Iran honours Sholay with a full-page newspaper tribute; the backstory is as legendary as the film itself

"Kitne aadmi the?" - No matter what era you're born in, you would definitely remember this dialogue from one of the most loved Bollywood films - Sholay. It has been 50 years since we first met Jai and Veeru, the unforgettable duo played by Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra, but the film remains etched in the hearts of people even today; and not just in India, even Iran is in awe of the magic of movie five decades later.

This year, it has been 50 years since the movie was released. To the mark the occasion, Iran's prominent national newspaper featured a full-page tribute to the film, which is quite a rare honour for a foreign cinematic work. Twitter handle 'Consulate General of the Islamic Republic of Iran' in Mumbai shared the news of X (formerly Twitter).



For the unversed, before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Indian cinema was widely distributed in Iran, and Sholay became a blockbuster during that period, especially among the older generation. Actors like Amitabh Bachchan were household names.

Twitter handle of Consulate General of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Mumbai also revealed that Iranian actor Navid Mohamadzadeh once drew inspiration from the iconic villanious character of Gabbar Singh, originally played Amjad Khan. Not only did he mimic his looks but also copied his mannerism in an Iranian film.


Not just that, Gabbar Singh is also popular in Iran. He is fondly called Jabbar Singh. The character played by Amjad Khan remains to be an iconic cinematic villain there as well.


A few years ago, an Iranian woman had gone viral for dancing to Bollywood song Jab Tak Hai Jaan, once again showing how the Hindi music continues to rule cross borders. At the Bengaluru International Film Festival, Iranian filmmaker Shahed Ahmadlou had proudly declared, "I have watched Sholay over 500 times." His statement reflects how deeply the film resonates with Iranian cinephiles.

In an age where most Bollywood films fade from memory within months, it is heartwarming to see a 50-year-old cult classic like Sholay being celebrated in Iran. Despite decades of censorship, and geopolitical shifts, Sholay still gets love from Iran.

Meanwhile, Italy is hosting the world premiere of the newly restored Ramesh Sippy film at the iconic film at II Cinema Ritrovato festival. It is also set to be re-released in India this August.