Eminent scriptwriter and lyricist Javed Akhtar announced Saturday that a restored version of the iconic blockbuster Sholay will soon be released with its original ending, where the villain Gabbar Singh is killed.
Speaking at the 3rd SOA Literary Festival, Akhtar explained that the original 1975 climax had to be altered because the Censor Board objected to the law-abiding police officer, Thakur Baldev Singh (Sanjeev Kumar), killing the criminal Gabbar Singh (Amjad Khan) outside the bounds of the law. The film's theatrical release showed Gabbar being arrested.
Akhtar confirmed that the restored version, being re-launched to mark the film’s 50th year, will show Thakur killing Gabbar as originally intended.
Discussing the evolution of Indian cinema, Akhtar stated that cinema acts as a symptom of societal issues, changing pace with the times. He also stressed the importance of preserving one's mother tongue, cautioning against learning English at its expense. Akhtar was honored with the 1st SOA Sahitya Samman at the event.