Abhishek Bachchan recently shared his excitement about finally seeing the iconic film Sholay on the big screen. Sholay, which stars his father, Amitabh Bachchan, is set to return to theaters on December 12, 2025, as Sholay: The Final Cut, a restored 4K version, coinciding with the film's 50th anniversary.
In an Instagram post on Thursday, Abhishek shared a newly released poster of the film, expressing his eagerness. He wrote, "The greatest story never told! Can't wait to witness Sholay in all its glory on the big screen. I have NEVER seen Sholay on the big screen, only on TV and VHS/DVD. It's been a lifelong dream".
Sholay, initially released on August 15, 1975, faced a lukewarm response before gaining momentum through positive word-of-mouth. The film has since become a classic, celebrated for its iconic characters, memorable dialogues, and a blend of action, drama, romance, and comedy. It stars Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Hema Malini, Sanjeev Kumar, Jaya Bhaduri, and Amjad Khan.
Sholay: The Final Cut includes the original climax and two previously deleted scenes. The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) reviewed and approved the restored version with a "U" certificate, with no cuts enforced. The restored version has a runtime of 209.05 minutes, longer than the original's 190 minutes. The restoration involved a 4K resolution upgrade while retaining the original 70mm aspect ratio and enhancing the sound using original sound negatives and magnetic tracks.
Abhishek's desire to watch Sholay in a theater isn't new. In August 2025, he mentioned wanting to see the film on a 70 mm screen at the Minerva Theatre and had discussed this with his friend Rohan Sippy, whose father, Ramesh Sippy, directed Sholay. He also noted that Sholay was the first film to release an audio cassette featuring its dialogues.
However, the re-release has faced some criticism. A dialogue change in the trailer, replacing "James Bond" with "Tatya Tope," was met with disapproval, including from Javed Akhtar, who co-wrote the original dialogues.
Before its theatrical release, Sholay was showcased at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), with Ramesh Sippy and Bobby Deol in attendance.
Despite initial negative reviews, Sholay became the highest-grossing film in India at the time. In 1999, BBC India declared it the "Film of the Millennium".
