New Delhi: When Salim-Javed imagined ‘Sholay’, the character was of a dreaded dacoit to take shape first. Very few people used to imagine that the role played by a newcomer in a star-staded film would create cinema history.
Gabbar Singh was contrary to any opponent audience, which was previously seen, his first leading role was painted by Amjad Khan – a tragic, unpredictable and ruthless bandit, who made fun of no hesitation, mockery, and treated cruelty as entertainment.
The film historian, writer and radical, SMM Ausza, said that Khan’s role was written brilliantly and performed by Khan with great Pancakes.
“It has an element of humor. It is a well-carved character by Salim-Javed. As a beginning performance in a primary role, Amjad Khan was exceptionally good. If a character gets such a memorable effect in generations, a large part goes to the actor’s performance,” Ausaja told PTI.
When Gabbar appears on the screen for the first time, about an hour in the film, the audience sees his shot walking on the boulder, asks his henchmen, “Kitne Nirani de?” He returned empty-handed with his raid in Ramgarh by failing by Jai and Dharmendra’s Viru of the film’s heroes-Amitabh Bachchan.
“Woh and tumor teenage … Pirh back back on fire …
In the next two hours, he emerged as a reign of cruelty on Ramgarh village, breaking the spirit of his people, and as a living avatar of fear.
In an interview with PTI, Akhtar said that when he started working on the story, he had only a dacoit in his mind.
“We did not think about Basanti or Radha, we had only one dacoit. But gradually when the story developed, many characters came in the picture and we felt that it could be a great multi-starrer.” In the 2024 documentaries “Angry Young Men”, which charts the career of the famous screenplay pair in films, Salim Khan revealed how Gabbar was inspired by a real character.
He said, “My father was a high -ranked police officer. We heard a dacoit stories named Gabbar Singh. He used to kill people and cut his nose as well. Anything inspired by real -life has a different effect,” he said in the document.
His first choice for the character was actor Danny Denzongpa and he also signed him for the role. But she had to leave the film and left abroad to shoot for Feroz Khan’s “Dharmatama” as “Sholay” was delayed.
Both Bachchan and Sanjeev Kumar, who went to play Thakur, wanted to take part of the villain, understand its possible impact. Bachchan fulfilled his wish in 2007 with Ram Gopal Varma’s much “Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aga”.
Years ago in an incident, Bachchan recalled how he wanted to play Gabbar after listening to the script.
“I told Salim-Javed that I want to play Gabbar. And whoever heard the story wanted to play the role because it was a great character. But in the end, Ramesh ji said that I will play Jai, not Gabbar.
“Amjad Khan moved to the set and was recommended by Salim and Javed Saheb. He saw him performing on stage and was familiar with his work. I never thought he would not be able to do justice to the character. Although many people felt in the early days that his voice was not appropriate, but this voice became popular.”
In his 2000 book “Sholay: The Making of a Classic”, film journalist Anupama Chopra wrote that Amjad Khan, the younger son of famous actor Jayant, was struggling at that time. But he had a strong presence in his theater, where Akhtar saw him earlier.
But it was Salim Khan who contacted the actor for his role as he knew his father. They collided with each other at Bandra Bandstand.
“Salim had heard of Amjad’s skills as an actor, and physically he felt fit for the role.” I can’t promise anything to you, “he said to Amjad, but a big film. I will take you to the director. I will take you to the director.
The actor grew a beard and blacks his teeth, putting a deep dive into the character that would bring him immense popularity. He followed it with more villain parts in films like “Inquiry”, “Betting Pe Satta”, “Hum Kisis Kum Nahin” and “Naseeb”.
Trying to reduce Gabbar’s popularity among children as well as adults, Akhtar said that it was probably to do something that he was free from morality or fear.
“Why did the children like Gabbar Singh? Even adults liked him. A ruthless person who was not an emotional or moral justification for his cruelty. He is completely free from morality, which is tightly wrapped like a rope around us. At some subconscious levels, we praise that this person is independent,” he said in a docch-series.
With questions of his attractive rhetoric, crazy laughter and pride, Gabbar is a villain who lives.
(This report has been published as part of the auto-early syndicate wire feed. In addition to the headline, there is no editing in the copy by ABP Live.)
