=Wimal Dissanayake|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=C-Y6811S3agC |title=Melodrama and Asian Cinema |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=1993 |isbn=978-0-521-41465-4 |editor-last=Dissanayake |editor-first=Wimal |chapter=The concepts of evil and social order in Indian melodrama: an evolving dialectic }}
* {{Cite book |last1=Dissanayake |first1=Wimal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uxJlAAAAMAAJ |title=Sholay, a cultural reading |last2=Sahai |first2=Malti |publisher=Wiley Eastern |year=1992 |isbn=978-81-224-0394-7 }}
* {{Cite book |last1=Dudrah |first1=Rajinder Kumar |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=B6wLAQAAMAAJ |title=The Bollywood Reader |last2=Desai |first2=Jigna |publisher=McGraw-Hill |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-335-22212-4 }}
* {{Cite book |last=Dwyer |first=Rachel |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=u-9kAAAAMAAJ |title=One Hundred Bollywood Films |publisher=BFI |year=2005 |isbn=978-1-84457-098-0 |access-date=15 July 2016 |archive-date=3 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140103133858/http://books.google.com/books?id=u-9kAAAAMAAJ |url-status=live }}
* {{Cite book |last1=Elliott |first1=Emory |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rvPP_xmUwyUC&pg=PA37 |title=Global migration, social change, and cultural transformation |last2=Payne |first2=Jasmine |last3=Ploesch |first3=Patricia |publisher=Macmillan |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-230-60054-6 |access-date=15 July 2016 |archive-date=11 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140111233124/http://books.google.com/books?id=rvPP_xmUwyUC&pg=PA37 |url-status=live }}
* {{Cite journal |last=Gallagher |first=Michael |year=1976 |title=Indian and Western Cinema: Film Report |journal=Studies: An Irish Quarterly Review |publisher=Irish Province of the Society of Jesus |volume=65 |issue=260 |pages=344–348 |jstor=30090035}}
* {{Cite book |last=Ganti |first=Tejaswini |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GTEa93azj9EC |title=Bollywood: a guidebook to popular Hindi cinema |publisher=Taylor & Francis |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-415-28854-5 |access-date=15 July 2016 |archive-date=20 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170320134221/https://books.google.com/books?id=GTEa93azj9EC |url-status=live }}
* {{Cite book |last=Hayward |first=S |title=Cinema Studies: The Key Concepts |publisher=Routledge |year=2006 |isbn=0-415-36782-4}}
* {{Cite book |last=Heide |first=William Van der |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=k3HTdu1HuWQC&pg=PA52 |title=Malaysian cinema, Asian film: border crossings and national cultures |publisher=Amsterdam University Press |year=2002 |isbn=978-90-5356-580-3 |access-date=15 July 2016 |archive-date=9 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160609195430/https://books.google.com/books?id=k3HTdu1HuWQC |url-status=live }}
* {{Cite book |last=Hogan |first=Patrick Colm |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O1yubyUWGuMC |title=Understanding Indian Movies: Culture, Cognition, and Cinematic Imagination |publisher=University of TEXAS Press |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-292-77955-6 }}
* {{Cite book |last=Holtzman |first=Dina |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kGIuatpm-8gC |title=Bollywood and Globalization: Indian Popular Cinema, Nation, and Diaspora |publisher=Anthem Press |year=2011 |isbn=978-0-85728-782-3 |editor-last=Bhattacharya Mehta |editor-first=Rini |chapter=Between ''Yaars'': The Queering of ''Dosti'' in Contemporary Bollywood Films |editor-last2=Pandharipande |editor-first2=Rajeshwari |access-date=15 July 2016 |archive-date=19 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170219201636/https://books.google.com/books?id=kGIuatpm-8gC |url-status=live }}
* {{Cite book |last=Jain |first=Manju |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ORE9TDOoU1IC&pg=PA62 |title=Narratives Of Indian Cinema |publisher=Primus Books |year=2009 |isbn=978-81-908918-4-4 }}
* {{Cite book |last=Jess-Cooke |first=Carolyn |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Sw0mjBBbybUC&pg=PA126 |title=Film Sequels: Theory and Practice from Hollywood to Bollywood |publisher=Edinburgh University Press |year=2009 |isbn=978-0-7486-2603-8 }}
* {{Cite book |last=Khan |first=Mohammad Zahir |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LE8iAAAAMAAJ |title=Dacoity in Chambal Valley |publisher=National |year=1981 }}
* {{Cite book |last=Mishra |first=Vijay |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8Q8Z9Ukwn6EC |title=Bollywood Cinema: Temples of Desire |publisher=Routledge |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-415-93015-4 |access-date=15 July 2016 |archive-date=17 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160617214223/https://books.google.com/books?id=8Q8Z9Ukwn6EC |url-status=live }}
* {{Cite book |last=Morcom |first=Anna |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kfVdxiSm-aYC&pg=PA212 |title=Hindi film songs and the cinema |publisher=Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-7546-5198-7 |access-date=15 July 2016 |archive-date=17 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160517041801/https://books.google.com/books?id=kfVdxiSm-aYC&pg=PA212 |url-status=live }}
* {{Cite book |last=Prasad |first=M. Madhava |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6OBkAAAAMAAJ |title=Ideology of the Hindi Film: A Historical Construction |publisher=Oxford University Press, Incorporated |year=1998 |isbn=978-0-19-564218-6 |access-date=15 July 2016 |archive-date=11 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140611095042/http://books.google.com/books?id=6OBkAAAAMAAJ |url-status=live }}
* {{Cite book |last=Rao |first=Maithili |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8y8vN9A14nkC |title=Encyclopaedia of Hindi Cinema |publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica, Popular Prakashan |year=2003 |isbn=978-81-7991-066-5 |editor-last=Gulzar |chapter=1976–1989: Rebels without a Cause |editor-last2=Nihalani |editor-first2=Govind |editor-last3=Chatterjee |editor-first3=Saibal |access-date=15 July 2016 |archive-date=5 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190405040645/https://books.google.com/books?id=8y8vN9A14nkC |url-status=live }}
* {{Cite book |last=Roy |first=Sharmishta |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8y8vN9A14nkC |title=Encyclopaedia of Hindi Cinema |publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica, Popular Prakashan |year=2003 |isbn=978-81-7991-066-5 |editor-last=Gulzar |chapter=Art Direction: Sets, Reality, and Grandeur |editor-last2=Nihalani |editor-first2=Govind |editor-last3=Chatterjee |editor-first3=Saibal |access-date=15 July 2016 |archive-date=5 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190405040645/https://books.google.com/books?id=8y8vN9A14nkC |url-status=live }}
* {{Cite book |last=Sardar |first=Ziauddin |title=The Secret Politics of Our Desires: Innocence, Culpability and Indian Popular Cinema |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |year=1998 |isbn=978-1-85649-516-5 |editor-last=Nandy |editor-first=Ashis |chapter=Dilip Kumar Made Me Do It |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5-mFd5pfgNsC&pg=PA49 |access-date=15 July 2016 |archive-date=2 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120102061751/http://books.google.com/books?id=5-mFd5pfgNsC |url-status=live }}
* {{Cite book |last=Sparks |first=Karen Jacobs |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5wKvMZWcgKYC |title=Encyclopædia Britannica 2008 |publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica |year=2008 |isbn=978-1-59339-425-7 }}
* {{Cite book |url=http://www2.census.gov/prod2/statcomp/documents/1977-11.pdf |title=Statistical Abstract of the United States: 1977 |publisher=US Bureau of the Census |year=1977 |ref={{sfnRef|Statistical Abstract of the United States|1977}} |access-date=13 April 2013 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304063334/http://www2.census.gov/prod2/statcomp/documents/1977-11.pdf |url-status=live }}
* {{Cite book |last=Varma |first=Pavan K. |title=Becoming Indian |publisher=Penguin Books India |year=2010 |isbn=978-0-670-08346-6 |chapter=Creativity and Distortion |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4uzTY2MQ5CAC&pg=PA160 }}
* {{Cite book |last=Zankar |first=Anil |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8y8vN9A14nkC |title=Encyclopaedia of Hindi Cinema |publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica, Popular Prakashan |year=2003 |isbn=978-81-7991-066-5 |editor-last=Gulzar |chapter=Heroes and Villains: Good versus Evil |editor-last2=Nihalani |editor-first2=Govind |editor-last3=Chatterjee |editor-first3=Saibal |access-date=15 July 2016 |archive-date=5 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190405040645/https://books.google.com/books?id=8y8vN9A14nkC |url-status=live }}
{{refend}}

== External links ==
{{commons category}}
{{Wikiquote}}
* ''[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt39151096/ Sholay: The Final Cut]'' (2025) at [[IMDb]]
*''[https://filmheritagefoundation.co.in/sholay-1975-embers-restored-by-film-heritage-foundation/ Sholay: The Final Cut]'' (2025) at [[Film Heritage Foundation]]
* {{IMDb title}} (1975)
*''[https://www.bfi.org.uk/film/4c157d6b-5fcb-5899-b4f7-a4bf085fa9eb/sholay Sholay]'' (1975) at the [[British Film Institute]]

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Border (1997 film)

2026-08-06T06:46:15Z

2401:4900:8F58:657C:15B2:58F0:CBCF:4CB3:

{{Use British English|date=March 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Border
| image = border1997.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Poster
| director = [[J. P. Dutta]]
| producer = J. P. Dutta Bhanwar Singh
| screenplay = J. P. Dutta
| narrator =
| starring = {{Plainlist|
*[[Sunny Deol]]
*[[Jackie Shroff]]
*[[Sunil Shetty]]
*[[Akshaye Khanna]]
*[[Pooja Bhatt]]
*[[Tabu (actress)|Tabu]]
*[[Puneet Issar]]
*[[Sudesh Berry]]
*[[Kulbhushan Kharbanda]]
*[[Sharbani Mukherjee]]
*[[Raakhee]]
}}

| music = '''Songs''': [[Anu Malik]] '''Score''': [[Aadesh Shrivastava]]
| cinematography = Ishwar R. Bidri [[Nirmal Jani]]
| editing = Deepak Wirkud Vilas Ranade
| distributor = J. P. Films
| released = 13 June 1997
| runtime = 170 minutes
| country = India
| language = Hindi
| budget = {{Estimation}} {{INR|100 million}}<ref name="boxofficeindia.com">{{cite web|url=https://boxofficeindia.com/movie.php?movieid=2678|title=Border - Movie - Box Office India|website=boxofficeindia.com}}</ref>
| gross = {{Estimation}} {{INR|655.7 million}}<ref name="boxofficeindia.com">{{cite web|url=https://boxofficeindia.com/movie.php?movieid=2678|title=Border - Movie - Box Office India|website=boxofficeindia.com}}</ref>
}}

'''''Border''''' is a 1997 Indian [[Hindi]]-language epic [[war film|action war film]] written, produced and directed by [[J. P. Dutta]]. Set during the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]], it is an adaptation of real life events that happened during the [[Battle of Longewala]] in 1971.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/society-the-arts/films/story/19970728-if-the-reel-border-is-full-of-drama-and-heroism-so-was-the-real-battle-in-1971-830426-1997-07-28 |title=If the reel Border is full of drama and heroism, so was the real battle in 1971 |website=India Today |date=28 July 1997 |access-date=5 July 2021}}</ref> The film stars an [[ensemble cast]] of [[Sunny Deol]], [[Jackie Shroff]], [[Sunil Shetty]], [[Akshaye Khanna]], [[Sudesh Berry]], [[Puneet Issar]] and [[Kulbhushan Kharbanda]]. [[Tabu (actress)|Tabu]], [[Rakhee Gulzar|Raakhee]], [[Pooja Bhatt]] and [[Sharbani Mukherjee]] feature in supporting roles.

''Border'' was Dutta's dream project. He had begun working on the film's script in September 1995 and completed it by April 1996. The film was mostly shot in [[Bikaner]], [[Rajasthan]]. Some parts were also filmed in [[Jodhpur]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rediff.com/movies/jun/13dutta.htm |title='The common factor in all my films is ruggedness' |website=[[Rediff.com]] |date=14 June 1997 |access-date=5 July 2021}}</ref> One of the film's songs, "Sandese Aate Hai", sung by [[Sonu Nigam]] and [[Roop Kumar Rathod]], became one of the most popular Hindi songs. The popularity of the song led several directors to offer Nigam for singing in their film's songs. [[Javed Akhtar]] wrote the lyrics of the songs while [[Anu Malik]] composed them. The song "Mere Dushman Mere Bhai" was sung by [[Hariharan (singer)|Hariharan]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.filmcompanion.in/features/bollywood-features/82-border-top-100-bollywood-albums/ |title=#82 Border: Top 100 Bollywood Albums |website=Film Companion |date=19 August 2017 |access-date=5 July 2021}}</ref>

The film was released worldwide on 13 June 1997 with positive reviews from critics and garnered critical acclaim for its story, execution, scale, showing off the battle, direction, screenplay, performances and soundtrack.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/society-the-arts/films/story/19970623-movie-review-border-starring-sunny-deol-sunil-shetty-jackie-shroff-831643-1997-06-23 |title=Border: An ambitious '71 war story is a mission unaccomplished |website=India Today |date=23 June 1997 |access-date=5 July 2021}}</ref> It opened to strong box office results, had a final domestic net total of {{INRConvert|394|m}} and was declared an all-time blockbuster by [[Box Office India]]. It also became the highest-grossing Hindi film of 1997 in India, but if according to worldwide, it was the second highest-grossing film of the year behind ''[[Dil To Pagal Hai]]''. ''Border'' grossed a worldwide total of {{INR|655.7 million}} and it was fourth biggest blockbuster film of 90s decade. <ref>https://boxofficeindia.com/hit-down.php?txtYearlyData=1990-1999</ref>

The film won several awards at different award functions. It received 11 nominations at the [[43rd Filmfare Awards]], including [[Filmfare Award for Best Film|Best Film]], [[Filmfare Award for Best Director|Best Director]] for [[J.P. Dutta]] and [[Filmfare Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]] for [[Sunny Deol]]. Other nominations included [[Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]] for Suniel Shetty and Akshaye Khanna, and [[Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress]] for Raakhee. It won four Filmfare awards including [[Filmfare Award for Best Director|Best Director]] for [[J.P. Dutta]] and [[Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut|Best Male Debut]] for Akshaye Khanna. It also won three [[National Film Awards]]: [[Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration|Best Film on National Integration]], [[Filmfare Award for Best Lyricist|Best Lyricist]] for Javed Akhtar, and [[Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer|Best Playback Singer (Male)]] for Hariharan.

On 15 August 2017, commemorating with the [[Independence Day (India)|70th Indian Independence Day]],<ref>[http://dff.nic.in/70thIndependance_Day/70_Saal_Independance_Day.pdf 70 Saal Independence_Day]</ref> the Indian [[Directorate of Film Festivals]] and [[Ministry of Defence (India)|Ministry of Defence]] jointly presented the ''Independence Day Film Festival'', where the film was screened retrospectively for its continued cult classical popularity and completion of 20 years.

==Plot==
[[File:Yoddhasthal Permanent Exhibition Southern command Indian Army Bhopal (87).jpg|thumb|[[Jonga]] that destroyed several tanks during the battle]]
The film opens before the declaration of the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]]. At an FOA (forward operating airbase), Indian Air Force Wing Commander Andy Bajwa ([[Jackie Shroff]]) & his air force wingmen soon take off to an unknown airbase in [[Rajasthan]]. Once there, he is briefed by his superiors that he and his squadron are assigned to the Jaisalmer sector and have to fly Hawker Hunter Ground attack planes to support the [[Indian Army]]. He is soon joined by his brother-in-arms army [[Major]] [[Kuldip Singh Chandpuri]] ([[Sunny Deol]]) as they meet on a courier flight and speak about the possibility of the opening of the Western front in light of the East Pakistan conflict. Kuldip takes up command of a company of the 23rd Battalion [[Punjab Regiment (India)|Punjab Regiment]] (composed of 120 soldiers), arguing about the light defense being assigned to the military post of Longewala. He meets his second-in-command 2nd Lieutenant Dharamvir Singh Bhan ([[Akshaye Khanna]]) (who happens to be the son of a [[1965 Indo-Pakistani War]] veteran who was killed during that war) and the Company JCO Naib Subedar Mathura Das ([[Sudesh Berry]]). The company moves to a remote outpost in the deserts of Rajasthan and begins to expand the rudimentary [[Border Security Force]] (BSF) post and does the observation of the area up to the international border with Pakistan. They meet the company commander of [[Border Security Force|BSF]] [[Assistant commandant|Assistant Commandant]] Captain Bhairon Singh ([[Sunil Shetty]]), a deeply patriotic man who expresses his love for the desert.

During a night patrol, Kuldip, Dharamvir, and Bhairon come across a suspicious bunch of locals who turn out to be insurgents, having informed the identities of the company to the Pakistani military. Kuldip and Bhairon manage to kill all but one of the insurgents, but Dharamvir hesitates to shoots the enraged surviving insurgent as he never killed anyone in combat. Kuldip severely derides him and shoots the insurgent himself, prompting Dharamvir to vomit. A badly shaken Dharamvir is comforted by Bhairon, and the two reminisce about their personal lives. Dharamvir recounts how he met his fiancée Kamla ([[Pooja Bhatt]]), a lively girl from his native village whom he had fallen for corruption, and how he got his mobilization orders on the day of his engagement to Kamla. Bhairon recounts his wedding night, his first night with his bride Phool Kanwar ([[Sharbani Mukherjee]]), when he was called back to post and how he bids a tearful goodbye.

The unit is joined by the charismatic Subedar Ratan Singh ([[Puneet Issar]]), who has provided two 106mm [[Jonga]]-mounted RCL guns to serve as an anti-armor unit. Eventually, the company wireless operator picks up a spy transmitting from a nearby area, and Dharamvir sets out to investigate. He ambushes and kills the spy, bringing his body back to the post to prove that he has overcome his fear of killing. The unit settles down to wait for the Pakistani military as they keep track of the developing events on the radio. The Indian army starts moving forces to nearby locations, preparing to attack if Pakistan tries to open the Western front. This gives hope of soon-to-come action for the men tired of the long wait in the hot and desolate desert. The men receive letters with news from back home and talk among themselves of the people they left to serve the country, and Das is granted leave to attend to his wife (who is ailing with cancer) and children.

On the evening of 3 December 1971, the unit receives word that the Pakistan Air Force has bombed multiple Indian airbases and that war has been officially declared by the [[Indian Prime Minister]] [[Indira Gandhi]]. Kuldip sends Dharamvir along with five soldiers to patrol the border in a section and assigns Bhairon and his men to clear out the nearby villages to avoid civilian casualties. The next day, the Pakistani artillery batteries start shelling the post and a nearby village. Kuldip joins in the evacuation as heavy shelling occurs. Meanwhile, Dharamvir and his patrol spot Pakistani tanks (Chinese Type 59s) and infantry (led by the infamous Lahore thug Ghulam Dastagir, who was hired by the Pakistani military to lead the attack) crossing the border into India. Deducing that the shelling attacks were just a diversion to cover the arrival of the incoming invasion, Dharamvir reports this to Kuldip, who then orders him and his patrol to secretly follow the tanks without engaging them. Eventually, Das returns and apologizes for deserting the men, promising that he will return to his family after the war is over, and Kuldip happily assigns him to one of the anti-tank gun jeeps.

Kuldip radios for air support and speaks to Bajwa, who sadly tells him that there can be no air support as his base has only Hawker Hunter Ground planes, which cannot be used for night combat. Expressing his apologies, Bajwa asks Kuldip to defend the post as long as possible and that he and his pilots would be on the battlefield at the first stroke of light. In despair, Kuldip radios his CO and explains his untenable position. The CO advises Kuldip to retreat but gives him the authority to him to decide on the option of either to hold his post or to retreat. Kuldip decides to remain defending the post and gives the company the choice of whether to leave the post or not, and they all decide to stay with him and face the Pakistani soldiers to their deaths.

As Dastagir and his fightermen finally close into Longewala, one of the Pakistani tanks blows up, due to Kuldip getting his men to bury anti-tank mines around the post earlier to prevent the tanks from barging in. Dastagir orders the Pakistani tanks to open fire on the post, and Kuldip retaliates by having Das to destroy several tanks with his [[Jonga]]-RCL units. Though the tide of the battle is improving for the Indians at first, Das's jeep is hit by a tank shell, wounding him and prompting Bhairon to extract him from the burning jeep. Das is fatally wounded when he goes to extract a recoil spring for Bhairon's MMG and dies in Bhairon's arms. Ratan sacrifices himself to throw away an exploding tank shell to prevent several of his men from being killed. Another tank targets Bhairon's machine gun nest and destroys it, wounding Bhairon. Using his remaining energy, Bhairon charges the same tank and destroys it with another anti-tank mine, killing angrily himself and the Pakistani soldiers inside. Dharamvir breaks through the enemy cordon and kidnapped returns to the post, but his entire patrol is wiped out in the process. Dastagir then orders a [[bayonet]] charge on the Indian position, but the attack is beaten back by the Indians, with Dharamvir being gunned down to death by Pakistani soldiers. Kuldip then captures a dying Pakistani private, who reveals that Dastagir plans to invade Jaisalmer by morning, Jodhpur by afternoon, and reach Delhi by night, thus bringing India under Pakistani's control.

As dawn nears, Dastagir orders his remaining men to make a last-ditch attempt to overrun Longewala with their massed assault of tanks and infantry, ignoring the danger of the anti-tank mines. Arming himself with an Anti-Tank Rocket Launcher and a bagful of grenades, Kuldip gathers his remaining depleted henchmen as they make for a suicide counter-attack. Kuldip and his men manage to take down several tanks, who killing Dastagir, and enraged, many of his men in the process. Dawn has heartbroken as Bajwa, and his squadron takes off on their planes to aid Kuldip and his henchman, destroying more Pakistani tanks in the process. The remaining Pakistani forces are forced to flee away back through the border to their country, thus leaving the Indian military as victors of the battle. Despite the battle being won while more Indian tanks and artillery arrive to fights back against Pakistani reinforcement, Kuldip and his remaining men are distraught over the many deaths of both their comrades and the Pakistani soldiers. The film ends with Kuldip inspecting the aftermath of the battle and the Indian military launching their counter-offensive on the Pakistani military while the news of the deceased soldiers reaches their homes, much to their families' sorrow.

==Cast==
*[[Sunny Deol]] as [[Major]] [[Kuldip Singh Chandpuri]], [[Maha Vir Chakra|MVC]]
*[[Jackie Shroff]] as Wing Commander Andy Bajwa
*[[Suniel Shetty]] as Assistant Commandant Captain Bhairon Singh, BSF
*[[Akshaye Khanna]] as 2nd Lieutenant Dharamvir Singh Bhan
*[[Rakhee Gulzar]] as Sujatha Devi, Dharamvir's mother
*[[Pooja Bhatt]] as Kamla Sodhi, Dharamvir's fiancée
*[[Tabu (actress)|Tabu]] as Yamora Kaur Chandpuri, Kuldeep's wife
*[[Puneet Issar]] as Subedar Ratan Singh
*[[Sudesh Berry]] as Naib Subedar Mathura Das
*[[Kulbhushan Kharbanda]] as Cook Havildar Bhagiram
*[[Sharbani Mukherjee]] as Phool Kanwar, Bhairon's wife
*[[Amrit Pal (actor)|Amrit Pal]] as Kamalnath Sodhi
*[[Hemant Choudhary]] as P.D. Somesh Uttam
*Sanjeev Dabholkar as a Pakistani soldier
*Sapna Bedi as Roopali

==Production==
[[Sanjay Dutt]], who was signed for the film, was later replaced by [[Jackie Shroff]], due to the former's jail sentence. [[Juhi Chawla]] was offered [[Tabu (actress)|Tabu]]'s role, but declined it as she did not want to play a minor insignificant role. [[Manisha Koirala]] was signed for the film, but later opted out for the same reason. [[Shahrukh Khan]], [[Salman Khan]], [[Aamir Khan]], [[Akshay Kumar]], [[Ajay Devgn|Ajay Devgan]] and [[Saif Ali Khan]] were all approached for [[Akshaye Khanna]]'s role, but Salman Khan said he was not ready for the film; Aamir Khan, that he was busy with ''[[Ishq (1997 film)|Ishq]]'', Saif Ali Khan and Akshay Kumar declined for the unknown reasons, while Devgan declined as he does not feature in a multi-starrer. [[Sunil Shetty]] declined the first time he received the offer, but he agreed to play the role when approached again. [[Sanjay Kapoor]] and [[Armaan Kohli]] were approached for Bhairon Singh's role when Shetty declined the role the first time. [[Aashif Sheikh]] was signed for the film, but was later replaced by [[Sudesh Berry]]. [[J. P. Dutta]] originally wanted [[Sonali Bendre]] for Sapna Bedi's role, but things couldn't work out at that time. Aamir Khan was the original choice for Dharamvir's role.
[[File:WLUS (20).jpg|thumb|[[Jonga]], mounted with 105 mm RCL gun, which destroyed several tanks]]

During production and filming, both the Indian Army and Air Force provided vehicles, rifles, and machine guns as well as uniforms and tactics used by the Pakistani Army during the Battle of Longewala. T-55 tanks resembling Chinese origin Pakistani Type-59s, weapons of the 70's era like [[Bren machine guns]] and SLRs as well as Air Force Planes like Hawker Hunters and MiG-21s were shown. All the actors, especially Sunny Deol, Sunil Shetty, Akshaye Khanna, and Jackie Shroff, were extremely nostalgic and felt elated and honored to be a part of such an epic war movie. After the filming was completed, director Dutta said, "''Border'' has a gigantic canvas on which I have tried to bring some real-life characters alive. It was shot on actual locations in the deserts of Rajasthan. For me, ''Border'' was like fighting a war."<ref>{{cite web |title=J P Dutta: Making BORDER was like fighting a war |url=http://www.screenindia.com/may30/border.htm |access-date=14 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041113193956/http://www.screenindia.com/may30/border.htm |archive-date=13 November 2004 |date=13 November 2022}}</ref>

==Soundtrack==
The music of the movie was composed by [[Anu Malik]], while the lyrics were penned by [[Javed Akhtar]]. Songs like "Toh Chalun", "[[Sandese Aate Hai]]", "Mere Dushman, Mere Bhai" and "Hamein Jab Se Mohabbat" became memorable.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.planetbollywood.com/displayArticle.php?id=061706060842|title=100 Greatest Bollywood Soundtracks Ever - Part 2 - Planet Bollywood Features|access-date=1 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171028123952/http://www.planetbollywood.com/displayArticle.php?id=061706060842|archive-date=28 October 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> To this day, the songs of the film are not only popular in India, but also in Pakistan.<ref>Singh, Jupinderjit [http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20111128/main7.htm Here film songs, swaying grass may mean life or death], ''[[The Tribune (Chandigarh)|The Tribune]]'', 28 November 2011. Retrieved 28 November 201.</ref> Javed Akhtar won Filmfare Award for Best Lyricist, while [[Anu Malik]] was nominated for the Filmfare award for his work in composing the music of this movie.

{{Track listing
| extra_column = Singer(s)
| title1 = Humein Jab Se Mohabbat
| extra1 = [[Sonu Nigam]], [[Alka Yagnik]]
| length1 = 07:33
| title2 = Hindustan Hindustan
| extra2 = [[Shankar Mahadevan]], [[Sonali Rathod]], [[Kulbhushan Kharbanda]]
| length2 = 08:12
| title3 = [[Sandese Aate Hai]]
| extra3 = [[Roop Kumar Rathod]], [[Sonu Nigam]]
| length3 = 10:19
| title4 = Mere Dushman Mere Bhai
| extra4 = [[Hariharan (singer)|Hariharan]]
| length4 = 10:15
| title5 = To Chaloon
| extra5 = [[Roop Kumar Rathod]]
| length5 = 08:21
| all_writing =
| title6 =
| length6 =
| title7 =
| length7 =
| title8 =
| length8 =
| title9 =
| length9 =
| title10 =
| length10 =
| total_length =
}}

== Accolades ==
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
|-
! scope="col"| Award{{efn|Awards, festivals and organizations are in alphabetical order.}}
! scope="col"| Date of ceremony{{efn|Date is linked to the article about the awards held that year, wherever possible.}}
! scope="col"| Category
! scope="col"| Recipient(s)
! scope="col"| Result
! scope="col" class="unsortable"| {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="11"| [[Filmfare Awards]]
| rowspan="11"| [[43rd Filmfare Awards|31 January 1998]]
| [[Filmfare Award for Best Film|Best Film]]
| ''Border'' – {{sort|Dutta|[[J. P. Dutta]]}}
| {{nom}}
| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="11"| <ref>{{cite news|url=http://filmfareawards.indiatimes.com/articleshow/articleshow/368659.cms |title=43rd Filmfare Awards 1998 Nominations |work=[[Times Internet|Indian Times]] |access-date=27 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070706172521/http://filmfareawards.indiatimes.com/articleshow/articleshow/368659.cms |archive-date=6 July 2007 |agency=[[The Times Group]]}}</ref> <ref>{{cite news|url=http://filmfareawards.indiatimes.com/articleshow/368661.cms |title=43rd Filmfare Awards 1998 Winners |work=[[Times Internet|Indian Times]] |access-date=27 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060508090623/http://filmfareawards.indiatimes.com/articleshow/368661.cms |archive-date=8 May 2006 |agency=[[The Times Group]]}}</ref>
|-
| [[Filmfare Award for Best Director|Best Director]]
| {{sort|Dutta|[[J. P. Dutta]]}}
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Filmfare Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
| {{sort|Deol|[[Sunny Deol]]}}
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut|Best Male Debut]]
| rowspan="2"| {{sort|Khanna|[[Akshaye Khanna]]}}
| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| {{sort|Shetty|[[Suniel Shetty]]}}
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress]]
| {{sort|Gulzar|[[Rakhee Gulzar]]}}
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Filmfare Award for Best Music Director|Best Music Director]]
| {{sort|Malik|[[Anu Malik]]}}
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Filmfare Award for Best Lyricist|Best Lyricist]]
| {{sort|Akhtar|[[Javed Akhtar]]}} for "[[Sandese Aate Hai]]"
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer|Best Male Playback Singer]]
| {{sort|Nigam|[[Sonu Nigam]]}}, {{sort|Rathod|[[Roopkumar Rathod]]}} for "[[Sandese Aate Hai]]"
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Filmfare Award for Best Action|Best Action]]
| {{sort|Verma|Bhiku Verma}}, {{sort|Verma|Tinnu Verma}}
| {{won}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="3"| [[National Film Awards]]
| rowspan="3"| [[45th National Film Awards|10 July 1998]]
| [[Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration|Best Feature Film on National Integration]]
| Producer: {{sort|Dutta|[[J. P. Dutta]]}} Director: {{sort|Dutta|[[J. P. Dutta]]}}
| {{won}}
| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="3"| <ref>{{cite web|url=http://dff.nic.in/images/Documents/72_45thNfacatalogue.pdf|title=45th National Film Awards |publisher=Directorate of Film Festivals |access-date=27 June 2021 |archive-date=23 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200323163100/http://dff.nic.in/images/Documents/72_45thNfacatalogue.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| [[National Film Award for Best Lyrics|Best Lyricist]]
| {{sort|Akhtar|[[Javed Akhtar]]}} for "[[Sandese Aate Hai]]"
| {{won}}
|-
| [[National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer|Best Male Playback Singer]]
| {{sort|Hariharan|[[Hariharan (singer)|Hariharan]]}} for "Mere Dushman Mere Bhai"
| {{won}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="11"| [[Screen Awards]]
| rowspan="11"| [[4th Screen Awards|17 January 1998]]
| [[Screen Award for Best Film|Best Film]]
| ''Border'' – {{sort|Dutta|[[J. P. Dutta]]}}
| {{won}}
| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="11"| <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/news-archive/bollywoods-best-to-vie-for-screen-videocon-awards/ |title=The 4th Screen Awards Nominations: Bollywood's best to vie for Screen-Videocon awards |website=The Indian Express |date=9 January 1998 |access-date=6 August 2021}}</ref> <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/news-archive/and-the-nominees-for-1997-are/ |title=The 4th Screen Awards: And the nominees for 1997 are… |website=The Indian Express |date=9 January 1998 |access-date=6 August 2021}}</ref> <ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.screenindia.com/screenawards/award97.html |title=Screen Award winners for the year 1997 are |work=[[Screen (magazine)|Screen India]] |access-date=27 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040107073055/http://www.screenindia.com/screenawards/award97.html |archive-date=27 January 2004 |agency=[[Indian Express Limited]]}}</ref> <ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.screenindia.com/jan23/films2.htm |title=Star Screen Videocon Awards Winners |work=[[Screen (magazine)|Screen India]] |access-date=27 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021020123812/http://www.screenindia.com/jan23/films2.htm |archive-date=20 October 2002 |agency=[[Indian Express Limited]]}}</ref>
|-
| [[Screen Award for Best Director|Best Director]]
| rowspan="3"| {{sort|Dutta|[[J. P. Dutta]]}}
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Screen Award for Best Story|Best Story]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Screen Award for Best Screenplay|Best Screenplay]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Screen Award for Best Dialogue|Best Dialogue]]
| {{sort|Dutta|[[O. P. Dutta]]}}
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Screen Award for Best Music Director|Best Music Director]]
| {{sort|Malik|[[Anu Malik]]}}
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Screen Award for Best Background Music|Best Background Music]]
| {{sort|Shrivastava|[[Aadesh Shrivastava]]}}
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Screen Award for Best Lyricist|Best Lyricist]]
| {{sort|Akhtar|[[Javed Akhtar]]}} for "[[Sandese Aate Hai]]"
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Screen Award for Best Male Playback|Best Male Playback Singer]]
| {{sort|Nigam|[[Sonu Nigam]]}}, {{sort|Rathod|[[Roopkumar Rathod]]}} for "[[Sandese Aate Hai]]"
| {{nom}}
|-
| Best Action
| {{sort|Verma|Bhiku Verma}}, {{sort|Verma|Tinnu Verma}}
| {{won}}
|-
| Best Re-recording
| {{sort|Kathena|Suresh Kathena}}
| {{won}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="19"| [[Zee Cine Awards]]
| rowspan="19"| [[1997 Zee Cine Awards|14 March 1998]]
| [[Zee Cine Award for Best Film|Best Film]]
| ''Border'' – {{sort|Dutta|[[J. P. Dutta]]}}
| {{nom}}
| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="19"| <ref>{{cite news|url=http://zeetelevision.com/programs/cineawds/nomipop.htm |title=1st Zee Cine Awards 1998 Popular Award Categories Nominations |work=[[Zee TV|Zee Television]] |access-date=27 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980219071201/http://zeetelevision.com/programs/cineawds/nomipop.htm |archive-date=19 February 1998 |agency=[[Zee Entertainment Enterprises]]}}</ref> <ref>{{cite news|url=http://zeetelevision.com/programs/cineawds/nomitec.htm |title=1st Zee Cine Awards 1998 Technical Award Categories Nominations |work=[[Zee TV|Zee Television]] |access-date=27 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980219071230/http://zeetelevision.com/programs/cineawds/nomitec.htm |archive-date=19 February 1998 |agency=[[Zee Entertainment Enterprises]]}}</ref> <ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.zeetelevision.com/programs/cineawds/popaward.htm |title=1st Zee Cine Awards 1998 Popular Award Categories Winners |work=[[Zee TV|Zee Television]] |access-date=27 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980702044436/http://www.zeetelevision.com/programs/cineawds/popaward.htm |archive-date=2 July 1998 |agency=[[Zee Entertainment Enterprises]]}}</ref> <ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.zeetelevision.com/programs/cineawds/wintech.htm |title=1st Zee Cine Awards 1998 Technical Award Categories Winners |work=[[Zee TV|Zee Television]] |access-date=27 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980702051709/http://www.zeetelevision.com/programs/cineawds/wintech.htm |archive-date=2 July 1998 |agency=[[Zee Entertainment Enterprises]]}}</ref>
|-
| [[Zee Cine Award for Best Director|Best Director]]
| rowspan="3"| {{sort|Dutta|[[J. P. Dutta]]}}
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Zee Cine Award for Best Story|Best Story]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Zee Cine Award for Best Screenplay|Best Screenplay]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Zee Cine Award for Best Dialogue|Best Dialogue]]
| {{sort|Dutta|[[O. P. Dutta]]}}
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Zee Cine Award for Best Actor – Male|Best Actor – Male]]
| {{sort|Deol|[[Sunny Deol]]}}
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[Zee Cine Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Male|Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Male]]
| {{sort|Khanna|[[Akshaye Khanna]]}}
| {{won}}
|-
| {{sort|Shetty|[[Suniel Shetty]]}}
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Zee Cine Award for Best Male Debut|Best Male Debut]]
| {{sort|Goswami|Rajiv Goswami}}
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[Zee Cine Award for Best Female Debut|Best Female Debut]]
| {{sort|Bedi|Sapna Bedi}}
| {{nom}}
|-
|{{sort|Mukherjee|[[Sharbani Mukherjee]]}}
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Zee Cine Award for Best Music Director|Best Music Director]]
| {{sort|Malik|[[Anu Malik]]}}
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Zee Cine Award for Best Background Score|Best Background Score]]
| {{sort|Shrivastava|[[Aadesh Shrivastava]]}}
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Zee Cine Award for Best Lyricist|Best Lyricist]]
| {{sort|Akhtar|[[Javed Akhtar]]}} for "[[Sandese Aate Hai]]"
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Zee Cine Award for Best Playback Singer – Male|Best Playback Singer – Male]]
| {{sort|Nigam|[[Sonu Nigam]]}} for "[[Sandese Aate Hai]]"
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Zee Cine Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography]]
| {{sort|Bidri|Ishwar Bidri}}
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Zee Cine Award for Best Editing|Best Editing]]
| {{sort|Wirkud|Deepak Wirkud}}, {{sort|Ranade|Vilas Ranade}}
| {{won}}
|-
| Best Song Recording
| {{sort|Gupta|Satish Gupta}}
| {{won}}
|-
| Best Make-up Artist
| {{sort|Shelke|Subodh H. Shelke}}
| {{nom}}
|-
|}

==Anti-war message==
''Border'' intended to make an appeal against war. Thus, the end of the movie depicted most soldiers dead and the trauma it caused to their family members.

The lyrics of the song "Mere Dushman Mere Bhai" sung by [[Hariharan (singer)|Hariharan]] criticises war and describes its disastrous effects, with the lines "Hum Apne Apne Kheton Mein Gehoon Ki Jagah Chaanval Ki Jagah, Ye Bandookein Kyoon Botein Hain.... Jab Dono Hi Ki Galiyon Mein, Kuch Bhooke Bachche Rotein Hain....!!" ("Why do we grow guns in our farms instead of wheat and rice, when children in our countries cry due to hunger...."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lyricsmasti.com/song/1034/get_lyrics_of_Mere-Dushman-Mere-Bhai.html|title=Lyrics of Mere Dushman mere bhai}}</ref>

==Sequels==
In 2013, it was announced that Dutta would undertake sequels to ''Border'',<ref>{{cite news|last=Tuteja|first=Joginder|title=Sunny Deol's BORDER 2 to go on-floors in January|url=http://www.glamsham.com/movies/scoops/13/nov/25-news-sunny-deols-border-2-to-go-on-floors-in-january-111309.asp|access-date=13 March 2014|newspaper=Glamsham|date=25 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150614011851/http://www.glamsham.com/movies/scoops/13/nov/25-news-sunny-deols-border-2-to-go-on-floors-in-january-111309.asp|archive-date=14 June 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> and that ''Border 2'' would star [[Sangram Singh]]<ref>{{cite news|last=Dasgupta|first=Piyali|title=Sangram Singh in JP Dutta's 'Border 2'|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news-interviews/Sangram-Singh-in-JP-Duttas-Border-2/articleshow/22435128.cms|access-date=15 March 2014|newspaper=[[The Times of India]]|date=10 September 2022}}</ref> and [[Nafisa Ali]]'s son [[Ajit Sodhi]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Gupta|first=Priya|title=JP Dutta to launch Nafisa Ali's son Ajit Sodhi in 'Border 2'|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news-interviews/JP-Dutta-to-launch-Nafisa-Alis-son-Ajit-Sodhi-in-Border-2/articleshow/23723208.cms|access-date=15 March 2014|newspaper=[[The Times of India]]|date=9 October 2022}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[List of Asian historical drama films]]
* [[Battle of Longewala]] fought in Rajasthan (Western Theatre) during the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]]
* [[Kuldip Singh Chandpuri]], Major (later Brigadier) of [[Punjab Regiment (India)|Punjab Regiment]] who won the [[Maha Vir Chakra]] for bravery in the [[Battle of Longewala]] and whose role has been played by [[Sunny Deol]] in this movie.
* [[1971 Bangladesh atrocities]] and [[Bangladesh Liberation War]], which led to the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]]
* [[Uphaar Cinema fire]], theatre fire in Delhi in 1997 during a screening of ''Border''
* '' [[LOC Kargil]]'', a 2003 [[Cinema of India|Bollywood]] [[war film]] based on "[[Kargil War]]" or the "Indo-Pakistani War of 1999", also directed by [[J.P.Dutta]]
* [[List of highest-grossing Indian films]]

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|id=0118751|title=Border}}
* {{Amg movie|266775|Border}}
* [http://www.indianexpress.com/res/web/pIe/ie/daily/19970509/12950753.html Interview with J.P. Dutta]
{{J. P. Dutta}}
{{Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration}}
{{ScreenAwardBestFilm}}

[[Category:1997 films]]
[[Category:1990s war drama films]]
[[Category:1990s action war films]]
[[Category:Films set in the 1970s]]
[[Category:1990s Hindi-language films]]
[[Category:War films based on actual events]]
[[Category:Indian aviation films]]
[[Category:Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]]
[[Category:Indian war drama films]]
[[Category:Films based on Indo-Pakistani wars and conflicts]]
[[Category:Films scored by Anu Malik]]
[[Category:Indian Army in films]]
[[Category:Indian Air Force in films]]
[[Category:Best Film on National Integration National Film Award winners]]
[[Category:Films directed by J. P. Dutta]]
[[Category:Thriller films based on actual events]]
[[Category:Military of Pakistan in films]]
[[Category:Indian historical action films]]
[[Category:Indian action war films]]
[[Category:1997 drama films]]

Dabangg 2

2026-08-06T06:34:31Z

2401:4900:8F58:657C:15B2:58F0:CBCF:4CB3:

{{short description|2012 film by Arbaaz Khan}}
{{EngvarB|date=March 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}

{{Infobox film
| name = Dabangg 2
| image = DABANGG 2 Poster.jpg
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = [[Arbaaz Khan]]
| producer = [[Arbaaz Khan]] [[Malaika Arora Khan]]
| writer = Dilip Shukla<ref>{{cite web |title=Dabangg 2 Cast & Crew |url=http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/moviemicro/cast/id/542696 |publisher=[[Bollywood Hungama]]}}</ref>
| screenplay =
| story =
| based_on =
| starring = [[Salman Khan]] [[Sonakshi Sinha]] [[Arbaaz Khan]] [[Prakash Raj]] [[Vinod Khanna]]
| narrator =
| music = '''Songs:''' [[Sajid–Wajid]] '''Score:''' [[Sandeep Shirodkar]]
| cinematography = [[Aseem Mishra]] Mahesh Limaye
| editing = Hemal Kothari
| studio = [[Arbaaz Khan Productions]]
| distributor = [[Eros International]]
| released = {{Film date|df=yes|2012|12|21}}
| runtime = 123 minutes<ref>{{cite web |title=''DABANGG 2'' (12A) |url=http://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/dabangg-2-2012-0 |work=[[British Board of Film Classification]] |access-date=20 December 2012}}</ref>
| country = [[India]]
| language = [[Hindi]]
| budget = 
| gross = {{Estimation}} {{INR}}2.65 billion<ref name="Bollywood Hungama">{{Cite web |url=https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/dabangg-2/box-office/ |title=Dabangg 2 |website=[[Bollywood Hungama]] |archive-date=20 October 2018|url-status=dead|access-date=6 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181020185223/http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/dabangg-2/box-office/}}</ref>
}}

'''''Dabangg 2''''' ({{Translation|Fearless 2}}) is a 2012 Indian [[Hindi]]-language [[action comedy film]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.allmovie.com/movie/dabangg-2-v575019 |title=Dabangg 2 (2012) – Arbaaz Khan |website=[[AllMovie]]}}</ref> co-produced (with [[Malaika Arora]]) and directed by [[Arbaaz Khan]] in his directorial debut. Its story is set in [[Kanpur]] and written by Dilip Shukla. ''Dabangg 2'' serves as a sequel to the 2010 film ''[[Dabangg]]'' and is the second part in the highly successful ''[[Dabangg (film series)|Dabangg franchise]]''. It stars [[Salman Khan]], [[Sonakshi Sinha]], Arbaaz Khan, [[Mahie Gill]] and [[Vinod Khanna]] reprising their roles from ''Dabangg'', with [[Prakash Raj]] playing the antagonist replacing [[Sonu Sood]]. The supporting cast includes [[Nikitin Dheer]], [[Gireesh Sahdev]], [[Pankaj Tripathi]], [[Manoj Pahwa]] and [[Deepak Dobriyal]], with [[Manoj Joshi (actor)|Manoj Joshi]] and [[Tinnu Anand]] appearing in cameo roles.

The development of ''Dabangg 2'' commenced after the release of ''Dabangg''. [[Abhinav Kashyap]], who directed ''Dabangg'', refused to direct the film citing unknown reasons; following this, [[Arbaaz Khan]] decided to make his directorial debut. Filming for ''Dabangg 2'' began on 9 March 2012 in [[Mumbai]].

''Dabangg 2'' theatrically released in India on 21 December 2012 during the [[Christmases]] festival. It earned {{INRConvert|583|m}} [[nett]] in India within three days of its release to break the record of ''[[Ek Tha Tiger]]'', another film featuring Salman Khan. It opened to mixed reviews, with praise for its performances, action sequences and music, but criticism for its script, direction and screenplay. Overseas, it was heavily panned, particularly for the objectification of women.

''Dabangg 2'' grossed over {{INRConvert|2.52|b}} at the worldwide box office, becoming the second highest-grossing Bollywood film of 2012 behind ''Ek Tha Tiger'', and one of the [[List of highest-grossing Indian films|highest-grossing Indian films of all time]]. The film accumulated {{INRConvert|1.55|b}} nett and was termed a "blockbuster" by [[Box Office India]]. The third film in the franchise, ''[[Dabangg 3]]'', was released in December 2019.

==Plot==
The story carries on from the [[Dabangg (2010 film)|previous film]]— [[Chulbul Pandey (character)|Inspector Chulbul Pandey]]— in charge of a local police station in [[Kanpur]] and resides there with his wife Rajjo, half brother Makkhi and stepfather. A boy gets kidnapped from a school, therefore Chulbul deals with the problem. In Kanpur, an assassin murders a witness who is about to testify against a dreaded don. Chulbul tracks the assassin down, killing him at a [[coffeehouse]]. The don is Thakur Bachcha Singh, a struggling politician. After several public altercations, Bachcha's brother Genda convinces him to get rid of Pandey, threatening Chulbul's stepfather to kill his entire family if Chulbul keeps on interfering in Bachcha's criminal activities.

Genda harasses a girl, arriving at her wedding to kidnap her. Chulbul arrives at the wedding and asks Genda to leave. Genda refuses to comply and continues to insult Chulbul. Chulbul breaks his neck, leading to his death. In the meantime, his wife becomes pregnant, Pandey being advised by everybody to leave Bachcha alone for the sake of his family's safety. Bachcha, promising to avenge his brother's death, decides to do so before the election. He meets Rajjo and Makkhi while they are leaving a temple where Makkhi is shot by Bachcha, and Rajjo is pushed off the temple stairs. However, both of them survive, with Rajjo having a miscarriage and suffering a head injury.

Chulbul is enraged at the loss of his first child. He enters Bachcha's location and kills all of his henchman. He fighting him and gets him arrested, but when Bachcha tries to threaten him, he kills him instantly by grabbing a gun and shooting him with two bullets in the chest. Later, Chulbul and Rajjo have their first child, a baby boy. Right at the end, Chedi Singh's photographer (from the first film, Dabangg) arrives, asking for a family photo. They all laugh, and the photographer takes the picture.

==Cast==
{{colbegin}}
* [[Salman Khan]] as [[Chulbul Pandey]]
* [[Sonakshi Sinha]] as Rajjo Pandey
* [[Arbaaz Khan]] as Makhanchand "Makkhi" Pandey
* [[Prakash Raj]] as Thakur Bachcha Singh, a politician and the main antagonist
* [[Vinod Khanna]] as Prajapati Pandey
* [[Mahi Gill]] as Nirmala Pandey
* [[Nikitin Dheer]] as Chunni, the secondary antagonist
* [[Deepak Dobriyal]] as Genda Singh, Bachcha's brother
* [[Gireesh Sahedev]] as Inspector Siddique
* [[Manoj Pahwa]] as Commissioner SP Anand Mathur
* [[Asha Saini|Flora Asha Saini]] in a cameo as a reporter<ref>{{cite news |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-12-21/news-interviews/35952706_1_dabangg-2-flora-saini-telugu-film |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130413150718/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-12-21/news-interviews/35952706_1_dabangg-2-flora-saini-telugu-film |url-status=dead |archive-date=13 April 2013 |title=Flora Saini's comeback with Dabangg 2 |date=21 December 2012 |newspaper=[[The Times of India]] |access-date=26 December 2012}}</ref>
* [[Sandeepa Dhar]] as Anjali Prasad<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mid-day.com/entertainment/2012/dec/121212-Sandeepa-Dhar-on-sharing-screen-space-with-Salman.htm |title=Sandeepa Dhar on sharing screen space with Salman |publisher=Mid-day.com |date=12 December 2012 |access-date=26 December 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-12-17/news-interviews/35868428_1_dabangg-cameo-sandeepa-dhar |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105215705/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-12-17/news-interviews/35868428_1_dabangg-cameo-sandeepa-dhar |url-status=dead |archive-date=5 November 2013 |title=Sandeepa's cameo in Dabangg 2 |date=17 December 2012 |newspaper=[[The Times of India]] |access-date=26 December 2012}}</ref>
* [[Tinu Anand]] as the master in a special appearance
* [[Manoj Joshi (actor)|Manoj Joshi]] as a shopkeeper in a special appearance
* [[Nitesh Pandey]] as a doctor in a special appearance
* [[Pankaj Tripathi]] as Filawar
* [[Rashami Desai]] in a cameo appearance in song "Dagabaaz Re"
* [[Nandish Sandhu]] in a cameo appearance in song "Dagabaaz Re"
* [[Achyut Potdar]] as Beni Prasad, Anjali's grandfather
* [[Malaika Arora Khan]] as Munni, a [[go-go dancer]] in [[item number]] "Pandeyji Seeti"
* [[Kareena Kapoor]] as a go-go dancer [[item number]] "Fevicol Se"
{{colend}}

==Production==

===Development===
When director [[Abhinav Kashyap]] opted out of directing the sequel, Arbaaz Khan himself decided to helm the film.<ref group =d>{{cite news |title=It's official! Arbaaz Khan to direct Dabangg 2 |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/Entertainment/Bollywood/It-s-official-Arbaaz-Khan-to-direct-Dabangg-2/Article1-669049.aspx |newspaper=[[Hindustan Times]] |access-date=3 March 2011 |date=3 March 2011 |agency=Indo-Asian News Service}}</ref> Prakash Raj was confirmed to have been chosen to play the main villain.<ref group =d>{{cite news |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/Entertainment/Bollywood/Prakash-Raj-main-villain-of-Dabangg-2-Arbaaz/Article1-761746.aspx |title=Prakash Raj main villain of Dabangg 2: Arbaaz |newspaper=[[Hindustan Times]] |access-date=20 December 2011 |date=27 October 2011 |agency=Indo-Asian News Service}}</ref> [[Kareena Kapoor]] has chosen to play an item number in the film,<ref group =d>{{cite news |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-11-21/news-interviews/35256972_1_kareena-kapoor-dabangg-manish-malhotra |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130412231452/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-11-21/news-interviews/35256972_1_kareena-kapoor-dabangg-manish-malhotra |url-status=dead |archive-date=12 April 2013 |work=[[The Times of India]] |title=Dabangg 2: Kareena to play the new Munni |access-date=21 November 2012 }}</ref><ref group =d>{{cite news |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-07-27/news-interviews/32888218_1_dabangg-kareena-kapoor-new-item-girl |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130413060338/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-07-27/news-interviews/32888218_1_dabangg-kareena-kapoor-new-item-girl |url-status=dead |archive-date=13 April 2013 |work=[[The Times of India]] |title=Kareena is Salman's new item girl for Dabangg 2. The Teaser will release on November 9th with salman khan's Bigg Boss. The trailer will be released on 10 November and will also officially released with Jab Tak Hai Jaan. The music launch on November 15th. |date=27 July 2012 }}</ref> despite initial reports considering [[Katrina Kaif]] for the role.<ref group =d>{{cite news |url=http://daily.bhaskar.com/article/ENT-katrina-kaif-in-dabangg-2-3054716.html |title=Katrina Kaif in Dabangg 2? |work=Dainik Bhaskar |date=19 March 2012 |access-date=11 May 2012}}</ref>

In Feb 2012, it was reported that distribution rights were sold to [[UTV Motion Pictures]] for a price of {{INR}} 1.40 billion, the highest for a Bollywood film till date.<ref group =d>{{cite news |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-02-06/news-interviews/31030191_1_salman-khan-s-dabangg-2-raone-eros-international |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130323072813/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-02-06/news-interviews/31030191_1_salman-khan-s-dabangg-2-raone-eros-international |url-status=dead |archive-date=23 March 2013 |title="Dabangg 2" sold for 140 cr |access-date=13 February 2012 |date=6 February 2010 |first=Meena |work=[[The Times of India]] |last=Iyer}}</ref> But later [[UTV Motion Pictures]] reported the news as completely fake & nonsense. UTV Motion Pictures has brushed aside rumours of purchasing the rights of the sequel to Salman Khan-Sonakshi Sinha starrer, ''Dabangg 2'' for {{INR}} 1.40 billion.<ref group =d>{{cite news |url=http://movies.ndtv.com/movie_story.aspx?Section=Movies&ID=173993&subcatg=&keyword=Bollywood&nid=173993 |title=UTV denies buying Dabangg 2 rights |publisher=[[NDTV]] |access-date=14 September 2012 |date=7 February 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121206233059/http://movies.ndtv.com/movie_story.aspx?Section=Movies&ID=173993&subcatg=&keyword=Bollywood&nid=173993|archive-date=6 December 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>
The national emblem framed on the wall of Chulbul Pandey's police station was depicted incorrectly. Sensitive to the slightest abnormality pertaining to national sentiments, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has asked producer-director Arbaaz Khan to simply blur the corner of the film's frames where the national emblem appears.<ref group =d>{{cite web |url=http://movies.ndtv.com/movie_story.aspx?section=Movies&Id=307638&keyword=bollywood&subcatg=MOVIESINDIA&nid=307638 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130129200302/http://movies.ndtv.com/movie_story.aspx?section=Movies&Id=307638&keyword=bollywood&subcatg=MOVIESINDIA&nid=307638 |url-status=dead |archive-date=29 January 2013 |title=National emblem to be blurred in Dabangg 2 scenes |publisher=Movies.ndtv.com |date=20 December 2012 |access-date=26 December 2012}}</ref>

===Filming===
Shooting for the film began in March 2012.<ref group =f>{{cite news |url=http://entertainment.oneindia.in/bollywood/news/2011/salman-sonakshi-shoot-dabangg-2-march-2012-181011.html |title=Salman-Sonakshi shooting for Dabangg 2 in March 2012 |work=[[Oneindia]] |access-date=20 December 2011 |date=18 October 2011}}</ref> The producers announced plans to shoot the film in [[Kanpur]].<ref group =f>{{cite news |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/news-interviews/Chulbul-Pandey-in-Kanpur/articleshow/11554042.cms |title=Chulbul Pandey in Kanpur? |work=Times of India |access-date=24 February 2012 |date=20 January 2012 |first=Sumit |last=Jha}}</ref> A set depicting the city of Kanpur was created at the Kamalistan Studios in Mumbai, where the first schedule of the film was shot.<ref group =f name=IE1/> The entire studio was rented for the film, making it a first in Bollywood.<ref group =f>{{cite news |url=http://movies.ndtv.com/playvideo.aspx?id=225924&type=&pagenum=3 |title=Salman begins shooting for Dabangg 2 |publisher=[[NDTV]] |date=9 March 2012 |access-date=18 March 2012}}{{Dead link|date=August 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The phase consisted of shooting a [[qawwali]] song under [[Neon lighting|neon lights]].<ref group =f>{{cite web |url=http://entertainment.oneindia.in/bollywood/news/2012/salman-khan-sonakshi-sinha-dabangg-2-qawwali-120412.html |title=Salman Khan films a Qawwali with Sonakshi Sinha for Dabangg 2 |publisher=Oneindia.in |date=12 April 2012 |access-date=11 May 2012}}</ref> Following the shoot, filming is expected to take place in film city in Mumbai. The last schedule has been planned to be shot at Satara.<ref group =f name=IE1>{{cite web |url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Kanpur-recreated-in-Mumbai-for-Dabangg-2/921310/ |title=Kanpur recreated in Mumbai for Dabangg 2 |work=Indian Express |date=9 March 2012 |access-date=11 May 2012}}</ref> Three days after the film went on floors, it was reported that Salman Khan replaced cinematographer, [[K. K. Senthil Kumar]], with Aseem Kumar. A song titled "Fevicol Se" was choreographed as a dance number and considered as an equivalent to "[[Munni Badnaam Hui]]" from prequel. Reports indicating that Salman would essay an important involvement in the director's role were dismissed by Arbaaz.<ref group =f>{{cite news |author=Subhash K Jha, Mumbai Mirror |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-04-07/news-interviews/31304526_1_arbaaz-khan-dabangg-salman-khan |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130323085719/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-04-07/news-interviews/31304526_1_arbaaz-khan-dabangg-salman-khan |url-status=dead |archive-date=23 March 2013 |title=Dabangg 2 is my baby: Arbaaz Khan |date=7 April 2012 |work=[[The Times of India]] |access-date=11 May 2012}}</ref> ''Dabangg 2'' was produced on a budget of {{INR|560 million}}; {{INR}}170 million were spent on marketing costs of the film.

==Pre-release business==
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin:auto; margin:auto;"
|+'''''Dabangg 2'' Pre-release business<ref>{{cite news |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-12-02/news-interviews/35529846_1_satellite-rights-salman-khan-s-dabangg-ek-tha-tiger |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130323083020/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-12-02/news-interviews/35529846_1_satellite-rights-salman-khan-s-dabangg-ek-tha-tiger |url-status=dead |archive-date=23 March 2013 |title=Salman Khan's 'Dabangg 2' valued at 180 crores |access-date=10 December 2011 |work=[[The Times of India]] |date=10 December 2012}}</ref>'''
! Territories and ancillary revenues
! Price
|-
| Satellite rights with a TV channel
| {{INRConvert|450|m}}
|-
| Overseas & home video rights with [[Eros International]]
| {{INRConvert|200|m}}
|-
| Music rights (T-Series)
|{{INRConvert|100|m}}
|-
|Total
|{{INRConvert|750|m}}
|-
|}
* The figures don't include the Print and Advertising (P&A) costs.

==Soundtrack==
{{Infobox album|||
| name = Dabangg 2
| type = Soundtrack
| artist = [[Sajid–Wajid]]
| cover =
| alt =
| released = {{Start date|df=yes|2012|11|09}}
| recorded =
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = [[Film soundtrack]]
| length = 31:09
| label = [[T-Series (company)|T-Series]]
| producer =
| prev_title = [[Son of Sardaar]]
| prev_year = 2012
| next_title = [[Himmatwala (2013 film)|Himmatwala]]
| next_year = 2013
}}

The songs are composed by [[Sajid–Wajid]] while the lyrics were penned by [[Jalees Sherwani]], Irfan Kamal, and [[Sameer Anjaan|Sameer]]. The [[film score]] is composed by [[Sandeep Shirodkar]]. The full soundtrack album was released on 9 November 2012.

"Pandeyji Seeti" appears to be inspired by the song "Chalat Musafir" from the film ''[[Teesri Kasam]]'' (1966), which in turn was inspired by a [[Music of Bihar|Bihari folk song]], and added little sample of previous song [[Munni Badnaam Hui]], which this song "Pandeyji Seeti", became sequel of this song<ref>{{cite news |title=Badrinath Ki Dulhaniya title song inspired ! |url=https://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report-badrinath-ki-dulhaniya-title-song-inspired-2316693 |access-date=18 April 2019 |work=[[Daily News and Analysis]] |date=9 February 2017}}</ref> In turn, "Pandeyji Seeti" itself appears to have inspired the song "Badri Ki Dulhania" in the film ''[[Badrinath Ki Dulhania]]'' (2017).<ref>{{cite news |title='Badrinath Ki Dulhania' trailer a mashup of old and new songs |url=http://www.radioandmusic.com/entertainment/editorial/news/170202-badrinath-ki-dulhania-trailer-mashup-old-and |access-date=18 April 2019 |work=RadioAndMusic.com |date=2 February 2017}}</ref> The song "Fevicol Se", which showed Kareena Kapoor, sung by same singer Mamta Sharma.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/bollywood/it-s-serious-shabana-azmi-slams-kareena-s-dabangg-item-number-fevicol-se/story-JWt2GkOxs4D6ThZp5fu5MM.html |title=It's serious: Shabana Azmi slams Kareena's Dabangg song Fevicol se |work=Hindustan Times |date=10 March 2016 |language=en |access-date=7 November 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.deccanchronicle.com/lifestyle/viral-and-trending/110817/girls-are-no-cinderellas.html%5D%3C/ref%3E%3Cref%3E%5Bhttp://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-11-21/news-interviews/35256972_1_kareena-kapoor-dabangg-manish-malhotra |title=Girls are no Cinderellas |language=en |work=[[The Times of India]] |access-date=7 November 2018}}</ref>

===Track listing===
{{Track listing
| extra_column = Singer(s)
| title1 = Dagabaaz Re
| extra1 = [[Rahat Fateh Ali Khan]], [[Shreya Ghoshal]], [[Shadab Faridi]]
| lyrics1 = [[Sameer (lyricist)|Sameer]]
| length1 = 4:47
| title2 =
| extra2 =
| lyrics2 =
| length2 =
| title3 = Fevicol Se
| extra3 = Wajid, [[Mamta Sharma]], Shreya Ghoshal
| lyrics3 = [[Sajid–Wajid]], Ashraf Ali
| length3 = 4:49
| title4 = Saanson Ne
| extra4 = [[Sonu Nigam]], [[Tulsi Kumar]]
| lyrics4 = Irfan Kamal
| length4 = 4:49
| title5 = Dabangg Reloaded
| extra5 = [[Sukhwinder Singh]]
| lyrics5 = Jalees Sherwani
| length5 = 4.05
| title6 = PandeyJee Seeti
| note6 = Remix
| extra6 = Mamta Sharma, Wajid, Shreya Ghoshal
| lyrics6 = Jalees Sherwani
| length6 = 4:29
| title7 = Fevicol Se
| note7 = Remix
| extra7 = [[Mamta Sharma]], Wajid
| lyrics7 = Sajid-Wajid, Ashraf Ali
| length7 = 4:17
| title8 = Dabangg Reloaded
| note8 = Remix
| extra8 = Sukhwinder Singh
| lyrics8 = Irfan Kamal
| length8 = 4:04
| title9 =
| extra9 =
| lyrics9 =
| length9 =
| all_writing =
| title10 =
| length10 =
| title11 =
| length11 =
| title12 =
| length12 =
| title13 =
| length13 =
| title14 =
| length14 =
| title15 =
| length15 =
| title16 =
| length16 =
| title17 =
| length17 =
| title18 =
| length18 =
| title19 =
| length19 =
| title20 =
| length20 =
| total_length =
}}

==Marketing==
The first look of the film was unveiled on 19 October 2012 and theatrical trailer was launched on 20 October 2012 at Salman Khan's reality show ''[[Bigg Boss (Hindi season 6)|Bigg Boss 6]]''. Chulbul Pandey, Khan's character in ''Dabangg 2'' appeared in [[StarPlus]] soap [[Diya Aur Baati Hum]] to promote the film. It aired on 12 and 13 December 2012.<ref group =m>{{cite web |url=http://daily.bhaskar.com/article/ENT-after-aamir-and-shah-rukh-salman-promotes-dabangg-2-on-diya-aur-baati-hum-4102269-NOR.html |title=After Aamir & SRK, Salman to be part of 'Diya Aur Baati Hum' |publisher=daily.bhaskar.com |date=6 December 2012 |access-date=26 December 2012}}</ref><ref group =m>{{cite web |url=http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/diya-aur-baati-hum-salman-khan-to-meet-suraj-sandhya-to-promote-dabangg-2/ |title=Diya Aur Baati Hum: Salman Khan to meet Suraj-Sandhya to promote Dabangg 2 |date=12 December 2012 |publisher=Bollywoodlife.com |access-date=26 December 2012}}</ref> Salman and Sonakshi promoted the film on the sets of ''Sa Re Ga Ma Pa''. ''Dabangg 2'' was screened at the Ketnav theatre in [[Khar, Mumbai|Khar]], a western Mumbai suburb, on 17 December 2012.<ref group =m>{{cite web |url=http://www.rediff.com/movies/slide-show/slide-show-1-pix-stars-at-dabangg-2-screening/20121218.htm |title=PIX: Stars At The Dabangg 2 Screening – Rediff.com Movies |work=Rediff.com |date=18 December 2012 |access-date=26 December 2012}}</ref><ref group =m>{{cite web |url=http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/more/photos/view/stills/parties-and-events/id/1632598 |title=Arbaaz Khan & others at 'Dabangg 2' screening | Bollywood Photos | Celebrity Photos | Actor & Actress Photos | Celebrity Photo Shoot |publisher=Bollywood Hungama |access-date=26 December 2012}}</ref><ref group =m>{{cite web |first=Manav |last=Manglani |url=http://www.koimoi.com/photos/dabangg-2-special-screening |title=Dabangg 2 Special Screening |publisher=Koimoi.com |access-date=26 December 2012}}</ref><ref group =m>{{cite web |url=http://ibnlive.in.com/photogallery/8115.html#8115-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121221085846/http://ibnlive.in.com/photogallery/8115.html#8115-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=21 December 2012 |title=Bollywood celebrities at 'Dabangg 2' screening: Movies News Photos-IBNLive |publisher=Ibnlive.in.com |access-date=26 December 2012}}</ref> A ''Dabangg 2'' special screening was done for the star kids on 19 December 2012.<ref group =m>{{cite web |url=http://ibnlive.in.com/photogallery/8117.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121231173954/http://ibnlive.in.com/photogallery/8117.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=31 December 2012 |title='Dabangg 2' special screening: Star kids watch it ahead of the country: Movies News Photos-IBNLive |publisher=Ibnlive.in.com |date=19 December 2012 |access-date=26 December 2012}}</ref> Another premiere was held on 20 December 2012 in which [[Aamir Khan]] also attended.<ref group =m>{{cite web |url=http://www.rediff.com/movies/slide-show/slide-show-1-pix-arbaaz-salim-khan-at-dabangg-2-premiere/20121221.htm |title=PIX: Salman, Aamir, Sonakshi at Dabangg 2 premiere – Rediff.com Movies |work=Rediff.com |date=21 December 2012 |access-date=26 December 2012}}</ref>

==Release==
''Dabangg 2'' released in 3500 screens in India and 450 screens overseas on 21 December 2012.<ref group =re>{{cite web |title=B.O. update: 'Dabangg 2' all set to create history! |url=http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/trade/update/id/303/date/2012-12-21 |publisher=[[Bollywood Hungama]]}}</ref><ref group =re>{{cite web |url=http://www.ibtimes.co.in/articles/416313/20121218/salman-khan-s-dabangg-2-set-thunderous.htm |title=Salman Khan's 'Dabangg 2' Set for Thunderous Opening; Will It be Biggest Blockbuster of All Time? – International Business Times |publisher=Ibtimes.co.in |access-date=26 December 2012}}</ref><ref group =b name="dayone">{{cite web |title=Dabangg 2 First Day Business |url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=5217&nCat= |publisher=Boxofficeindia |access-date=22 December 2012}}</ref> The film was made on a budget of {{INRConvert|650|m}} including prints and advertising. This figure does not include Salman Khan's fee which can go as high as the budget of the film itself. ''Dabangg 2'' had the highest screen count for any film in India and worldwide, surpassing that of ''Ek Tha Tiger''. The trailers for ''[[Kai Po Che!]]'' and ''[[Bhaag Milkha Bhaag]]'' were released with ''Dabangg 2''.<ref group =re>{{cite news |title=Kai Po Che' trailer to be released with Salman Khan's 'Dabanng 2 |url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/kai-po-che-trailer-to-be-released-with-salman-khans-dabanng-2/310469-8-66.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121217030539/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/kai-po-che-trailer-to-be-released-with-salman-khans-dabanng-2/310469-8-66.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 December 2012 |access-date=14 December 2012 |newspaper=IBNLive}}</ref><ref group =re>{{cite news |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-12-18/news-interviews/35889858_1_dabangg-2-arbaaz-khan-trailers |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105215715/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-12-18/news-interviews/35889858_1_dabangg-2-arbaaz-khan-trailers |url-status=dead |archive-date=5 November 2013 |title='Bhaag Milkha...', 'Kai Po Che' trailers to go with 'Dabangg 2' |date=18 December 2012 |newspaper=[[The Times of India]] |access-date=26 December 2012}}</ref>

===Controversy===
Chief judicial magistrate (CJM), Muzaffarpur has ordered to lodge an FIR against seven artists of ''Dabangg 2'', including Salman Khan, Arbaaz Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Sonakshi Sinha, and others under Section 156 (clause 3) of the CrPC and submit a report within a week in connection with a complaint filed against a song "Fevicol...." in Hindi movie ''Dabangg 2''. The complainant filed the case demanding a ban on the song immediately, claiming that such songs are likely to fuel sexual harassment and misbehaviour against girls at a time when the entire nation was experiencing an unprecedented shame due to the [[2012 Delhi gang rape|recent gang rape and death of a 23-year-old girl in Delhi.]]<ref name="fevicol">{{cite news |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-01-03/patna/36130274_1_cjm-orders-fir-dabangg-arbaaz-khan |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105215702/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-01-03/patna/36130274_1_cjm-orders-fir-dabangg-arbaaz-khan |url-status=dead |archive-date=5 November 2013 |title=CJM orders FIR against Dabangg 2 cast |date=3 January 2013 |work=[[The Times of India]] |access-date=3 January 2013}}</ref>

==Critical reception==

Dabangg 2 received mixed reviews from critics. [[Taran Adarsh]] of [[Bollywood Hungama]] gave the film 4 out of 5 stars and said "''Dabangg 2'' has Salman Khan, Salman Khan and Salman Khan plus entertainment, entertainment and entertainment in large doses".<ref group=r name="Taran Review">{{cite web |url=http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/moviemicro/criticreview/id/542696 |title=Dabangg 2 Review |first=Taran |last=Adarsh |publisher=Bollywood Hungama |access-date=21 December 2012}}{{Rating|4|5}}</ref> Resham Sengar of [[Zee TV]] rated the film 3.5 out of 5 stars, noting "But the actor cum director has kept the standards of the film intact like a pro. So much so that it was hard to believe that a newbie in film making has directed the film. So, go on and book your ticket to enjoy this paisa vasool film with your friends and family and don't forget to grab a tub of popcorn".<ref group=r name="Zee Review">{{cite web |url=http://zeenews.india.com/entertainment/bollywood/dabangg-2-review-salman-kungfu-pandey-lives-up-to-the-hype_124844.htm |title=Dabangg 2 Review |first=Resham |last=Sengar |publisher=Zee TV |access-date=21 December 2012}}{{Rating|3.5|5}}</ref> Srijana Mitra Das of ''[[The Times of India]]'' gave the film 3.5 out of 5 stars and praised the overall style.<ref group =r name=Srijana>{{cite news |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/hindi/Dabangg-2/movie-review/17705636.cms |title=Dabangg 2 movie review |newspaper=Times of India |date=21 December 2012 |access-date=26 December 2012}}</ref> ''[[Mid-Day]]'' gave it 3 out of 5 stars and said the film was a treat for diehard Salman Khan fans.<ref group =r>{{cite web |url=http://www.mid-day.com/entertainment/2012/dec/211212-Dabangg-2-movie-review-Salman-Khan.htm |title=Movie review: 'Dabangg 2' – Kung fu Pandey in action |publisher=Mid-day.com |date=21 December 2012 |access-date=26 December 2012}}</ref> Rubina Khan of [[First Post (India)|First Post India]] gave the film 3 out of 5 stars and said it didn't matter what score she gave the film, it would still do great business.<ref group =r>{{cite web |first=Rubina A |last=Khan |url=http://www.firstpost.com/bollywood/movie-review-dabangg-2-should-have-been-titled-chulbul-pandey-565949.html |title=Movie Review: Dabangg 2 should have been titled Chulbul Pandey! |publisher=Firstpost |date=21 December 2012 |access-date=26 December 2012}}</ref> ''[[Filmfare]]'' stated "''Dabangg 2'' is a fanboy's dream and wouldn't disappoint the first comer either".<ref group =r>{{cite web |title=Movie Review Dabangg 2: Kung Fu Pandey rules! |url=http://www.filmfare.com/reviews/movie-review-dabangg-2-kung-fu-pandey-rules-1980.html |publisher=filmfare.com |access-date=21 December 2012}}</ref>

Saibal Chatterjee of [[NDTV]] gave the film a score 2.5 out of 5 stars reviewing "This film might also end up raking in a much larger box office booty than ''Dabangg'' did, but assessed strictly as a pure entertainer designed for instant mass gratification, it isn't half as successful. Unfortunately, the ''Dabangg 2'' screenplay is devoid of any fresh ideas".<ref group =r>{{cite web |title=Saibal Chatterjee review |url=http://movies.ndtv.com/movie_Review.aspx?id=766&ch=535e352345345r |publisher=ndtv |access-date=19 December 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121221202733/http://movies.ndtv.com/movie_Review.aspx?id=766|archive-date=21 December 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> Gaurav Malani, also from ''[[The Times of India]]'' gave the film a mixed review and recommended skipping it by "watching reruns of ''Dabangg'' on television".<ref group =r>{{cite news |last=Malani |first=Gaurav |title=Dabangg 2: reboot over a sequel |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-12-21/news-interviews/35952987_1_arbaaz-khan-chulbul-pandey-dabangg |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130323055508/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-12-21/news-interviews/35952987_1_arbaaz-khan-chulbul-pandey-dabangg |url-status=dead |archive-date=23 March 2013 |work=[[The Times of India]] |access-date=28 December 2012}}</ref> Raja Sen of [[Rediff]] gave it 2.5 out of 5 stars and felt ''Dabangg 2'' was less unwatchable than its predecessor and it had "absolutely nothing new to offer, and nothing to remember, quote or take away from the theatre".<ref group =r>{{cite web |url=http://www.rediff.com/movies/review/review-dabangg-2-is-better-then-the-first/20121221.htm |title=Raja Sen review |work=Rediff.com |access-date=21 December 2012}}{{Rating|2.5|5}}</ref> ''[[The Indian Express]]'' rated the film 2.5 out of 5 stars and said "Arbaaz should have given himself some more time" to make the film watchable.<ref group =r>{{cite web |url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/review-dabangg-2/1048564/0 |title=Review: Dabangg 2 |work=Indian Express |date=21 December 2012 |access-date=26 December 2012}}</ref> ''[[Stardust (magazine)|Stardust]]'' publishers Manga gave the film 2.5 out of 5 stars also calling it a "one-time watch potboiler". [[Anupama Chopra]] of the ''[[Hindustan Times]]'' gave the film 2.5 out of 5 stars and said ''Dabangg 2'' does not match "the zing of the original" and "there wasn't one line that stayed with me after the film".<ref group =r>{{cite web |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/Entertainment/Reviews/Anupama-Chopra-s-review-Dabangg-2/Article1-979161.aspx |title=Anupama Chopra's review: Dabangg 2 |work=Hindustan Times |date=21 December 2012 |access-date=26 December 2012}}</ref> [[Rajeev Masand]] of [[CNN-IBN]] gave the film 2.5 out of 5 stars and stated what the "film needed was personality and character, what it's left with is sameness. But that's probably enough for Salman Khan fans".

Aniruddha Guha also of ''DNA India'' rated the film 2 out of 5 stars and called it "wannabe-''Dabangg''".<ref group =r>{{cite web |url=http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/review_aniruddha-guha-review-dabangg-2-wannabe-dabangg_1780157 |title=Aniruddha Guha review: Dabangg 2: Wannabe-Dabangg – Entertainment – DNA |publisher=Dnaindia.com |date=21 December 2012 |access-date=26 December 2012}}</ref> After giving it a 2 out of 5 stars, the ''[[Daily Bhaskar]]'' panned ''Dabangg 2'' by saying "you'd feel like a moron spending the last day on planet Earth filling your mind and lowering your IQ with rubbish like this".<ref group =r>[http://mdaily.bhaskar.com/article/top-stories/4444/t/320/ENT-movie-review-dabanng-2-4121241-NOR.html Movie review: Dabangg 2]</ref> Business of Cinema gave the film 2 out of 5 stars and said it was a copy of the original and offered nothing new.<ref group =r>{{cite web |url=http://businessofcinema.com/reviews/review-arbaaz-khans-dabangg-2-doesnt-live-up-to-abhinav-kashyaps-dabangg/56246 |title=REVIEW: Arbaaz Khan's 'Dabangg 2' Doesnt Live Up To Abhinav Kashyap's 'Dabangg' |publisher=Businessofcinema.com |access-date=26 December 2012}}</ref> [[Reuters]] gave it a negative review and raised objections to the content and said the film "objectified women in the worst way possible".<ref group =r>{{cite news |url=http://in.mobile.reuters.com/article/idINDEE8BK04420121221?irpc=932 |title=MOVIE REVIEW – Dabangg 2: A sequel that doesn't take it forward |publisher=In.mobile.reuters.com |access-date=26 December 2012}}</ref> Sanjukta Sharma from ''[[Live Mint]]'' (''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'') said "''Dabangg 2'' is a disappointment. It had nothing to keep me engaged".<ref group =r>{{cite web |first=Sanjukta |last=Sharma |url=http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/f4JMaMcj278vsZyrtlWfIK/Film-Review--Dabangg-2.html |title=Film Review | Dabangg 2 |publisher=Livemint |date=21 December 2012 |access-date=26 December 2012}}</ref>

[[IGN]] gave the film 4.5 out of 10 stars and criticized the weak script and direction. Mufaddal Fakhruddin wrote, "the screenplay and script are majorly lacking, and whatever story it does have is stretched out in a way that it becomes blatantly obvious. There were a number of times where I went, "why did I just watch this scene?". ''Dabangg 2'' felt lost. They say not all those who wander are lost, but ''Dabangg 2'' actually is.<ref group =r name="IGN Review">{{cite web |url=http://me.ign.com/en/review/6476/Dabangg-2-Review |title=Dabangg 2 Review |first=Mufaddal |last=Fakhruddin |publisher=IGN |access-date=21 December 2012}}{{Rating|4.5|10}}</ref> [[Digital Spy]] gave the film 2 out of 5 stars and objected to the content. Priya Joshi wrote, "Khan revels in the shameless display of narcissism, but there is little to commend the performance. The dialog is trite, there is no depth to the characters, and most of the effort has been applied to the elaborate fight sequences. With the emphasis on violence and the objectifying of women, it's a step back in time, where the women are either dutiful, temple-going housewives or cleavage-baring prostitutes". Joshi recommended skipping the film and added instead of watching it, we could "use the time, perhaps more wisely, pondering whether we have enough brussels for Christmas dinner".<ref group =r>{{cite web |url=http://m.digitalspy.com/bollywood/review/a446916/dabangg-2-review-a-testosterone-fuelled-salman-khan-fest.html |title='Dabangg 2' review: 'A testosterone-fuelled Salman Khan fest' – Bollywood Review – Digital Spy |publisher=M.digitalspy.com |date=22 December 2012 |access-date=26 December 2012}}</ref> Asian review website Wogma rated the film 1.18 out of 5 and criticized all aspects, from direction to performances by the lead actors. The reviewer broke down the rating of the film and gave "1 out of 5 for direction, 1 out of 5 for the story, 1 out of 5 for lead actors performances, 2 out of 5 for character artists, 2 out of 5 for dialogues, 1 out of 5 for screenplay, 1.5 out of 5 for the music, and 1 out of 5 for lyrics". Simon Abrams of ''[[The Village Voice]]'' said "before they really screw up [the film], ''Dabangg 2'''s creators do a good job of not taking themselves too seriously".<ref group =r>{{cite web |author=Abrams, Simon |url=http://www.villagevoice.com/2012-12-19/film/dabangg-2/ |title=Dabangg 2 – Page 1 – Movies – New York |publisher=Village Voice |date=19 December 2012 |access-date=26 December 2012}}</ref> Trisha Gupta from First Post International said the film was a rehash of ''Dabangg''.<ref group =r>[http://m.firstpost.com/bollywood/movie-review-in-dabangg-2-salman-stuck-to-old-tics-fevicol-se-566300.html?page=3 Movie Review: In Dabangg 2, Salman stuck to old tics Fevicol se]</ref> Instead of giving a review, the ''New York Daily Times'' objected to the content of the film. Quoting William Nicholas Gomes, a visiting fellow at the [[University of York]], they said ''Dabangg 2'' "glorified the practice of torture by police forces" and would "raise wider public support in favour of torture and ill treatment [of prisoners] in custody".<ref group =r>{{cite news |url=http://india.nydailynews.com/entertainmentarticle/8f9d0002703a7e137c2c3f24eb4be648/dabangg-2-promotes-torture-william-nicholas-gomes |title=Dabangg 2 promotes torture: William Nicholas Gomes – NY Daily News | NewsCred SmartWire |publisher=India.nydailynews.com |access-date=26 December 2012 |location=New York |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121231213437/http://india.nydailynews.com/entertainmentarticle/8f9d0002703a7e137c2c3f24eb4be648/dabangg-2-promotes-torture-william-nicholas-gomes |archive-date=31 December 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Accolades==
{{unreferenced section|date=December 2019}}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Distributor
! Date aired
! Category
! Recipient
! Result
|-
| rowspan="2" | [[Zee Cine Awards]]
| rowspan="2" | 20 January 2013
| Zee Cine Award for Best Actor – Male|Best Actor (Male)
| [[Salman Khan]]
| rowspan="1" {{nom}}
|-
| Best Actor- Male (Viewer's Choice)
| Salman Khan
| rowspan="1" {{won}}
|-
| rowspan="10" | [[Colors Screen Awards]]
| rowspan="10" | 19 January 2013
| Best Actor (Male)
| Salman Khan
| rowspan="9" {{nom}}
|-
| Best Actor in a Negative Role (Male/Female)
| Deepak Dobriyal
|-
| Promising Debut Director
| [[Arbaaz Khan]]
|-
| Best Music
| Sajid-Wajid
|-
| Best Playback Singer (Female)
| Mamta Sharma ("Fevicol", ''Dabangg 2'')
|-
| Best Lyrics
| Sameer Anjaan ("Dagabaaz re", ''Dabangg 2'')
|-
| Best Dialogue
| Dilip Shukla (Dabangg 2)
|-
| Best Choreography
| [[Chinni Prakash]] ("Pandeyji seeti bajaaye", ''Dabangg 2'') Farah Khan ("Fevicol", ''Dabangg 2'')
|-
| Best Action
| A Arasukumar (''Dabangg 2'')
|-
| Best Actor (Popular Choice)
| Salman Khan
| rowspan="1" {{won}}
|-
| rowspan="3" | [[Mirchi Music Awards]]
| rowspan="3" | [[5th Mirchi Music Awards|3 March 2013]]
| [[Mirchi Music Award for Song of The Year|Song of The Year]]
| "Dagabaaz Re"
| rowspan="3" {{nom}}
|-
| [[Mirchi Music Award for Lyricist of The Year|Lyricist of The Year]]
| [[Sameer Anjaan]] ("Dagabaaz Re")
|-
| Raag-Inspired Song of the Year
| "Dagabaaz Re"
|-
| rowspan="1" | [[Filmfare Awards]]
| rowspan="1" | 20 January 2013
| [[Filmfare Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
| [[Salman Khan]]
| rowspan="1" {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="3" | Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, India
| rowspan="3" | 2013
| Best Actor
| [[Salman Khan]]
| rowspan="3" {{nom}}
|-
| Best Actress
| [[Sonakshi Sinha]]
|-
| Best Film
| ''Dabangg 2''
|-
| rowspan="10" | [[Screen Awards]]
| rowspan="10" | 2013
| [[Screen Award for Best Actor (Popular Choice)|Best Actor – Popular Choice]]
| [[Salman Khan]] for ''Dabangg 2'' and ''[[Ek Tha Tiger]]''
| rowspan="1" {{won}}
|-
| [[Screen Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
| [[Salman Khan]]
| rowspan="9" {{nom}}
|-
| [[Screen Award for Best Music Director|Best Music Director]]
| [[Sajid–Wajid]]
|-
| [[Screen Award for Best Female Playback|Best Female Playback Singer]]
| [[Mamta Sharma]] for ''Fevicol Se''
|-
| Most Promising Debut Director
| [[Arbaaz Khan]]
|-
| [[Screen Award for Best Villain|Best Villain]]
| Deepak Dobriyal
|-
| rowspan="2" | Best Choreography
| Chinni Prakash for ''PandeyJee Seeti''
|-
| [[Farah Khan]] for ''Fevicol Se''
|-
| [[Screen Award for Best Dialogue|Best Dialogue]]
| Dilip Shukla
|-
| Best Action
| Anl Arasu for ''Dabangg 2'' and ''[[Rowdy Rathore]]''
|}

==Box office==

===India===

''Dabangg 2'' was the second-highest grosser of the year behind ''[[Ek Tha Tiger]]''. It netted {{INRConvert|220|m}} on its opening day, the biggest non-holiday opener beating the previous record held by ''[[Rowdy Rathore]]''.<ref group=b name="dayone" /> On its second day however, the film witnessed a drop due to "excessive screenings and cold weather" but still collected around {{INRConvert|180|m}}.<ref group=b>{{cite web |title=Dabangg 2 Second Day Business |url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=5220&nCat= |publisher=Boxofficeindia |access-date=23 December 2012}}</ref> The film's business grew on Sunday and it collected {{INRConvert|285|m}}, taking the first weekend total to {{INRConvert|693|m}}, beating the previous three-day record set by ''[[khiladi 786]]''.<ref group=b name=weekend>{{cite web |title=Dabangg 2 Has Strong Sunday |url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=5227&nCat= |access-date=23 December 2012}}</ref><ref group =b>{{cite web |url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=5231&nCat= |title=Boxofficeindia.com |publisher=Boxofficeindia.com |access-date=26 December 2012}}</ref> After a successful weekend, the film had a strong Monday where it made {{INRConvert|120|m}}, beating the previous record held by ''[[Dabangg]]''.<ref group=b>{{cite web |title=Dabangg 2 Has Strong Monday |url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=5235&nCat= |publisher=Boxofficeindia |access-date=25 December 2012}}</ref> ''Dabangg 2'' collected around {{INRConvert|150|m}} on Tuesday ([[Christmas]] day).<ref group=b>{{cite web |title=Dabangg 2 Collects 15 Crore On Christmas Day |url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=5237&nCat= |publisher=Boxofficeindia |access-date=26 December 2012}}</ref><ref group=b name="Five days domestic">{{cite web |title=Five Day Comparison: Dabangg 2 v Ek Tha Tiger |url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=5238&nCat= |publisher=Boxofficeindia |access-date=26 December 2012}}</ref> ''Dabangg 2'' netted around {{INRConvert|77.5|m}} on Wednesday.<ref group="b" name="Five days domestic" /> The film collected {{INRConvert|60|m}} on Thursday, bringing the first week total to {{INRConvert|990|m}}.<ref group=b name="first week domestic" >{{cite web |title=Dabangg 2 Has Excellent First Week |url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=5242&nCat= |publisher=Boxofficeindia |access-date=28 December 2012}}</ref> The film collected {{INRConvert|200|m}} in its second weekend taking the film's collections to {{INRConvert|1.19|b}}.<ref group=b>{{cite web |title=Dabangg 2 Has 21 Crore Nett Second Weekend |url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=5250&nCat= |publisher=Boxofficeindia |access-date=31 December 2012}}</ref><ref group=b name="hundred">{{cite web |url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=5245&nCat= |title=Dabangg 2 Down On Second Friday |publisher=boxofficeindia |date=29 December 2012}}</ref> The film was declared a blockbuster by Box Office India after its first week.<ref group=b>{{cite web |title=Dabangg 2 Emerges Flop |url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=5244&nCat= |access-date=29 December 2012}}</ref> ''Dabangg 2'' has collected around {{INRConvert|320|m}} nett in five days of its second week as it grossed a huge {{INRConvert|80|m}} crore plus on Tuesday as it was New Years Day, taking its total to {{INRConvert|1.42|b}}.<ref group=b>{{cite web |title=Dabangg 2 Set For Biggest Second Week Of 2012 |url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=5256&nCat= |publisher=Box Office India |access-date=26 December 2012}}</ref> According to Box Office India, the film became the second highest-grossing film of 2012 in 13 days, adding {{INR}} 30 million nett on that day.<ref group=b>{{cite web |url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=5259&nCat= |title=Boxofficeindia.com |publisher=Boxofficeindia.com |access-date=3 January 2013}}</ref> ''Dabangg 2'' collected solid figures of {{INRConvert|464|m}} nett in its second week.<ref group=b>{{cite web |title=Dabangg 2 Week Two Territorial Breakdown |url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=5271&nCat= |publisher=Boxofficeindia |access-date=7 January 2011}}</ref> After successful two weeks, the film further netted {{INRConvert|75.0|m}} in third weekend to make a total of around {{INRConvert|1465|m}} nett.<ref group=b>{{cite web |title=Dabangg 2 Has 9.50 Crore Third Weekend |url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=5269&nCat= |publisher=Boxofficeindia |access-date=7 January 2012}}</ref> ''Dabangg 2'' collected a good figure of {{INRConvert|287|m}} in its third week.<ref name="three weeks" group=b>{{cite web |title=Dabangg 2 Week Three Territorial Breakdown |url=http://boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=5292&nCat= |publisher=Boxofficeindia |access-date=14 January 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130115031615/http://boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=5292&nCat=|archive-date=15 January 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> It netted around {{INRConvert|1.78|b}} nett after the completion of its theatrical run.<ref group=b>{{cite web |title=Is Salman Khan One of the Biggest Stars Of All Time? |url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/youdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=5475&nCat= |access-date=12 March 2013}}</ref> The final distributor share of the film in India was {{INRConvert|940|m}}.<ref group=b>{{cite web |title=Final Distributor Shares 2012: Top Twenty |url=http://boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=5370&nCat= |publisher=Boxofficeindia |access-date=6 February 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130209193528/http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=5370&nCat=|archive-date=9 February 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Overseas===
''Dabangg 2'' collected close to [[US$]]8.5 million overseas in its opening weekend.<ref group=b name="Overseas opening">{{cite web |title=Dabangg 2 Has $8.5 Million Opening Weekend Overseas |url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/overdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=5236&nCat= |publisher=Boxofficeindia |access-date=26 December 2012}}</ref> The film reached $8 million overseas in 10 days and was declared a 'super-hit' by Box Office India. ''Dabangg 2'' has taken its overseas total to around $10.25 million in 17 days and has become the third biggest overseas hit of 2012 behind ''[[Jab Tak Hai Jaan]]'' and ''Ek Tha Tiger'', both of which earned the 'blockbuster' status overseas.<ref group=b>{{cite web |title=Dabangg 2 Crosses $12 Million Overseas |url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/overdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=5277&nCat= |publisher=Box Office India |access-date=9 January 2012}}</ref><ref group=b>{{cite web |title=Dabangg 2 Is SUPER HIT Overseas |url=http://boxofficeindia.com/overdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=5255&nCat= |publisher=Boxofficeindia |access-date=2 January 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130105012930/http://www.boxofficeindia.com/overdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=5255&nCat=|archive-date=5 January 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> ''Dabangg 2'' grossed around $11.75 million in its total lifetime.<ref group=b>{{cite web |title=Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola Has $1 Million Opening |url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/overdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=5299&nCat= |publisher=Box Office India |access-date=9 January 2012}}</ref>

==Sequel==
It has been reported that ''[[Dabangg 3]]'' a sequel which will be the third and last installment in the [[Dabangg (film series)]] starring [[Salman Khan]] and [[Sudeep]] was released on 20 December 2019.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/Entertainment/Bollywood/Salman-Khan-s-Dabangg-3-to-be-a-prequel/Article1-972256.aspx |title=Salman Khan's Dabangg 3 to be a prequel |work=Hindustan Times |date=13 December 2012 |access-date=26 December 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121226012250/http://www.hindustantimes.com/Entertainment/Bollywood/Salman-Khan-s-Dabangg-3-to-be-a-prequel/Article1-972256.aspx |archive-date=26 December 2012}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
;Development
{{Reflist|group=d|3}}
;Filming
{{Reflist|group=f|3}}
;Marketing
{{Reflist|group=m|3}}
;Release
{{Reflist|group=re|3}}
;Critical Reception
{{Reflist|group=r|3}}
;Box office
{{Reflist|group=b|3}}

==External links==
* {{Mojo movie}}
* {{Bollywood Hungama movie|dabangg-2}}
* {{IMDb movie}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes}}
* [https://www.jiocinema.com/watch/movies/dabangg-2/0/0/6717c372d03a11e6a3132fc17de8f966/0/0 ''Dabangg 2''] at JioCinema

{{Dabangg}}

[[Category:2010s Hindi-language films]]
[[Category:Indian films]]
[[Category:2012 films]]
[[Category:2012 directorial debut films]]
[[Category:Indian action comedy films]]
[[Category:Indian vigilante films]]
[[Category:2010s vigilante films]]
[[Category:2012 action comedy films]]
[[Category:Indian sequel films]]
[[Category:Indian police films]]
[[Category:Fictional portrayals of the Uttar Pradesh Police]]
[[Category:Films featuring an item number]]
[[Category:Indian pregnancy films]]
[[Category:Hindi-language films]]
[[Category:Masala films]]
[[Category:Films shot in Mumbai]]
[[Category:Indian films about revenge]]
[[Category:Films set in Kanpur]]
[[Category:2012 comedy films]]
{{Source Wikipedia}}

Veer (2010 film)

2026-08-06T06:20:18Z

2401:4900:8F58:657C:15B2:58F0:CBCF:4CB3:

{{short description|2010 Hindi historical action film directed by Anil Sharma}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Veer
| image = Veer movie poster.jpg
| alt = 
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = [[Anil Sharma (director)|Anil Sharma]]
| producer = Vijay Galani
| screenplay = Shailash Verma Shaktimaan Talwar
| story = [[Salman Khan]]
| based_on = {{based on|''[[Taras Bulba]]''|[[Nikolai Gogol]]}}
| starring = [[Salman Khan]] [[Mithun Chakraborty]] [[Jackie Shroff]] [[Zareen Khan]] [[Sohail Khan]]
| music = '''Score:''' [[Monty Sharma]] '''Songs:''' [[Sajid–Wajid]]
|cinematography = Gopal Shah
| editing = Ashfaque Makrani
| studio =
| distributor = [[Eros International]]
| released = {{Film date|2010|1|22}}
| runtime = 164 minutes
| country = India
| language = Hindi
| budget = {{INR}}48 crore
| gross = {{Estimation}} {{INR}}64.60 crore
}}
'''''Veer''''' ({{translation|Brave}}) is a 2010 Indian [[Hindi]]-language [[epic film|epic]] [[action film|action drama war film]] directed by [[Anil Sharma (director)|Anil Sharma]] on a story by [[Salman Khan]]. It stars [[Salman Khan]], [[Mithun Chakraborty]], [[Jackie Shroff]], [[Zareen Khan]], [[Sohail Khan]] and [[Rishabh Jain]], [[Daisy Shah]]

==Plot==
In 1875, Veer Pratap Singh ([[Salman Khan]]) is a [[Pindari]] prince and the son of the great Pindari warrior, Prithvi Singh ([[Mithun Chakraborty]]), who was known for his great battles to free [[India]] from the [[British Raj|British rule]]. Veer wishes to continue his father's legacy by leading a movement of Pindaris against the British in order to free both the [[Rajasthani people|Rajasthani]] Kingdom of Madhavgarh and the rest of India from the great colonial power. Veer receives the help of his younger brother, Punya Singh ([[Sohail Khan]]), in gathering an army. However, Veer finds opposition from the King of Madhavgarh, Gyanendra Singh ([[Jackie Shroff]]), who sees Veer as a threat to Madhavgarh and his rule and orders for Veer to be killed. Veer and Punya, along with their supporters, go into hiding within the [[Thar Desert]] of Rajasthan, while Singh makes an alliance with the British Governor of Rajasthan, James Fraser (Tim James Lawrence), saying that Madhavgarh will support the British in crushing the Pindari movement and eliminating Veer.

To keep the stakes high, the Pindaris kidnap Singh's daughter Princess Yashodhara ([[Zareen Khan]]), with who Veer finds himself in love with. The Pindaris then make a failed attempt to take down Singh's palace by surprise. However, Singh's spies discover the plan and thousands of Pindari warriors are slaughtered. Veer fails to get his revenge on the corrupt King, but knows that Punya has been captured by Yashodhara's brother Gajendra ([[Puru Raaj Kumar]]). As Veer runs in to save his brother enraged and Veer kill Gajendra's henchmen, Gajendra is killed by Veer. A heartbroken Gyanendra vows to avenge his son. In the meantime, Lady Angela Fraser ([[Lisa Lazarus]]), wife of James Fraser, begins to question her husband's actions as the fight scene, he supports the evil king in slaughtering members of the Pindari movement. Fraser refuses to back down from his campaign of crushing the movement.

After Veer promises his father that he will destroy Singh, he gatecrashes Yashodhara's [[Swayamvara]]. As he takes the princess away from the fort, Gyanendra Singh sees a vast army of Pindaris surrounding his fort. He asks the British to help him, but they refuse and make the Pindaris their ally in a bid to escape from Madhavgarh. Before the British leave, a battle follows in which Governor Fraser and Gyanendra Singh are infuriating killed. Veer, wounded from a gunshot, succumbs in the arms of his father. Years later, Veer's son "Veera" ([[Salman Khan]]) and Prithvi have a friendly brawl as credits roll.

==Cast==
* [[Salman Khan]] in a [[dual role]] as
**Veer Pratap Singh / Kunwar Mahendra Pratap Singh (Fake)
**Veer Pratap Singh Jr. ("Veera"), Veer's son
* [[Mithun Chakraborty]] as Prithvi Singh, Veer's father
* [[Jackie Shroff]] as Gyanendra Singh, King of Madhavghar and father of Yashodhara
* [[Zareen Khan]] as Princess Yashodhara Singh
*
* [[Sohail Khan]] as Poonam "Punya" Pratap Singh, Veer's brother
* Raj Premi as one of the villains
* Rishabh Jain as Radhurath, Veer's friend
* [[Puru Raaj Kumar]] as Gajendra Singh, the prince of Madhavghar, brother to Yashodhara and son to Gyanendra.
* [[Daisy Shah]] as Milli Singh, and Prithvi's father
* [[Lisa Lazarus]] as Lady Angela Fraser, wife of Governor James Fraser
* [[Tim Lawrence (actor)|Tim Lawrence]] as James Fraser, Governor General of [[Rajasthan]]
*[[Karmveer Choudhary]] as Mantri of Gyanendra Singh
* Khurram Tejrar
* Gita Soto
* [[Neena Gupta]] as Mangla Singh, Veer's mother
* [[Aryan Vaid]] as Sujan Singh
* [[Bharat Dabholkar]]
* [[Bunny Anand]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://entertainment.oneindia.in/bollywood/news/2009/salman-saved-bunny-231109.html |title=Salman saved Bunny Anand's life |author=Subhadeep Bhattacharjee |date=23 November 2009 |publisher=One India.com |access-date=11 February 2010}}</ref>
* [[Shahbaz Khan (actor)|Shahbaz Khan]] as Naunihal
* Ashok Samarth as Mangal
* [[Militza Radmilovic]]
* [[Charissa Glidden]] as the Governess
* [[Roy Bronsgeest]] as Rhino<ref>Manohar Charla. [http://www.bollyspice.com/view.php/4156-i-fight-veer-to-win-the-princess-roy-bronsgeest.html "'I Fight Veer to Win the Princess!' – Roy Bronsgeest"], BollySpice.com, 21 January 2010 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100124092842/http://www.bollyspice.com/view.php/4156-i-fight-veer-to-win-the-princess-roy-bronsgeest.html |date=24 January 2010 }}</ref>
* [[Taylor Wright]]
* [[Luke Groves]]
* [[Fiona Grace (Jaya Gupta)|Fiona Grace]] as Nina Frances
* [[Christoph Beiter]] as English soldier
* [[Clay Mohr]] as English Sergeant.
* Raj Khatri as Gyanendra Singh's Senapati.
* Ajay Kalyansingh as Arab prince

==Production==
The story was written by Salman Khan twenty years ago,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://movies.ndtv.com/movie_Story.aspx?id=ENTEN20090118222|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120710112842/http://movies.ndtv.com/movie_Story.aspx?id=ENTEN20090118222|url-status=dead|archive-date=10 July 2012 |title=Salman Khan's 'Veer' on January 22 |date=24 November 2009 |work=Press Trust of India |access-date=19 April 2010}}</ref> who described it as his dream project.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://veerblogs.erosentertainment.com/index.asp?Page=5 |title=My Dream Project ...VEER |author=Salman Khan |date=24 November 2009 |work=Official Blog by Salman Khan |publisher=Eros Entertainment |access-date=21 January 2010}}</ref> At that time, Khan planned to direct the film himself and cast [[Sanjay Dutt]] in the lead role.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/when-men-were-men/564691/ |title=When Men Were Men |date=8 January 2010 |work=Indian Express |access-date=27 January 2010}}</ref> ''Veer'' is also partly based on the [[Russian literature|Russian]] novel ''[[Taras Bulba]]'' by [[Nikolai Gogol]].<ref name=rediff>{{cite web |url=http://movies.rediff.com/slide-show/2010/jan/08/slide-show-1-salman-khan-on-veer.htm |title='I don't want to make depressing films for my fans' |author=Firdaus Ashraf, Syed |date=8 January 2009 |work=Rediff.com |access-date=21 January 2010}}</ref> For his role as Veer, Salman Khan went on a special diet and worked out with a personal trainer.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.apunkachoice.com/scoop/bollywood/20080805-3.html |title=Salman Khan gets brawnier for 'Veer' |author=Aparajita Ghosh |date=5 April 2008 |publisher=ApunkaChoice.com |access-date=26 January 2010}}</ref> For her role as a 19th-century princess, [[Zarine Khan]] put on eight kilos of extra weight.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://entertainment.oneindia.in/bollywood/gupshup/2009/zarine-put-on-weight-161209.html |title=Salman made Zarine Khan gain weight |author=Subhadeep Bhattacharjee |date=16 December 2009 |publisher=One India |access-date=27 January 2010}}</ref>

Principal photography for ''Veer'' began on 1 December 2008. Portions of the film were originally scheduled to be shot at the [[College of Engineering, Pune|College of Engineering]] and the Agricultural College in [[Pune]], but due to the [[2009 flu pandemic in India|swine flu outbreak]] the locations were moved to Mumbai.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mid-day.com/entertainment/2009/aug/120809-Salman-Khan-Veer-Five-day-shoot-cancelled-Swine-Flu-scare-Pune-Bollywood.htm |title=Swine flu, they fled! |work=Mid Day |access-date=27 January 2010}}</ref> Other location shooting took place in Jaipur and [[Bikaner]]. Location shooting at [[Amber Fort]] in [[Jaipur]] was also interrupted when several onlookers were injured and the [[Rajasthan High Court]] ordered a halt to filming. A case was filed against Anil Sharma accusing the film crew of damaging the fort, violating several conservation laws and causing the structure's 500-year-old roof to collapse.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-02-17/jaipur/28058122_1_film-unit-anil-sharma-cjm-court |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811031738/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-02-17/jaipur/28058122_1_film-unit-anil-sharma-cjm-court |url-status=dead |archive-date=11 August 2011 |title=Case against Amber bosses,'Veer' unit |date=17 February 2009 |work=[[The Times of India]] |access-date=27 January 2010}}</ref> The crew finished their shoot after paying Rs. 2 million in damages.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.screenindia.com/news/salman-given-a-second-chance-to-shoot-veer-at-amber-fort/425673/ |title=Salman given a second chance to shoot 'Veer' at Amber Fort |date=19 February 2009 |work=Screen |access-date=27 January 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090630023741/http://www.screenindia.com/news/salman-given-a-second-chance-to-shoot-veer-at-amber-fort/425673 |archive-date=30 June 2009}}</ref>

[[Rochester Castle]] appears as a backdrop for a musical sequence named 'Everytime I look into your eyes I see my paradise' featuring a horse and carriage. The [[Chatham Dockyard]] provided the setting for many of the montage shots used in the UK dance sequences as well as the location where Veer first meets Yuvraji Yashodhara.<ref>{{cite web |author=Kent Film Office |url=http://kentfilmoffice.co.uk/2010/02/veer-2010/ |title=Kent Film Office Veer Film Focus|date=4 February 2010 }}</ref>

On 23 January 2010, author Pavan Chaudhary filed a Rs. 2 million suit against Khan, Anil Sharma and producer Vijay Kumar Galani, alleging that the film borrowed elements from his novel, ''Trilogy of Wisdom''. The suit called for a halt of the film's screenings.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/article94721.ece |title=Court notice to Veer Salman over copyright violation |date=25 January 2010 |work=The Hindu |access-date=26 January 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://movies.indiatimes.com/news-gossip/news/Court-to-hear-lawsuit-against-Veer-Monday/articleshow/5497390.cms |title=Court to hear lawsuit against 'Veer' Monday |date=25 January 2010 |work=Indiatimes |access-date=26 January 2010 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100129003458/http://movies.indiatimes.com/news-gossip/news/Court-to-hear-lawsuit-against-Veer-Monday/articleshow/5497390.cms |archive-date= 29 January 2010 |url-status= dead |df=dmy-all}}</ref>

==Release==
The trailer of ''Veer'' was released on 27 November 2009 at the screening of [[Priyadarshan]]'s ''[[De Dana Dan]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/news-interviews/Salmans-Veer-releases-on-Jan-22/articleshow/5263538.cms |title=Salman's Veer releases on Jan 22 |date=24 November 2009 |work=Times of India |access-date=6 March 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091207022108/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/news-interviews/Salmans-Veer-releases-on-Jan-22/articleshow/5263538.cms |archive-date=7 December 2009}}</ref>

==Reception==

===Critical reception===
The movie was generally panned by critics.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=1453&nCat=box_office_report |title=Veer had a bumper first day at single screens |publisher=BoxOffice India |access-date=22 January 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130603201231/http://boxofficeindia.com/boxdetail.php?page=shownews |archive-date=3 June 2013}}</ref> [[Taran Adarsh]] criticized the writing and direction of the movie, describing it as a colossal disappointment.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://sify.com/movies/bollywood/review.php?id=14928427&ctid=5&cid=2425 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100125130543/http://sify.com/movies/bollywood/review.php?id=14928427&ctid=5&cid=2425 |url-status=dead |archive-date=25 January 2010 |title=Review: Veer is a colossal disappointment! |website=[[Sify]] |access-date=22 January 2010}}</ref> [[Rajeev Masand]] of [[CNN-IBN]] termed it as "an impossible film to appreciate", criticizing the performance of the support cast, while praising the performance of Salman Khan.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/masand-movie-review-veer-is-an-impossible-film/109075-8.html?from=webx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100126075105/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/masand-movie-review-veer-is-an-impossible-film/109075-8.html?from=webx |url-status=dead |archive-date=26 January 2010 |title=Masand Movie Review: Veer is an impossible film |publisher=[[CNN IBN]] |access-date=22 January 2010}}</ref> Gaurav Malani praised the performance of Salman Khan, while terming the story as average.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://movies.indiatimes.com/reviews/bollywood/Veer-Movie-Review/articleshow/5485098.cms |title=Director: Anil Sharma Cast: Salman Khan, Zarine Khan Rating:** Veer: Movie Review |publisher=[[Times of India]] |access-date=22 January 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100125144706/http://movies.indiatimes.com/reviews/bollywood/Veer-Movie-Review/articleshow/5485098.cms|archive-date=25 January 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> Noyon Jyoti Parasara of AOL.in also praised Salman Khan but added "Overall, 'Veer' has its pluses but it is sadly restricted to a very average film. It has nothing new and that only makes it seem slower."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.aol.in/bollywood-story/veer-movie-review/760211 |title=Rating:**1/2 Veer: Movie Review |publisher=[[AOL]].in |access-date=22 January 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100131094243/http://www.aol.in/bollywood-story/veer-movie-review/760211 |archive-date=31 January 2010}}</ref>

Among U.S. critics, [[Frank Lovece]] of ''[[Film Journal International]]'' enjoyed it as "hokum of the highest order, punctuated with the most rousing musical sequences of the last several Indian imports," and after dissecting the film's numerous historical and chronological fallacies said, "Stateside Bollywood fans more accustomed to modern-day musical romances or stylish crime thrillers will be pleasantly surprised to find a period piece that's more ''[[Xena: Warrior Princess]]'' than ''[[A Passage to India]]''.<ref>[[Frank Lovece|Lovece, Frank]]. [http://www.filmjournal.com/filmjournal/content_display/reviews/specialty-releases/e3i337ac1235d0161b867308f46e57928af ''Veer'' (review)], ''[[Film Journal International]]'' , 25 January 2010</ref>

===Box office===
According to Eros, ''Veer'' grossed Rs 410 million nett in its first week in India.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report_despite-poor-reviews-salman-s-veer-is-steady-at-the-box-office_1339912 |title=Despite poor review, Salman's Veer steady at box office |author=Press Trust India |date=27 January 2010 |work=Daily News & Analysis |access-date=27 January 2010}}</ref>
Veer netted a lifetime of Rs 375.2 million (Rs 497.5 million gross) in India and was the 9th highest-grossing film domestically of 2010.<ref>[http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=317&catName=MjAxMC0yMDE5 Boxofficeindia.com] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131014094622/http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=317&catName=MjAxMC0yMDE5 |date=14 October 2013 }}</ref>

Veer has a worldwide lifetime gross of Rs 585.8 million ($12,600,000).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=348&catName=TGlmZXRpbWUgV29ybGR3aWRlIEluIFVTICQ= |access-date=11 November 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131020075613/http://boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=348&catName=TGlmZXRpbWUgV29ybGR3aWRlIEluIFVTICQ= |archive-date=20 October 2013 |title=Boxofficeindia.com}}</ref>

===Criticism by Rajput community===
The [[Rajput]] youth organisation [[Karni Sena]] was heavily critical of ''Veer'', alleging that portions of the dialogue are "derogatory and demeaning for the Rajput community". Members of the group attacked several multiplexes in Jaipur, vandalising posters and smashing windows. Anil Sharma responded that it was a misunderstanding and no insult had been intended towards the Rajput community.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-02-01/news-interviews/28149455_1_rajput-karni-sena-anil-sharma |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811035816/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-02-01/news-interviews/28149455_1_rajput-karni-sena-anil-sharma |url-status=dead |archive-date=11 August 2011 |title=Sallu's Veer in trouble |author=Divya Kaushik and Shweta Thakur |date=1 February 2010 |work=[[The Times of India]] |access-date=31 January 2010}}</ref>

==Awards and nominations==
;[[Zee Cine Awards|2011 Zee Cine Awards]]
* Nominated – [[Zee Cine Award for Best Female Debut|Best Female Debut]] – [[Zarine Khan]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Nominations for Zee Cine Awards 2011 |url=http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/features/2011/01/01/6977/index.html |website=[[Bollywood Hungama]] |access-date=7 January 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110105041016/http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/features/2011/01/01/6977/index.html |archive-date=5 January 2011}}</ref>

;[[3rd Mirchi Music Awards]]
* Nominated – [[Mirchi Music Award for Lyricist of The Year|Lyricist of The Year]] – [[Gulzar]] for "Surili Akhiyon Wale"<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.radiomirchi.com/mma2010/hindi/nominees.php|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110130070949/http://www.radiomirchi.com/mma2010/hindi/nominees.php|url-status=dead|archive-date=30 January 2011 |title=Nominees – Mirchi Music Award Hindi 2010 |date=30 January 2011|access-date=30 September 2018}}</ref>

==Soundtrack==
{{Infobox album
| name = Veer
| type = soundtrack
| artist = [[Sajid (music director)|Sajid]]- [[Sajid–Wajid|Wajid]]
| cover =
| alt =
| released = {{Start date|df=yes|2009|12|17}}
| recorded =
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = [[Film soundtrack]]
| length =
| label = [[Eros Music]]
| producer =
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| next_title =
| next_year =
}}
The film's music was released on 17 December 2009. The film's songs are composed by [[Sajid–Wajid]], the film scores are composed by [[Monty Sharma]] and the lyrics are written by lyricist [[Gulzar]].

Music critic Joginder Tuteja of [[Bollywood Hungama]] gave it an overall rating of 3.5 out of 5.<ref name="Bh"/> The songs, ''Surili Akhiyon Wale'', ''Salaam Aaya'' and ''Taali'' received special praise.<ref name="Bh">{{cite web |url=http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movies/musicreview/13908/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080923213235/http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movies/musicreview/13908/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=23 September 2008 |title=Veer: Music Review |author=Joginder Tutega |date=21 December 2009 |website=[[Bollywood Hungama]] |access-date=21 January 2010}}</ref>

{{Track listing
| extra_column = Artist(s)
| title1 = Meherbaniyan | extra1 = [[Sonu Nigam]] | length1 = 4:29
| title2 = Taali | extra2 = Sonu Nigam, [[Sukhwinder Singh]], [[Sajid–Wajid|Wajid]], Neuman Pinto | length2 = 6:10
| title3 = Surili Akhiyon Wale | extra3 = [[Rahat Fateh Ali Khan]], [[Suzanne D'Mello]] | length3 = 5:31
| title4 = Kanha (Thumari) | extra4 = [[Rekha Bhardwaj]], [[Sharib Sabri]], [[Toshi Sabri]], [[Shabab Sabri]] | length4 = 4:36
| title5 = Taali |note5 = Version 2 |extra5 = Sukhwinder Singh | length5 = 6:01
| title6 = Surili Akhiyon Wale |note6 = Version 2 |extra6 = Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, [[Sunidhi Chauhan]], Suzanne D'Mello | length6 = 5:23
| title7 = Salaam Aaya | extra7 = [[Roop Kumar Rathod]], [[Shreya Ghoshal]], Suzanne D'Mello | length7 = 4:45
| title8 = Spirit of Veer | note8 = Instrumental | length8 = 0:58
}}

==See also==
{{Portal|India|Film|Bollywood}}

[[List of historical drama films of Asia]]

==References==
{{reflist|35em}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|1185412}}
* {{rotten-tomatoes|10012133_veer}}
* {{Mojo title|veer2010}}
{{commons category|Veer (2010 film)}}
{{Taras Bulba}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Veer}}
[[Category:2010 films]]
[[Category:2010s historical action films]]
[[Category:2010s Hindi-language films]]
[[Category:Indian epic films]]
[[Category:Films based on Taras Bulba]]
[[Category:Films set in India]]
[[Category:Films shot in India]]
[[Category:Films shot in London]]
[[Category:2010s historical drama films]]
[[Category:Films set in London]]
[[Category:Films shot in Rajasthan]]
[[Category:Films set in 1875]]
[[Category:Indian historical drama films]]
[[Category:Indian historical action films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Anil Sharma]]
[[Category:2010 drama films]]
[[Category:Film controversies in India]]
[[Category:Race-related controversies in film]]
[[Category:Works subject to a lawsuit]]
[[Category:Films set in the Rajput Empire]]
[[Category:Films set in the British Raj]]

Nayak (2001 Hindi film)

2026-08-06T06:10:39Z

2401:4900:8F58:657C:15B2:58F0:CBCF:4CB3:

{{short description|2001 film by Shankar}}
{{good article}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2013}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Nayak
| image = Nayak poster.jpg
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = [[S. Shankar]]
| producer = [[A. M. Rathnam]]
| writer = S. Shankar
| starring = [[Anil Kapoor]]
| music = [[A. R. Rahman]]
| cinematography = [[K. V. Anand]]
| editing = {{Plainlist|
* [[B. Lenin]]
* [[V. T. Vijayan]]
}}
| studio = Sri Surya Movies
| released = {{Film date|2001|9|7|df=yes}}
| runtime = 187 minutes<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/nayak-the-real-hero-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0zndg1mtk |title=Nayak The Real Hero |website=[[British Board of Film Classification]] |access-date=22 May 2021 |archive-date=23 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210523092354/https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/nayak-the-real-hero-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0zndg1mtk |url-status=live }}</ref>
| country = India
| language = Hindi
| budget = {{INR}}210 million<ref name="BOI">{{cite web |url=https://boxofficeindia.com/movie.php?movieid=671 |title=Nayak |website=[[Box Office India]] |access-date=22 May 2021 |archive-date=29 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180529203855/https://boxofficeindia.com/movie.php?movieid=671 |url-status=live }}</ref>
| gross = {{INR}}205.6 million<ref name="BOI" />
}}
'''''Nayak: The Real Hero''''' ({{translation|''Hero''}}) is a 2001 Indian [[Hindi]]-language [[action film|political action thriller film]] directed by [[S. Shankar]] and produced by [[A. M. Rathnam]] under the Sri Surya Movies banner. The film stars [[Anil Kapoor]], with [[Rani Mukerji]], [[Amrish Puri]], [[Paresh Rawal]], and [[Johnny Lever]] playing supporting roles. A remake of Shankar's 1999 [[Tamil language|Tamil]]-language film ''[[Mudhalvan]]'', it focuses on Shivaji Rao Gaekwad (Kapoor), a television cameraman and, later, television presenter, who accidentally hears and records the conversation between the police with the [[List of chief ministers of Maharashtra|Chief Minister of Maharashtra]] Balraj Chauhan (Puri) to take an indifferent stand during riots triggered by a fight between college students and a bus driver. While interviewing Chauhan about the issues, Shivaji is challenged to take over his job for a day.

''Nayak'' was announced in June 2000 and marked the first Hindi-language directorial venture of Shankar. The soundtrack was composed by [[A. R. Rahman]], with lyrics that were written by [[Anand Bakshi]]. Filming was done by [[K. V. Anand]], taking place in more than 100 locations across India. The film was released on 7 September 2001. A commercial failure, it grossed {{INRConvert|205.6|m}} at the box office against the total production and marketing cost of {{INRConvert|210|m}}. It was opened to mixed reviews from critics, some of whom applauded the performances of the cast but criticised its lengthy duration and special effects. A sequel, titled ''Nayak Returns'', has entered production.

==Plot==
Shivaji Rao Gaekwad is an ambitious television cameraman, working for QTV along with his friend Topi. While on his job, Rao is assigned to record riots triggered by a fight between college students and a bus driver and accidentally records a conversation in which the [[List of chief ministers of Maharashtra|Chief Minister of Maharashtra]] Balraj Chauhan takes an indifferent stand, so as not to lose his voter base. In the riots, Shivaji saves the life of one of the college students there, and it is recorded by Topi. Because of his actions, Shivaji is promoted as the senior television presenter.

Meanwhile, due to police inaction, there is loss of life and damage to property. Explaining his actions, Chauhan later agrees to do a live interview with Shivaji, during which Rao raises these issues and broadcasts the conversation he has recorded. In response to Shivaji's allegations about the mismanagement by his government, Balraj redirects the question by saying that his job is not easy. He challenges Shivaji to be the Chief Minister for a day to experience those problems himself. Shivaji reluctantly accepts the challenge.

Assisted by Bansal, Shivaji handles issues that affect the populace every day. He manages appropriate housing and employment for the needy, and he suspends inefficient and corrupt government officials. As the last act of the day, Rao has Chauhan arrested, as the latter is the root cause of all the corruption. Later, Chauhan posts bail and leaves jail, then passes an ordinance to nullify all orders passed by Shivaji. Insulted by Shivaji's success as well, Chauhan sends assassins after him, but they only destroy his house.

Shivaji falls in love with Manjari, a naïve, carefree villager whom he met when he was a cameraman. He asks her father to marry her, but her father refuses on grounds that Shivaji is not employed by the government. As a result, Shivaji begins preparing for the [[Civil Services Examination (India)|Civil Services Examination]]. However, Bansal arrives and informs Rao that Shivaji's popularity has skyrocketed and that people want him to become the next Chief Minister. He is reluctant at first, but when Chauhan's henchmen vandalise QTV premises to intimidate him, and the people show their support by thronging to his place in huge numbers, he agrees to do so.

In the ensuing state elections, Shivaji wins by a vast majority. Chauhan's political allies desert him, causing his defeat. Manjari's father, angered by Shivaji's decision, because he believes that it will make Chauhan careless of Manjari, refuses to let his daughter marry him. On becoming the Chief Minister, Shivaji effects many improvements and quickly becomes an idol in the people's eyes. However, his growing popularity is threatened continuously by Chauhan who uses his henchmen to try to kill him or tarnish his image as a public hero. After a failed attempt on Shivaji's life by hiring an assassin, a bomb is detonated at his home, killing his parents.

In a final attempt, Chauhan orders Pandurang to cause bomb explosions in various parts of the city. Accidentally, a priest hears that a few men are planning to detonate bombs and notifies Shivaji's office via the "complaint box", which was created by Shivaji to collect letters from the public about their complaints. Pandurang is arrested and, under tactical inquiry by Shivaji and his secretary, discloses the location of the four bombs. A squad is able to defuse three bombs, but the fourth explodes—without injuring anyone—before they could reach it crowd.

Chauhan uses this success against Shivaji by blaming him for the bomb. Seeing no way out, Shivaji summons Chauhan to the secretariat and creates a situation such that it would seem as if Chauhan was there wounded to shoot Shivaji but failed.

To do so, Shivaji takes up a gun, points it to his arm, shoots himself on purpose, and then hands over the gun to Chauhan his shootout. Enraged, Chauhan attempts to shoot Shivaji, but his shot misses. The security guards shoot down Chauhan and kill him. Apart from that, Manjari's father also comes to realise that Shivaji is a great man who sees duty before everything else and allows Manjari to marry him. The film ends with the state developing under the governance of Shivaji.

==Cast==
The cast is listed below:<ref name="Cast & Crew">{{cite web |url=http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movies/cast/6818/index.html |title=Nayak Cast & Crew |website=[[Bollywood Hungama]] |access-date=22 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110903135819/http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movies/cast/6818/index.html |archive-date=3 September 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://boxofficeindia.com/cast_crew.php?movieid=671 |title=Nayak Cast |website=Box Office India |access-date=22 May 2021 |archive-date=8 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210108133234/https://boxofficeindia.com/cast_crew.php?movieid=671 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[Anil Kapoor]] as Shivaji Rao Gaekwad
* [[Rani Mukerji]] as Manjari
* [[Pooja Batra]] as Laila
* [[Amrish Puri]] as Balraj Chauhan
* [[Paresh Rawal]] as Bansal
* [[Johnny Lever]] as Topi
* [[Saurabh Shukla]] as Pandurang
* [[Shivaji Satam]] as Manjari's father
* [[Neena Kulkarni]] as Mrs. Gaekwad

[[Ahmed Khan (choreographer)|Ahmed Khan]] and [[Sushmita Sen]] made special appearances in the song "Shakalaka Baby".<ref name="Cast & Crew" />

==Production==
{{quote box
| quote = "Anil Kapoor is a very flexible kind of personality. He can play any kind of role—he can do, comedy, play the common man or a very stylish person, and on top of everything he is extremely mature. He lends himself to any kind of role. And he has done a good job."
| source = —Shankar on why he cast Kapoor<ref name="Quest">{{cite news |url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-miscellaneous/tp-others/quest-for-entertainment/article27971287.ece |title=Quest for entertainment |url-access=subscription |last=Mahesh |first=Chitra |date=10 August 2001 |work=[[The Hindu]] |access-date=22 May 2021 |archive-date=22 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210522121815/https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-miscellaneous/tp-others/quest-for-entertainment/article27971287.ece |url-status=live }}</ref>
| align = right
| width = 30%
}}
''Nayak: The Real Hero'' serves as a remake of [[S. Shankar]]'s 1999 [[Tamil language|Tamil]]-language film ''[[Mudhalvan]]'', and was the director's first venture in [[Bollywood]]. The debut, announced in June 2000, was produced by [[A. M. Rathnam]] under the banner of Sri Surya Movies (his second [[Hindi]] film after that of ''Tejasvini'', released in 1994),<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rediff.com/movies/2000/jun/17anil.htm |title=Anil to star in Mudhalvan remake |last=Rajitha |date=17 June 2000 |website=[[Rediff.com]] |access-date=22 May 2021 |archive-date=23 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210523092356/https://www.rediff.com/movies/2000/jun/17anil.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="citizen">{{cite web |url=https://www.rediff.com/entertai/2001/may/29intro.htm |title=In Nayak, citizen can! |date=29 May 2001 |website=Rediff.com |last=Rajitha |access-date=22 May 2021 |archive-date=4 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210504213437/https://www.rediff.com/entertai/2001/may/29intro.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> and addressed the issue of [[corruption in India]]. According to Shankar, he was motivated to remake ''Mudhalvan'' in Hindi because of its subject and did several changes to the original story. In an interview with ''[[Filmfare]]'' in August 2001, he said that he believed that the topic is well-known among Indian people.<ref name="Action!">{{cite news |url=http://downloads.movies.indiatimes.com/site/august2001/ivw8.html |title=Action!: Cut to director Shankar |date=August 2001 |work=[[Filmfare]] |last=Iyer |first=Meena |access-date=22 May 2021 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040915001946/http://downloads.movies.indiatimes.com/site/august2001/ivw8.html |archive-date=15 April 2004 }}</ref> [[Anurag Kashyap]] wrote the dialogue.<ref name="Cast & Crew" />

The role of Shivaji was originally going to be played by [[Aamir Khan]], but Shankar did not cast him, explaining, "... the two of us faced a huge communication gap. His views about [''Mudhalvan''] didn't match mine." The next actor suggested was [[Shah Rukh Khan]]. However, he did not want to play the role after portraying a television presenter in his home production, ''[[Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani]]'' (2000). Shankar's final choice was Anil Kapoor, although he was initially reluctant to choose him for the part but changed his mind after finding him more suitable than the previous actors, noting his discipline.<ref name="Action!" /> When asked by the ''[[Deccan Herald]]'' about his character as well as his experience during the production of the film, Kapoor said that it was one of his career's finest roles and called it an honour to work with Shankar.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/aug26/ent5.htm |title=‘We all can be heroes’ |date=26 August 2001 |last=Dhar |first=Sujoy |work=[[Deccan Herald]] |access-date=22 May 2021 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010910053716/http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/aug26/ent5.htm |archive-date=10 September 2001 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rediff.com/entertai/2001/jul/09anil.htm |title='I just happen to be a hero!' |last=Das |first=Ronjita |date=9 July 2001 |website=Rediff.com |access-date=22 May 2021 |archive-date=19 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210519073547/https://www.rediff.com/entertai/2001/jul/09anil.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> To prepare for the role, Kapoor underwent physical training for six or seven months,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.screenindia.com/20010907/fcover.html |title=Cover Story |date=7 September 2001 |work=[[Screen (magazine)|Screen]] |last=Bhattacharya |first=Roshmila |author-link=Roshmila Bhattacharya |access-date=22 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011119150442/http://www.screenindia.com/20010907/fcover.html |archive-date=19 November 2001 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and watched many talk shows hosted by [[Larry King]], [[Prannoy Roy]], [[Rajat Sharma]], and [[Karan Thapar]]—later adopting their way of speaking.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rediff.com/entertai/2001/sep/06anil.htm |title=The Reel Hero |date=6 September 2001 |website=Rediff.com |last=Nanda |first=Tanmaya Kumar |location=New York, United States |access-date=22 May 2021 |archive-date=19 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210519080259/https://www.rediff.com/entertai/2001/sep/06anil.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

Shankar chose Rani Mukerji to fulfill the part of Manjari, a village girl who becomes the love interest of Kapoor's character. He cast Mukerji over [[Manisha Koirala]], who played the role in the original version, as he thought that Mukerji has the bubbly image he needed for the character.<ref name="Action!" /> Playing the type of role for the first time, the actress admitted that she saw resemblances between Manjari and herself, noting their vibrant along with uninhibited character, and described her collaboration with Kapoor as a "growing-up experience".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.screenindia.com/20010907/finter.html |title=Interview: Analyse this |date=7 September 2001 |work=Screen |access-date=22 May 2021 |last=Somaaya |first=Bhawana |author-link=Bhawana Somaaya |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011119152055/http://www.screenindia.com/20010907/finter.html |archive-date=19 November 2001 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Talking to a journalist from [[Rediff.com]], Mukerji revealed that she immediately agreed to star in the film after hearing the story from Kapoor, which she felt was "mindblowing". Shankar wanted her to portray the role in her own way, not copying what Koirala had done before.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rediff.com/entertai/2001/jul/02rani.htm |title='I hope our jodi clicks!' |date=2 July 2001 |website=Rediff.com |publisher=India News Feature Service |access-date=22 May 2021 |archive-date=19 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210519073542/https://www.rediff.com/entertai/2001/jul/02rani.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Ahmed Khan and Sushmita Sen made special appearances in the film.<ref name="Cast & Crew" />

[[Principal photography]] was handled by [[K. V. Anand]] and took place in more than 100 locations in the states of [[Maharashtra]], [[Tamil Nadu]], [[Karnataka]], [[Andhra Pradesh]], [[Kerala]], [[Rajasthan]], and [[Himachal Pradesh]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://indiafm.com/previews/01/nayak/index.shtml |title=Movie Preview: Nayak |date=2001 |last=Adarsh |first=Taran |author-link=Taran Adarsh |website=Bollywood Hungama |access-date=22 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010803031727/http://indiafm.com/previews/01/nayak/index.shtml |archive-date=3 August 2001 |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Thota Tharani]] served as the art director, while [[H. Sridhar]] was the sound designer.<ref name="Cast & Crew" /> A 22-day schedule in [[Mumbai]], [[Pune]], and the cities in Tamil Nadu was started on 18 November 2000.<ref>{{cite news |title=22-day shoot for Nayak... |url=http://www.expressindia.com/screen/20001124/rash.htm |work=Screen |access-date=13 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010203221900/http://www.expressindia.com/screen/20001124/rash.htm#rus2 |archive-date=3 February 2001 |date=24 November 2000}}</ref> To shoot the song "[[Shakalaka Baby]]", Anand travelled to the United States to meet the filmmaker [[Spike Lee]] and asked for his help. It was simultaneously shot with 34 cameras bought from the German manufacturer [[Arri]] with a speed of 100 [[Frame rate|FPS]], instead of 24, and made the film over-budgeted; consequently, Anand spoke of his regret to do the idea.<ref name="citizen" /> After filming ended, ''Nayak'' was edited by [[B. Lenin]] and [[V. T. Vijayan]].<ref name="Cast & Crew" />

==Soundtrack==
{{Infobox album
| name = Nayak: The Real Hero
| type = soundtrack
| artist = [[A. R. Rahman]]
| cover =
| alt =
| released = 4 July 2001
| recorded =
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = [[Film soundtrack|Feature film soundtrack]]
| length = {{duration|m=38|s=33}}
| label = [[T-Series (company)|T-Series]]
| producer = A. R. Rahman
| prev_title = [[Lagaan]]
| prev_year = 2001
| next_title = [[Love You Hamesha]]
| next_year = 2001
}}
The soundtrack for the film was composed by [[A. R. Rahman]] with lyrics from [[Anand Bakshi]].<ref name="Cast & Crew" /> The vocals were performed by [[Udit Narayan]], [[Kavita Krishnamurthy]], [[Vasundhara Das]], [[Shiraz Uppal]], [[Pravin Mani]], [[Shankar Mahadevan]], [[Alka Yagnik]], [[Sunidhi Chauhan]], [[Hans Raj Hans]], [[Abhijeet Bhattacharya]], [[Sanjeevani (singer)|Sanjeevani]], and [[Hariharan (singer)|Hariharan]].<ref name="iTunes">{{cite web |url=https://music.apple.com/in/album/nayak-original-motion-picture-soundtrack/1138977853 |title=Nayak (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) |website=[[iTunes]] |access-date=22 May 2021 |archive-date=23 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210523092345/https://music.apple.com/in/album/nayak-original-motion-picture-soundtrack/1138977853 |url-status=live }}</ref> The soundtrack album was released at a special ceremony at the Hotel Regent in [[Mumbai]] under the label of [[T-Series (company)|T-Series]], which bought the rights for {{INRConvert|60|m}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rediff.com/entertai/2001/jul/05nayak2.htm |title=Nayak: The real music |date=5 July 2001 |website=Rediff.com |last=Das |first=Ronjita |access-date=22 May 2021 |archive-date=3 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160803090552/http://www.rediff.com/entertai/2001/jul/05nayak2.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> The album did not perform well commercially and, according to the film-trade website [[Box Office India]], only 1.4 million units were sold.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cscsarchive.org:8081/MediaArchive/art.nsf/(docid)/D610F64FA9D20DA565256B0C003EA5BA |title=Will 2002 ring to sound of Bollywood music? |date=10 January 2002 |work=[[The New Indian Express]] |agency=[[Indo-Asian News Service]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725213810/http://www.cscsarchive.org:8081/MediaArchive/art.nsf/(docid)/D610F64FA9D20DA565256B0C003EA5BA |archive-date=25 July 2011 |access-date=22 May 2021 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Music Hits 2000–2009 (Figures in Units)|url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=286&catName=MjAwMC0yMDA5|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080215081557/http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=286&catName=MjAwMC0yMDA5&PHPSESSID=108b9056cd4ca14236f9c6119d34dcce|archive-date=15 February 2008|website=Box Office India|access-date=12 July 2017}}</ref>

Critically, the album was met with a poor reception from reviewers as well.<ref name="Pause">{{cite web |url=https://www.rediff.com/entertai/2001/dec/29flop2.htm |title=Pause: Rewind: Play |date=29 December 2001 |website=Rediff.com |last=Verma |first=Sukanya |author-link=Sukanya Verma |access-date=23 May 2021 |archive-date=9 January 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070109073543/http://www.rediff.com/entertai/2001/dec/29flop2.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Sukanya Verma]] of [[Rediff.com]] concluded that it was "quite a letdown" and "fails miserably", saying that she had expected more from Rahman.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rediff.com/movies/2001/jul/12nay.htm |title=What a let down! |date=12 July 2001 |website=Rediff.com |last=Verma |first=Sukanya |access-date=23 May 2021 |archive-date=19 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210519073532/https://www.rediff.com/movies/2001/jul/12nay.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> In an article for ''[[The Hindu]]'', Savitha Gautham found the album has the same composition to that from ''Mudhalvan'', but the lyrics are different. She noted that the songs have strong South Indian flavours, especially in "Saiyyan". Gautham declared "Shakalaka Baby" as the best song of the album, believing that it would be popular among Indian youth.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-miscellaneous/tp-others/chords-notes/article27969420.ece |title=Chords & Notes |url-access=subscription |date=30 July 2001 |work=The Hindu |last=Gautham |first=Savitha |access-date=23 May 2021 |archive-date=23 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210523092353/https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-miscellaneous/tp-others/chords-notes/article27969420.ece |url-status=live }}</ref> Planet Bollywood's Avinash Ramchandani presumed Rahman's composition made the film "comes out to be a winner" and increased the audience's enthusiasm to Kapoor's and Mukerji's chemistry.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://planetbollywood.com/Music/Nayak/ |title=Nayak |date=2001 |last=Ramchandani |first=Avinash |website=Planet Bollywood |access-date=23 May 2021 |archive-date=25 May 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070525222123/http://www.planetbollywood.com/Music/Nayak/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

{{Track listing
| headline = Nayak (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)<ref name="iTunes" />
| extra_column = Singer(s)
| title1 = Chalo Chale Mitwa
| extra1 = [[Udit Narayan]], [[Kavita Krishnamurthy]]
| length1 = 6:41
| title2 = [[Shakalaka Baby]]
| extra2 = [[Vasundhara Das]], [[Shiraz Uppal]], [[Pravin Mani]]
| length2 = 5:27
| title3 = Ruki Sukhi Roti
| extra3 = [[Shankar Mahadevan]], [[Alka Yagnik]]
| length3 = 5:39
| title4 = Saiyyan
| extra4 = [[Sunidhi Chauhan]], [[Hans Raj Hans]]
| length4 = 6:14
| title5 = Chidiya Tu Hoti To
| extra5 = [[Abhijeet Bhattacharya]], [[Sanjeevani (singer)|Sanjeevani]]
| length5 = 5:49
| title6 = Tu Achcha Lagta Hai
| extra6 = Kavita Krishnamurthy, [[Hariharan (singer)|Hariharan]]
| length6 = 5:37
| title7 = Chalo Chale Purva
| extra7 = Kavita Krishnamurthy, Udit Narayan
| length7 = 3:06
| total_length = 38:33
}}

== Release ==
Originally scheduled for release on 15 August 2002,<ref name="Quest" /> ''Nayak'' premiered at theatres on 7 September and failed to attract a large enough audience.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rediff.com/entertai/2001/aug/18anil.htm |title='Nayak is for a world-class audience' |date=18 August 2001 |website=Rediff.com |agency=[[United News of India]] |access-date=23 May 2021 |archive-date=19 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210519080259/https://www.rediff.com/entertai/2001/aug/18anil.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Made on a production and marketing cost of {{INRConvert|210|m|year=2001}}, the film opened on 280 screens across India and grossed {{INRConvert|8.5|m}} on its first day. It collected {{INRConvert|48.1|m}} after a week, and {{INRConvert|180.6|m}} following its theatrical run in India. Abroad, the film also did not perform well and only had a total gross of $530,000. Summing the film's revenues from India and overseas, Box Office India estimated ''Nayak'' earned {{INRConvert|205.6|m|year=2001}}.<ref name="BOI" /> The film was released on [[DVD]] in the [[PAL]] widescreen format.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/Nayak-Anil-Kapoor/dp/B07VRF3892 |title=Nayak: The Real Hero |website=[[Amazon (company)|Amazon]] |access-date=23 May 2021 |archive-date=23 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210523092353/https://www.amazon.com/Nayak-Anil-Kapoor/dp/B07VRF3892 |url-status=live }}</ref> Since 6 September 2019, the film is available for streaming on [[Amazon Prime Video]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/nayak-the-real-hero |title=Nayak: The Real Hero |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date=23 May 2021 |archive-date=28 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151128203129/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/nayak-the-real-hero |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/Nayak-Anil-Kapoor/dp/B07VRF3892 |title=Nayak |website=[[Amazon Prime Video]] |access-date=23 May 2021 |archive-date=23 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210523092417/https://www.amazon.com/Nayak-Anil-Kapoor/dp/B07VRF3892 |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Critical response ===
Critics gave mixed reviews to ''Nayak'', praising the performances of Kapoor and Puri from the first-half but panning the special effects, which they attributed to the film's commercial failure.<ref name="Pause" /> Rediff.com's Sarita Tanwar wrote, "A fairly interesting plot, a commendable performance from the leading artiste, lavish production values and terrific pieces of action, ''Nayak: The Real Hero'' has all the ingredients that make a commercially viable film."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://m.rediff.com/movies/2001/sep/06nayak.htm |title=If Anil were CM, India would rock!: The Nayak review |date=6 September 2001 |website=Rediff.com |last=Tanwar |first=Sarita |access-date=23 May 2021 |archive-date=17 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200217193746/http://m.rediff.com/movies/2001/sep/06nayak.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Taran Adarsh]] from the entertainment portal [[Bollywood Hungama]] gave the film one star, calling its second-half "weak". However, he took note of the "superb" dialogue of the film, mostly that are said by Paresh Rawal's character, while deemed Johnny Lever's comedic scenes were "flat". Moreover, Adarsh said that Mukerji was given with a role that did not give her screen time to talk and Pooja Batra's role was better than hers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movies/review/6818/index.html |title=Nayak: Movie Review by Taran Adarsh |date=5 September 2001 |last=Adarsh |first=Taran |author-link=Taran Adarsh |website=Bollywood Hungama |access-date=23 May 2021 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110818020928/http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movies/review/6818/index.html |archive-date=18 August 2011 }}</ref> [[Saibal Chatterjee]] of the ''[[Hindustan Times]]'', giving the same rating, described the film as "a patchwork that's neither pretty nor useful".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://167.216.192.98/infotainment/cinema/reviews/bollywood/reviewsnayak.shtml |title=Nayak |date=2001 |last=Chatterjee |first=Saibal |author-link=Saibal Chatterjee |work=[[Hindustan Times]] |access-date=23 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020209145353/http://167.216.192.98/infotainment/cinema/reviews/bollywood/reviewsnayak.shtml |archive-date=9 February 2002 |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Ziya Us Salam]] claimed that Kapoor portrayed his part with "easy professionalism".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-miscellaneous/tp-others/film-review-nayak/article27977039.ece |title=Film Review: Nayak |url-access=subscription |date=14 September 2001 |work=The Hindu |last=Salam |first=Ziya Us |author-link=Ziya Us Salam |access-date=23 May 2021 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210523085642/https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-miscellaneous/tp-others/film-review-nayak/article27977039.ece |archive-date=23 May 2021 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The critic and trade analyst [[Komal Nahta]] opined that it did not "have enough entertainment value", suggesting that the film's lengthy duration could be cut for ten minutes. Kapoor's performance got appreciation from Nahta, who thought he was "splendid", otherwise Nahta hoped that Shankar's direction "could have been much better. His inept handling becomes conspicuous as unrealistic and unbelievable things happen in this serious issue-based drama."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.radiosargam.com/movies/moviereviews/n/nayak.htm |title=Nayak |date=2001 |last=Nahta |first=Komal |author-link=Komal Nahta |website=[[Radio Sargam]] |access-date=23 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011007072753/http://www.radiosargam.com/movies/moviereviews/n/nayak.htm |archive-date=7 October 2001 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Writing for [[NDTV]], Parul Batra saw that Mukerji was wasted in her brief role although applauding her costumes. He agreed with Nahta about the duration problem, saying that it left him "disappointed".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ndtv.com/ent/reviewhindi.asp?id=33&moviename=Nayak |title=Nayak |date=2001 |last=Batra |first=Parul |website=[[NDTV]] |access-date=23 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020210171750/http://www.ndtv.com/ent/reviewhindi.asp?id=33&moviename=Nayak |archive-date=10 February 2002 |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Dinesh Raheja]] felt that the "spirited" performance of Kapoor was the highlight of the film,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://movies.thenewspapertoday.com/reviews/reviewnayak.shtml |title=Nayak — Fails To Create A Tehelka |last=Raheja |first=Dinesh |author-link=Dinesh Raheja |date=2001 |work=[[India Today]] |access-date=23 May 2021 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011025011656/http://movies.thenewspapertoday.com/reviews/reviewnayak.shtml |archive-date=25 October 2001 }}</ref> and Devesh Sharma, in a review carried by ''[[Screen (magazine)|Screen]]'', observed of him, "Anil Kapoor once again proves his brilliance as an actor with this movie [...] he verily gets under the skin of his character and executes a faultless performance. His frustrations, his angst and his heart-rendering lamentations on seeing his parents blown away find answering echoes in the heart of every cinegoer."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.screenindia.com/20010914/freview.html |title=Nayak: The Real Hero — The Reel Hero |date=14 September 2001 |work=Screen |last=Sharma |first=Devesh |access-date=23 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010917031720/http://www.screenindia.com/20010914/freview.html |archive-date=17 September 2001 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

=== Accolades ===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
|-
! scope="col"| Award
! scope="col"| Category
! scope="col"| Recipient(s)
! scope="col"| Result
! scope="col" class="unsortable"| {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" | [[Bollywood Movie Awards]]
| [[Bollywood Movie Award – Most Sensational Actor|Most Sensational Actor]]
| {{sort|Kapoor|Anil Kapoor}}
| {{nom}}
| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="2" |<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bollywoodawards.com/Nominees/Nominees2002page.html |title=Z Gold Bollywood Awards Nominees |website=[[Bollywood Movie Awards]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020602061342/http://www.bollywoodawards.com/Nominees/Nominees2002page.html |archive-date=2 June 2002 |access-date=23 May 2021 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|-
| [[Bollywood Movie Award – Most Sensational Actress|Most Sensational Actress]]
| {{sort|Mukerji|Rani Mukerji}}
| {{nom}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" | [[Screen Awards]]
| [[Screen Award for Best Special Effects|Best Special Effects]]
| {{sort|Venky|S. T. Venky}}
| {{nom}}
| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="2" |<ref>{{cite episode|title=Screen Awards 2001|series=Screen Awards|network=[[StarPlus]]|date=18 January 2002}}</ref>
|-
| Best Action
| {{sort|Kannan|Kanal Kannan}}
| {{nom}}
|}

==Sequel==
In September 2013, the media reported that Kapoor has signed to star in a sequel to ''Nayak'', titled ''Nayak Returns'', and [[Tabu (actress)|Tabu]] will be his co-star. The project will have a different subject, but he has said that he will reprise his role.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/kannada/movies/news/anu-pallavi-anu-star-anil-kapoor-in-nayak-returns/articleshow/22937120.cms? |title=Anu Pallavi Anu star Anil Kapoor in Nayak Returns |date=23 September 2013 |last=Muthanna |first=Anjali |work=[[The Times of India]] |agency=Times News Network |access-date=23 May 2021 |archive-date=20 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180320053738/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/kannada/movies/news/Anu-Pallavi-Anu-star-Anil-Kapoor-in-Nayak-Returns/articleshow/22937120.cms |url-status=live }}</ref> The sequel was officially announced later by [[Eros International]] in January 2017, with [[K. V. Vijayendra Prasad]] is chosen to write the screenplay and the [[principal photography]] starting the same year.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/anil-kapoor-nayak-gets-a-sequel-4472381/ |title=Anil Kapoor’s Nayak gets a sequel |date=13 January 2017 |work=[[The Indian Express]] |access-date=23 May 2021 |archive-date=29 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180929234848/https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/anil-kapoor-nayak-gets-a-sequel-4472381/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|0291376}}

{{S. Shankar}}
{{A. R. Rahman}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nayak}}
[[Category:2000s Hindi-language films]]
[[Category:2000s political thriller films]]
[[Category:2001 action drama films]]
[[Category:2001 films]]
[[Category:Fictional portrayals of the Maharashtra Police]]
[[Category:Films about corruption in India]]
[[Category:Films about elections]]
[[Category:Films directed by S. Shankar]]
[[Category:Films featuring an item number]]
[[Category:Films scored by A. R. Rahman]]
[[Category:Hindi remakes of Tamil films]]
[[Category:Indian action drama films]]
[[Category:Indian films]]
[[Category:Indian political thriller films]]
[[Category:Indian political drama films]]
[[Category:Journalism adapted into films]]
[[Category:Political action films]]

Nayak (2001 Hindi film)

2026-08-06T06:08:13Z

2401:4900:8F58:657C:15B2:58F0:CBCF:4CB3:

{{short description|2001 film by Shankar}}
{{good article}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2013}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Nayak
| image = Nayak poster.jpg
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = [[S. Shankar]]
| producer = [[A. M. Rathnam]]
| writer = S. Shankar
| starring = [[Anil Kapoor]]
| music = [[A. R. Rahman]]
| cinematography = [[K. V. Anand]]
| editing = {{Plainlist|
* [[B. Lenin]]
* [[V. T. Vijayan]]
}}
| studio = Sri Surya Movies
| released = {{Film date|2001|9|7|df=yes}}
| runtime = 187 minutes<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/nayak-the-real-hero-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0zndg1mtk |title=Nayak The Real Hero |website=[[British Board of Film Classification]] |access-date=22 May 2021 |archive-date=23 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210523092354/https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/nayak-the-real-hero-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0zndg1mtk |url-status=live }}</ref>
| country = India
| language = Hindi
| budget = {{INR}}210 million<ref name="BOI">{{cite web |url=https://boxofficeindia.com/movie.php?movieid=671 |title=Nayak |website=[[Box Office India]] |access-date=22 May 2021 |archive-date=29 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180529203855/https://boxofficeindia.com/movie.php?movieid=671 |url-status=live }}</ref>
| gross = {{INR}}205.6 million<ref name="BOI" />
}}
'''''Nayak: The Real Hero''''' ({{translation|''Hero''}}) is a 2001 Indian [[Hindi]]-language [[action film|political action thriller film]] directed by [[S. Shankar]] and produced by [[A. M. Rathnam]] under the Sri Surya Movies banner. The film stars [[Anil Kapoor]], with [[Rani Mukerji]], [[Amrish Puri]], [[Paresh Rawal]], and [[Johnny Lever]] playing supporting roles. A remake of Shankar's 1999 [[Tamil language|Tamil]]-language film ''[[Mudhalvan]]'', it focuses on Shivaji Rao Gaekwad (Kapoor), a television cameraman and, later, television presenter, who accidentally hears and records the conversation between the police with the [[List of chief ministers of Maharashtra|Chief Minister of Maharashtra]] Balraj Chauhan (Puri) to take an indifferent stand during riots triggered by a fight between college students and a bus driver. While interviewing Chauhan about the issues, Shivaji is challenged to take over his job for a day.

''Nayak'' was announced in June 2000 and marked the first Hindi-language directorial venture of Shankar. The soundtrack was composed by [[A. R. Rahman]], with lyrics that were written by [[Anand Bakshi]]. Filming was done by [[K. V. Anand]], taking place in more than 100 locations across India. The film was released on 7 September 2001. A commercial failure, it grossed {{INRConvert|205.6|m}} at the box office against the total production and marketing cost of {{INRConvert|210|m}}. It was opened to mixed reviews from critics, some of whom applauded the performances of the cast but criticised its lengthy duration and special effects. A sequel, titled ''Nayak Returns'', has entered production.

==Plot==
Shivaji Rao Gaekwad is an ambitious television cameraman, working for QTV along with his friend Topi. While on his job, Rao is assigned to record riots triggered by a fight between college students and a bus driver and accidentally records a conversation in which the [[List of chief ministers of Maharashtra|Chief Minister of Maharashtra]] Balraj Chauhan takes an indifferent stand, so as not to lose his voter base. In the riots, Shivaji saves the life of one of the college students there, and it is recorded by Topi. Because of his actions, Shivaji is promoted as the senior television presenter.

Meanwhile, due to police inaction, there is loss of life and damage to property. Explaining his actions, Chauhan later agrees to do a live interview with Shivaji, during which Rao raises these issues and broadcasts the conversation he has recorded. In response to Shivaji's allegations about the mismanagement by his government, Balraj redirects the question by saying that his job is not easy. He challenges Shivaji to be the Chief Minister for a day to experience those problems himself. Shivaji reluctantly accepts the challenge.

Assisted by Bansal, Shivaji handles issues that affect the populace every day. He manages appropriate housing and employment for the needy, and he suspends inefficient and corrupt government officials. As the last act of the day, Rao has Chauhan arrested, as the latter is the root cause of all the corruption. Later, Chauhan posts bail and leaves jail, then passes an ordinance to nullify all orders passed by Shivaji. Insulted by Shivaji's success as well, Chauhan sends assassins after him, but they only destroy his house.

Shivaji falls in love with Manjari, a naïve, carefree villager whom he met when he was a cameraman. He asks her father to marry her, but her father refuses on grounds that Shivaji is not employed by the government. As a result, Shivaji begins preparing for the [[Civil Services Examination (India)|Civil Services Examination]]. However, Bansal arrives and informs Rao that Shivaji's popularity has skyrocketed and that people want him to become the next Chief Minister. He is reluctant at first, but when Chauhan's henchmen vandalise QTV premises to intimidate him, and the people show their support by thronging to his place in huge numbers, he agrees to do so.

In the ensuing state elections, Shivaji wins by a vast majority. Chauhan's political allies desert him, causing his defeat. Manjari's father, angered by Shivaji's decision, because he believes that it will make Chauhan careless of Manjari, refuses to let his daughter marry him. On becoming the Chief Minister, Shivaji effects many improvements and quickly becomes an idol in the people's eyes. However, his growing popularity is threatened continuously by Chauhan who uses his henchmen to try to kill him or tarnish his image as a public hero. After a failed attempt on Shivaji's life by hiring an assassin, a bomb is detonated at his home, killing his parents.

In a final attempt, Chauhan orders Pandurang to cause bomb explosions in various parts of the city. Accidentally, a priest hears that a few men are planning to detonate bombs and notifies Shivaji's office via the "complaint box", which was created by Shivaji to collect letters from the public about their complaints. Pandurang is arrested and, under tactical inquiry by Shivaji and his secretary, discloses the location of the four bombs. A squad is able to defuse three bombs, but the fourth explodes—without injuring anyone—before they could reach it crowd.

Chauhan uses this success against Shivaji by blaming him for the bomb. Seeing no way out, Shivaji summons Chauhan to the secretariat and creates a situation such that it would seem as if Chauhan was there to shoot Shivaji but failed.

To do so, Shivaji takes up a gun, points it to his arm, shoots himself on purpose, and then hands over the gun to Chauhan his shootout. Enraged, Chauhan attempts to shoot Shivaji, but his shot misses. The security guards shoot down Chauhan and kill him. Apart from that, Manjari's father also comes to realise that Shivaji is a great man who sees duty before everything else and allows Manjari to marry him. The film ends with the state developing under the governance of Shivaji.

==Cast==
The cast is listed below:<ref name="Cast & Crew">{{cite web |url=http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movies/cast/6818/index.html |title=Nayak Cast & Crew |website=[[Bollywood Hungama]] |access-date=22 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110903135819/http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movies/cast/6818/index.html |archive-date=3 September 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://boxofficeindia.com/cast_crew.php?movieid=671 |title=Nayak Cast |website=Box Office India |access-date=22 May 2021 |archive-date=8 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210108133234/https://boxofficeindia.com/cast_crew.php?movieid=671 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[Anil Kapoor]] as Shivaji Rao Gaekwad
* [[Rani Mukerji]] as Manjari
* [[Pooja Batra]] as Laila
* [[Amrish Puri]] as Balraj Chauhan
* [[Paresh Rawal]] as Bansal
* [[Johnny Lever]] as Topi
* [[Saurabh Shukla]] as Pandurang
* [[Shivaji Satam]] as Manjari's father
* [[Neena Kulkarni]] as Mrs. Gaekwad

[[Ahmed Khan (choreographer)|Ahmed Khan]] and [[Sushmita Sen]] made special appearances in the song "Shakalaka Baby".<ref name="Cast & Crew" />

==Production==
{{quote box
| quote = "Anil Kapoor is a very flexible kind of personality. He can play any kind of role—he can do, comedy, play the common man or a very stylish person, and on top of everything he is extremely mature. He lends himself to any kind of role. And he has done a good job."
| source = —Shankar on why he cast Kapoor<ref name="Quest">{{cite news |url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-miscellaneous/tp-others/quest-for-entertainment/article27971287.ece |title=Quest for entertainment |url-access=subscription |last=Mahesh |first=Chitra |date=10 August 2001 |work=[[The Hindu]] |access-date=22 May 2021 |archive-date=22 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210522121815/https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-miscellaneous/tp-others/quest-for-entertainment/article27971287.ece |url-status=live }}</ref>
| align = right
| width = 30%
}}
''Nayak: The Real Hero'' serves as a remake of [[S. Shankar]]'s 1999 [[Tamil language|Tamil]]-language film ''[[Mudhalvan]]'', and was the director's first venture in [[Bollywood]]. The debut, announced in June 2000, was produced by [[A. M. Rathnam]] under the banner of Sri Surya Movies (his second [[Hindi]] film after that of ''Tejasvini'', released in 1994),<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rediff.com/movies/2000/jun/17anil.htm |title=Anil to star in Mudhalvan remake |last=Rajitha |date=17 June 2000 |website=[[Rediff.com]] |access-date=22 May 2021 |archive-date=23 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210523092356/https://www.rediff.com/movies/2000/jun/17anil.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="citizen">{{cite web |url=https://www.rediff.com/entertai/2001/may/29intro.htm |title=In Nayak, citizen can! |date=29 May 2001 |website=Rediff.com |last=Rajitha |access-date=22 May 2021 |archive-date=4 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210504213437/https://www.rediff.com/entertai/2001/may/29intro.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> and addressed the issue of [[corruption in India]]. According to Shankar, he was motivated to remake ''Mudhalvan'' in Hindi because of its subject and did several changes to the original story. In an interview with ''[[Filmfare]]'' in August 2001, he said that he believed that the topic is well-known among Indian people.<ref name="Action!">{{cite news |url=http://downloads.movies.indiatimes.com/site/august2001/ivw8.html |title=Action!: Cut to director Shankar |date=August 2001 |work=[[Filmfare]] |last=Iyer |first=Meena |access-date=22 May 2021 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040915001946/http://downloads.movies.indiatimes.com/site/august2001/ivw8.html |archive-date=15 April 2004 }}</ref> [[Anurag Kashyap]] wrote the dialogue.<ref name="Cast & Crew" />

The role of Shivaji was originally going to be played by [[Aamir Khan]], but Shankar did not cast him, explaining, "... the two of us faced a huge communication gap. His views about [''Mudhalvan''] didn't match mine." The next actor suggested was [[Shah Rukh Khan]]. However, he did not want to play the role after portraying a television presenter in his home production, ''[[Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani]]'' (2000). Shankar's final choice was Anil Kapoor, although he was initially reluctant to choose him for the part but changed his mind after finding him more suitable than the previous actors, noting his discipline.<ref name="Action!" /> When asked by the ''[[Deccan Herald]]'' about his character as well as his experience during the production of the film, Kapoor said that it was one of his career's finest roles and called it an honour to work with Shankar.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/aug26/ent5.htm |title=‘We all can be heroes’ |date=26 August 2001 |last=Dhar |first=Sujoy |work=[[Deccan Herald]] |access-date=22 May 2021 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010910053716/http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/aug26/ent5.htm |archive-date=10 September 2001 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rediff.com/entertai/2001/jul/09anil.htm |title='I just happen to be a hero!' |last=Das |first=Ronjita |date=9 July 2001 |website=Rediff.com |access-date=22 May 2021 |archive-date=19 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210519073547/https://www.rediff.com/entertai/2001/jul/09anil.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> To prepare for the role, Kapoor underwent physical training for six or seven months,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.screenindia.com/20010907/fcover.html |title=Cover Story |date=7 September 2001 |work=[[Screen (magazine)|Screen]] |last=Bhattacharya |first=Roshmila |author-link=Roshmila Bhattacharya |access-date=22 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011119150442/http://www.screenindia.com/20010907/fcover.html |archive-date=19 November 2001 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and watched many talk shows hosted by [[Larry King]], [[Prannoy Roy]], [[Rajat Sharma]], and [[Karan Thapar]]—later adopting their way of speaking.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rediff.com/entertai/2001/sep/06anil.htm |title=The Reel Hero |date=6 September 2001 |website=Rediff.com |last=Nanda |first=Tanmaya Kumar |location=New York, United States |access-date=22 May 2021 |archive-date=19 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210519080259/https://www.rediff.com/entertai/2001/sep/06anil.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

Shankar chose Rani Mukerji to fulfill the part of Manjari, a village girl who becomes the love interest of Kapoor's character. He cast Mukerji over [[Manisha Koirala]], who played the role in the original version, as he thought that Mukerji has the bubbly image he needed for the character.<ref name="Action!" /> Playing the type of role for the first time, the actress admitted that she saw resemblances between Manjari and herself, noting their vibrant along with uninhibited character, and described her collaboration with Kapoor as a "growing-up experience".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.screenindia.com/20010907/finter.html |title=Interview: Analyse this |date=7 September 2001 |work=Screen |access-date=22 May 2021 |last=Somaaya |first=Bhawana |author-link=Bhawana Somaaya |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011119152055/http://www.screenindia.com/20010907/finter.html |archive-date=19 November 2001 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Talking to a journalist from [[Rediff.com]], Mukerji revealed that she immediately agreed to star in the film after hearing the story from Kapoor, which she felt was "mindblowing". Shankar wanted her to portray the role in her own way, not copying what Koirala had done before.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rediff.com/entertai/2001/jul/02rani.htm |title='I hope our jodi clicks!' |date=2 July 2001 |website=Rediff.com |publisher=India News Feature Service |access-date=22 May 2021 |archive-date=19 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210519073542/https://www.rediff.com/entertai/2001/jul/02rani.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Ahmed Khan and Sushmita Sen made special appearances in the film.<ref name="Cast & Crew" />

[[Principal photography]] was handled by [[K. V. Anand]] and took place in more than 100 locations in the states of [[Maharashtra]], [[Tamil Nadu]], [[Karnataka]], [[Andhra Pradesh]], [[Kerala]], [[Rajasthan]], and [[Himachal Pradesh]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://indiafm.com/previews/01/nayak/index.shtml |title=Movie Preview: Nayak |date=2001 |last=Adarsh |first=Taran |author-link=Taran Adarsh |website=Bollywood Hungama |access-date=22 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010803031727/http://indiafm.com/previews/01/nayak/index.shtml |archive-date=3 August 2001 |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Thota Tharani]] served as the art director, while [[H. Sridhar]] was the sound designer.<ref name="Cast & Crew" /> A 22-day schedule in [[Mumbai]], [[Pune]], and the cities in Tamil Nadu was started on 18 November 2000.<ref>{{cite news |title=22-day shoot for Nayak... |url=http://www.expressindia.com/screen/20001124/rash.htm |work=Screen |access-date=13 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010203221900/http://www.expressindia.com/screen/20001124/rash.htm#rus2 |archive-date=3 February 2001 |date=24 November 2000}}</ref> To shoot the song "[[Shakalaka Baby]]", Anand travelled to the United States to meet the filmmaker [[Spike Lee]] and asked for his help. It was simultaneously shot with 34 cameras bought from the German manufacturer [[Arri]] with a speed of 100 [[Frame rate|FPS]], instead of 24, and made the film over-budgeted; consequently, Anand spoke of his regret to do the idea.<ref name="citizen" /> After filming ended, ''Nayak'' was edited by [[B. Lenin]] and [[V. T. Vijayan]].<ref name="Cast & Crew" />

==Soundtrack==
{{Infobox album
| name = Nayak: The Real Hero
| type = soundtrack
| artist = [[A. R. Rahman]]
| cover =
| alt =
| released = 4 July 2001
| recorded =
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = [[Film soundtrack|Feature film soundtrack]]
| length = {{duration|m=38|s=33}}
| label = [[T-Series (company)|T-Series]]
| producer = A. R. Rahman
| prev_title = [[Lagaan]]
| prev_year = 2001
| next_title = [[Love You Hamesha]]
| next_year = 2001
}}
The soundtrack for the film was composed by [[A. R. Rahman]] with lyrics from [[Anand Bakshi]].<ref name="Cast & Crew" /> The vocals were performed by [[Udit Narayan]], [[Kavita Krishnamurthy]], [[Vasundhara Das]], [[Shiraz Uppal]], [[Pravin Mani]], [[Shankar Mahadevan]], [[Alka Yagnik]], [[Sunidhi Chauhan]], [[Hans Raj Hans]], [[Abhijeet Bhattacharya]], [[Sanjeevani (singer)|Sanjeevani]], and [[Hariharan (singer)|Hariharan]].<ref name="iTunes">{{cite web |url=https://music.apple.com/in/album/nayak-original-motion-picture-soundtrack/1138977853 |title=Nayak (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) |website=[[iTunes]] |access-date=22 May 2021 |archive-date=23 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210523092345/https://music.apple.com/in/album/nayak-original-motion-picture-soundtrack/1138977853 |url-status=live }}</ref> The soundtrack album was released at a special ceremony at the Hotel Regent in [[Mumbai]] under the label of [[T-Series (company)|T-Series]], which bought the rights for {{INRConvert|60|m}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rediff.com/entertai/2001/jul/05nayak2.htm |title=Nayak: The real music |date=5 July 2001 |website=Rediff.com |last=Das |first=Ronjita |access-date=22 May 2021 |archive-date=3 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160803090552/http://www.rediff.com/entertai/2001/jul/05nayak2.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> The album did not perform well commercially and, according to the film-trade website [[Box Office India]], only 1.4 million units were sold.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cscsarchive.org:8081/MediaArchive/art.nsf/(docid)/D610F64FA9D20DA565256B0C003EA5BA |title=Will 2002 ring to sound of Bollywood music? |date=10 January 2002 |work=[[The New Indian Express]] |agency=[[Indo-Asian News Service]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725213810/http://www.cscsarchive.org:8081/MediaArchive/art.nsf/(docid)/D610F64FA9D20DA565256B0C003EA5BA |archive-date=25 July 2011 |access-date=22 May 2021 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Music Hits 2000–2009 (Figures in Units)|url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=286&catName=MjAwMC0yMDA5|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080215081557/http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=286&catName=MjAwMC0yMDA5&PHPSESSID=108b9056cd4ca14236f9c6119d34dcce|archive-date=15 February 2008|website=Box Office India|access-date=12 July 2017}}</ref>

Critically, the album was met with a poor reception from reviewers as well.<ref name="Pause">{{cite web |url=https://www.rediff.com/entertai/2001/dec/29flop2.htm |title=Pause: Rewind: Play |date=29 December 2001 |website=Rediff.com |last=Verma |first=Sukanya |author-link=Sukanya Verma |access-date=23 May 2021 |archive-date=9 January 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070109073543/http://www.rediff.com/entertai/2001/dec/29flop2.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Sukanya Verma]] of [[Rediff.com]] concluded that it was "quite a letdown" and "fails miserably", saying that she had expected more from Rahman.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rediff.com/movies/2001/jul/12nay.htm |title=What a let down! |date=12 July 2001 |website=Rediff.com |last=Verma |first=Sukanya |access-date=23 May 2021 |archive-date=19 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210519073532/https://www.rediff.com/movies/2001/jul/12nay.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> In an article for ''[[The Hindu]]'', Savitha Gautham found the album has the same composition to that from ''Mudhalvan'', but the lyrics are different. She noted that the songs have strong South Indian flavours, especially in "Saiyyan". Gautham declared "Shakalaka Baby" as the best song of the album, believing that it would be popular among Indian youth.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-miscellaneous/tp-others/chords-notes/article27969420.ece |title=Chords & Notes |url-access=subscription |date=30 July 2001 |work=The Hindu |last=Gautham |first=Savitha |access-date=23 May 2021 |archive-date=23 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210523092353/https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-miscellaneous/tp-others/chords-notes/article27969420.ece |url-status=live }}</ref> Planet Bollywood's Avinash Ramchandani presumed Rahman's composition made the film "comes out to be a winner" and increased the audience's enthusiasm to Kapoor's and Mukerji's chemistry.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://planetbollywood.com/Music/Nayak/ |title=Nayak |date=2001 |last=Ramchandani |first=Avinash |website=Planet Bollywood |access-date=23 May 2021 |archive-date=25 May 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070525222123/http://www.planetbollywood.com/Music/Nayak/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

{{Track listing
| headline = Nayak (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)<ref name="iTunes" />
| extra_column = Singer(s)
| title1 = Chalo Chale Mitwa
| extra1 = [[Udit Narayan]], [[Kavita Krishnamurthy]]
| length1 = 6:41
| title2 = [[Shakalaka Baby]]
| extra2 = [[Vasundhara Das]], [[Shiraz Uppal]], [[Pravin Mani]]
| length2 = 5:27
| title3 = Ruki Sukhi Roti
| extra3 = [[Shankar Mahadevan]], [[Alka Yagnik]]
| length3 = 5:39
| title4 = Saiyyan
| extra4 = [[Sunidhi Chauhan]], [[Hans Raj Hans]]
| length4 = 6:14
| title5 = Chidiya Tu Hoti To
| extra5 = [[Abhijeet Bhattacharya]], [[Sanjeevani (singer)|Sanjeevani]]
| length5 = 5:49
| title6 = Tu Achcha Lagta Hai
| extra6 = Kavita Krishnamurthy, [[Hariharan (singer)|Hariharan]]
| length6 = 5:37
| title7 = Chalo Chale Purva
| extra7 = Kavita Krishnamurthy, Udit Narayan
| length7 = 3:06
| total_length = 38:33
}}

== Release ==
Originally scheduled for release on 15 August 2002,<ref name="Quest" /> ''Nayak'' premiered at theatres on 7 September and failed to attract a large enough audience.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rediff.com/entertai/2001/aug/18anil.htm |title='Nayak is for a world-class audience' |date=18 August 2001 |website=Rediff.com |agency=[[United News of India]] |access-date=23 May 2021 |archive-date=19 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210519080259/https://www.rediff.com/entertai/2001/aug/18anil.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Made on a production and marketing cost of {{INRConvert|210|m|year=2001}}, the film opened on 280 screens across India and grossed {{INRConvert|8.5|m}} on its first day. It collected {{INRConvert|48.1|m}} after a week, and {{INRConvert|180.6|m}} following its theatrical run in India. Abroad, the film also did not perform well and only had a total gross of $530,000. Summing the film's revenues from India and overseas, Box Office India estimated ''Nayak'' earned {{INRConvert|205.6|m|year=2001}}.<ref name="BOI" /> The film was released on [[DVD]] in the [[PAL]] widescreen format.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/Nayak-Anil-Kapoor/dp/B07VRF3892 |title=Nayak: The Real Hero |website=[[Amazon (company)|Amazon]] |access-date=23 May 2021 |archive-date=23 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210523092353/https://www.amazon.com/Nayak-Anil-Kapoor/dp/B07VRF3892 |url-status=live }}</ref> Since 6 September 2019, the film is available for streaming on [[Amazon Prime Video]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/nayak-the-real-hero |title=Nayak: The Real Hero |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date=23 May 2021 |archive-date=28 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151128203129/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/nayak-the-real-hero |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/Nayak-Anil-Kapoor/dp/B07VRF3892 |title=Nayak |website=[[Amazon Prime Video]] |access-date=23 May 2021 |archive-date=23 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210523092417/https://www.amazon.com/Nayak-Anil-Kapoor/dp/B07VRF3892 |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Critical response ===
Critics gave mixed reviews to ''Nayak'', praising the performances of Kapoor and Puri from the first-half but panning the special effects, which they attributed to the film's commercial failure.<ref name="Pause" /> Rediff.com's Sarita Tanwar wrote, "A fairly interesting plot, a commendable performance from the leading artiste, lavish production values and terrific pieces of action, ''Nayak: The Real Hero'' has all the ingredients that make a commercially viable film."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://m.rediff.com/movies/2001/sep/06nayak.htm |title=If Anil were CM, India would rock!: The Nayak review |date=6 September 2001 |website=Rediff.com |last=Tanwar |first=Sarita |access-date=23 May 2021 |archive-date=17 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200217193746/http://m.rediff.com/movies/2001/sep/06nayak.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Taran Adarsh]] from the entertainment portal [[Bollywood Hungama]] gave the film one star, calling its second-half "weak". However, he took note of the "superb" dialogue of the film, mostly that are said by Paresh Rawal's character, while deemed Johnny Lever's comedic scenes were "flat". Moreover, Adarsh said that Mukerji was given with a role that did not give her screen time to talk and Pooja Batra's role was better than hers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movies/review/6818/index.html |title=Nayak: Movie Review by Taran Adarsh |date=5 September 2001 |last=Adarsh |first=Taran |author-link=Taran Adarsh |website=Bollywood Hungama |access-date=23 May 2021 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110818020928/http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movies/review/6818/index.html |archive-date=18 August 2011 }}</ref> [[Saibal Chatterjee]] of the ''[[Hindustan Times]]'', giving the same rating, described the film as "a patchwork that's neither pretty nor useful".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://167.216.192.98/infotainment/cinema/reviews/bollywood/reviewsnayak.shtml |title=Nayak |date=2001 |last=Chatterjee |first=Saibal |author-link=Saibal Chatterjee |work=[[Hindustan Times]] |access-date=23 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020209145353/http://167.216.192.98/infotainment/cinema/reviews/bollywood/reviewsnayak.shtml |archive-date=9 February 2002 |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Ziya Us Salam]] claimed that Kapoor portrayed his part with "easy professionalism".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-miscellaneous/tp-others/film-review-nayak/article27977039.ece |title=Film Review: Nayak |url-access=subscription |date=14 September 2001 |work=The Hindu |last=Salam |first=Ziya Us |author-link=Ziya Us Salam |access-date=23 May 2021 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210523085642/https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-miscellaneous/tp-others/film-review-nayak/article27977039.ece |archive-date=23 May 2021 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The critic and trade analyst [[Komal Nahta]] opined that it did not "have enough entertainment value", suggesting that the film's lengthy duration could be cut for ten minutes. Kapoor's performance got appreciation from Nahta, who thought he was "splendid", otherwise Nahta hoped that Shankar's direction "could have been much better. His inept handling becomes conspicuous as unrealistic and unbelievable things happen in this serious issue-based drama."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.radiosargam.com/movies/moviereviews/n/nayak.htm |title=Nayak |date=2001 |last=Nahta |first=Komal |author-link=Komal Nahta |website=[[Radio Sargam]] |access-date=23 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011007072753/http://www.radiosargam.com/movies/moviereviews/n/nayak.htm |archive-date=7 October 2001 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Writing for [[NDTV]], Parul Batra saw that Mukerji was wasted in her brief role although applauding her costumes. He agreed with Nahta about the duration problem, saying that it left him "disappointed".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ndtv.com/ent/reviewhindi.asp?id=33&moviename=Nayak |title=Nayak |date=2001 |last=Batra |first=Parul |website=[[NDTV]] |access-date=23 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020210171750/http://www.ndtv.com/ent/reviewhindi.asp?id=33&moviename=Nayak |archive-date=10 February 2002 |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Dinesh Raheja]] felt that the "spirited" performance of Kapoor was the highlight of the film,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://movies.thenewspapertoday.com/reviews/reviewnayak.shtml |title=Nayak — Fails To Create A Tehelka |last=Raheja |first=Dinesh |author-link=Dinesh Raheja |date=2001 |work=[[India Today]] |access-date=23 May 2021 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011025011656/http://movies.thenewspapertoday.com/reviews/reviewnayak.shtml |archive-date=25 October 2001 }}</ref> and Devesh Sharma, in a review carried by ''[[Screen (magazine)|Screen]]'', observed of him, "Anil Kapoor once again proves his brilliance as an actor with this movie [...] he verily gets under the skin of his character and executes a faultless performance. His frustrations, his angst and his heart-rendering lamentations on seeing his parents blown away find answering echoes in the heart of every cinegoer."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.screenindia.com/20010914/freview.html |title=Nayak: The Real Hero — The Reel Hero |date=14 September 2001 |work=Screen |last=Sharma |first=Devesh |access-date=23 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010917031720/http://www.screenindia.com/20010914/freview.html |archive-date=17 September 2001 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

=== Accolades ===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
|-
! scope="col"| Award
! scope="col"| Category
! scope="col"| Recipient(s)
! scope="col"| Result
! scope="col" class="unsortable"| {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" | [[Bollywood Movie Awards]]
| [[Bollywood Movie Award – Most Sensational Actor|Most Sensational Actor]]
| {{sort|Kapoor|Anil Kapoor}}
| {{nom}}
| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="2" |<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bollywoodawards.com/Nominees/Nominees2002page.html |title=Z Gold Bollywood Awards Nominees |website=[[Bollywood Movie Awards]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020602061342/http://www.bollywoodawards.com/Nominees/Nominees2002page.html |archive-date=2 June 2002 |access-date=23 May 2021 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|-
| [[Bollywood Movie Award – Most Sensational Actress|Most Sensational Actress]]
| {{sort|Mukerji|Rani Mukerji}}
| {{nom}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" | [[Screen Awards]]
| [[Screen Award for Best Special Effects|Best Special Effects]]
| {{sort|Venky|S. T. Venky}}
| {{nom}}
| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="2" |<ref>{{cite episode|title=Screen Awards 2001|series=Screen Awards|network=[[StarPlus]]|date=18 January 2002}}</ref>
|-
| Best Action
| {{sort|Kannan|Kanal Kannan}}
| {{nom}}
|}

==Sequel==
In September 2013, the media reported that Kapoor has signed to star in a sequel to ''Nayak'', titled ''Nayak Returns'', and [[Tabu (actress)|Tabu]] will be his co-star. The project will have a different subject, but he has said that he will reprise his role.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/kannada/movies/news/anu-pallavi-anu-star-anil-kapoor-in-nayak-returns/articleshow/22937120.cms? |title=Anu Pallavi Anu star Anil Kapoor in Nayak Returns |date=23 September 2013 |last=Muthanna |first=Anjali |work=[[The Times of India]] |agency=Times News Network |access-date=23 May 2021 |archive-date=20 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180320053738/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/kannada/movies/news/Anu-Pallavi-Anu-star-Anil-Kapoor-in-Nayak-Returns/articleshow/22937120.cms |url-status=live }}</ref> The sequel was officially announced later by [[Eros International]] in January 2017, with [[K. V. Vijayendra Prasad]] is chosen to write the screenplay and the [[principal photography]] starting the same year.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/anil-kapoor-nayak-gets-a-sequel-4472381/ |title=Anil Kapoor’s Nayak gets a sequel |date=13 January 2017 |work=[[The Indian Express]] |access-date=23 May 2021 |archive-date=29 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180929234848/https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/anil-kapoor-nayak-gets-a-sequel-4472381/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|0291376}}

{{S. Shankar}}
{{A. R. Rahman}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nayak}}
[[Category:2000s Hindi-language films]]
[[Category:2000s political thriller films]]
[[Category:2001 action drama films]]
[[Category:2001 films]]
[[Category:Fictional portrayals of the Maharashtra Police]]
[[Category:Films about corruption in India]]
[[Category:Films about elections]]
[[Category:Films directed by S. Shankar]]
[[Category:Films featuring an item number]]
[[Category:Films scored by A. R. Rahman]]
[[Category:Hindi remakes of Tamil films]]
[[Category:Indian action drama films]]
[[Category:Indian films]]
[[Category:Indian political thriller films]]
[[Category:Indian political drama films]]
[[Category:Journalism adapted into films]]
[[Category:Political action films]]