Hyderabad: The 1975 release ‘Sholay’ is perhaps best remembered for its iconic dialogues, captivating screenplay and unforgettable characters. Featuring an ensemble cast top-lined by Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra, the Ramesh Sippy-directed action drama found tremendous success at the box office and ended up cementing its place in the history books.
Interestingly, despite its iconic status, ‘Sholay’ has not been remade in any of the southern languages yet. But this does not mean that a remake cannot be attempted in the near future. Here is a look ideal cast for an attempted southern retelling of the evergreen classic.
Kamal Haasan as Thakur Baldev Singh: Sanjeev Kumar’s ability to emote through his eyes played a big role in establishing the crippled Thakur as a relatable character. Kamal Haasan, just like ‘Hari Bhai’, can convey feelings through his expressive eyes. This is something that was highlighted in films such as ‘Sadma’. That is why Haasan has the credentials to do justice to this highly challenging role.
Ravi Teja as Veeru: The resident ‘Mass Maharaja’ of Telugu cinema, Ravi Teja is quite an expert when to carrying off romance and comedy with absolute ease. His critically acclaimed portrayal of a petty thief in ‘Vikramarkudu’ is a case in point. Hence, he may be able to add new life to scenes like the cherished ‘Mausiji’ sequence which was immortalized by Dharmendra in the original.
Ajith as Jai: The tremendous success attained by the 2007 release ‘Billa’, which was a remake of Amitabh Bachchan’s ‘Don’, is strong proof that Ajith is as charismatic as Big B was in his prime. Moreover, his critically acclaimed performance in ‘Aasai’ shows that the actor can recreate the tenderness that defined the bond between Jai and Radha in ‘Sholay’.
Rajinikanth as Gabbar Singh: The makers of ‘Sholay’ projected Gabbar as a ruthless criminal who enjoys torturing his enemies. Rajinikanth played an equally maniacal character in the cult classic ‘Baasha’. Moreover, just like Amjad Khan, ‘Thalaiva’ too has a powerful voice. Another factor that justifies this selection is that it will pit Rajinikanth against Kamal Haasan on the big screen . The chemistry between them could turn out to be one of the major highlights of the attempted remake.
Anushka Shetty as Basanti: Hema Malini was one of Hindi cinema’s leading stars in the 1970’s. Similarly, Anushka Shetty is one of southern cinema’s most dependable performers at present. Morever, just like the ‘Dream Girl’, she too has a tremendous screen presence.
This was proved in films like ‘Arundhati; and ‘Super’. Futhermore, Shetty shared crackling chemistry with Ravi Teja in ‘Vikramarkudu’. Hence, they can recreate the feisty romance which formed an important part of the original version’s narrative.
Jyotika as Radha: Jaya Bachchan relied heavily on silences and her impeccable body language to bring out the melancholy surrounding Radha. In films like ‘Chandramukhi’ Jyotika too infused new life into her characters courtesy her highly physical style of acting. This makes her an apt choice for the revamped ‘Sholay’.
Innocent as Jailor: One of Malayalam cinema’s most beloved performers, Innocent is best known for his quirky dialogue delivery and spot on expressions. These qualities establish him as southern cinema’s answer to the ‘angrezo ke zamaane ka jailor’.
Sathyaraj as Rahim Chacha: At the end of the day, Rahim Chacha was shown to be an old man who is]] a prisoner of circumstances. This is exactly the type of character Sathyaraj essayed in ‘Bahubali’. As such he could give the legendary AK Hangal a run for his money.
Vadivelu as Soorma Bhopali: A highly talented comedian. Vadivelu should be able to justice a character originally essayed by Jagdeep.
Shriya Saran as ‘Mehbooba’ : Adding a touch of glamour to the onscreen action the sultry Shriya Saran can step into Helen’s shoes and showcase her dancing skills.
Chiranjeevi as Gypsy dancer: Chiranjeevi who has shown off his dancing skills in films like ‘Aaj Ka Goondaraj’ can make a special appearance a woo Shriya on the big screen.
Nassar as Sambha: If the makers of the attempted remake remain faithful to the original script, Nassar will utter just one dialogue on the big screen. But the veteran’s impressive screen presence will add new life to the onscreen action nonetheless.
Manorama as Mausiji: The ‘Thee’ star can re-introduce fans of southern cinema to her acting skills. Moreover, just like Leela Mishra, she too can strike up a crackling rapport with Jai.
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