Five years later, the trolls and the trade critics had been silenced, the word of mouth was overwhelming

Illustration/Uday Mohite

It was August, 15, 1975, when Ramesh Sippy’s Sholay was released in Minerva, the Pride of Maharashtra, in Grant Road. We were 13, when Jaswinder Sawney (a school mate) and I, “snuck” into the auditorium —  Jaswinder’s dad being the theatre manager.

It was August, 15, 1975, when Ramesh Sippy’s Sholay was released in Minerva, the Pride of Maharashtra, in Grant Road. We were 13, when Jaswinder Sawney (a school mate) and I, “snuck” into the auditorium —  Jaswinder’s dad being the theatre manager.

We couldn’t catch the “first day first show” being a school day, so the 5.30 pm show on Sunday was. As the crowds poured out into the street, there was a stunned “paisa vasoolness” that would guarantee repeated viewings. The hand-drawn poster that ran across the front face of the theatre, had Jai, Veeru, Basanti, Thakur, Radha, and Gabbar staring out at us. 

If the poster had wound its way round the back of

© Midday