Here’s The Story Behind “Sholay” Film’s Iconic Dialogue

Sholay is one of the most iconic films in Indian cinema. Well-framed scenes and well-written dialogues of the movie are deeply ingrained in our minds and souls. Interestingly, in the year 2025, the film that was made in 1975 will complete half a century. 

Even today, the film is frequently telecasted on television channels and sometimes even on big cinema screens. 

Among many famous dialogues of the film such as “kitne aadmi the” (how many people were there), one which has always struck a chord with cinema lovers is “Basanti, inn kutto ke saamne mat nachna” (Basanti, don’t dance in front of these dogs). 

The popularity of this dialogue is beyond measurable, however, not many people are aware of the story behind this dialogue. Let us delve into it. 

Story Behind Popular Sholay Dialogue

The story of this dialogue is mentioned in the autobiography of Sachin Pilgoankar, Hach Maza Marg. Notably, in the film, Sachin played the role of Ahmed. 

According to Pilgoankar’s book, the famous dialogue wasn’t included in the script. In fact, the dialogue spoken by Dharmendra Singh was a result of actual displeasure with a dialogue spoken by Gabbar, the character played by Amjad Khan. 

In the scene, Gabbar delivered the dialogue, “Samba Utha bandook aur nishana laga iss kutte pe (Samba, hold your gun up and shoot this dog)”. However, at that point in time, Amjad Khan was a relatively new actor, while Dharmendra had a fan base. 

Dharmendra thought that if Amjad can call him a dog then he could. Dharmendra told Ramesh Sippy, the director, the same thing and hence, delivered the dialogue. Well, the dialogue was loved by many people and is today used in our everyday conversations.  

Also Read: Sholay Completes 41 Years- An Evergreen Film for All Generations

Kitne Aadmi The? 

Another famous dialogue of the film is Gabbar’s, “Kitne Aadmi The”. Whenever the dialogue comes up in our minds all we can think of is Gabbar standing on a rock and delivering the dialogue. 

Not many people are aware that before delivering this dialogue, Amjad Khan was very nervous as it had to be delivered with arrogance and anger. It took him about 40 retakes to deliver the dialogue with utmost perfection. 

It was Ramesh Sippy’s patience that the dialogue was perfectly spoken and is still stuck with people. 

Know A Little About The Movie 

Sholay was a big-budget film and one of the industry’s greatest successes. The movie is a perfect amalgamation of masala, dialogues, cinematic scenes, and acting. When it comes to Sholay, people do not ask whether one has watched the film, people ask how many times one has watched it. 

Not only the dialogues, but the audience also remembers the songs by heart. Not just in India, but the film garnered millions of views from international audiences as well. Definitely, it was one of the best movies in Indian cinema. 

Image Credits: Google Images

Sources: News18, Koi Moi, Indian cinema

Find the blogger: Palak Dogra

This post is tagged under: indian cinema, bollywood movies, entertainment, sholay, gabbar, basanti, sholay film

Disclaimer: We do not hold any right, copyright over any of the images used, these have been taken from Google. In case of credits or removal, the owner may kindly mail us.

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