Ramesh Sippy`s film `Sholay` is widely considered the most popular Indian film of all time. While all the characters in this classic Salim-Javed film have left a mark in Indian cinematic history, the true hero of Sholay is not Veeru, played by Dharmendra, who has the most entertaining role, or Jai, played by Amitabh Bachchan, who meets a tragic end. It is Sanjeev Kumar`s portrayal of Thakur Baldev Singh that stands out as the film`s central character.
Sholay weaves together various sub-plots, including the one featuring Asrani as the strict jailer and the memorable scene where Veeru professes his love for Basanti on top of a water tank. However, it is Thakur`s mission to avenge the death of his family that is the main driving force of the film and which engaged viewers till the very end.
Interestingly, despite being the technical `hero` of the film, Thakur`s role was not actively pursued by actors. During that time, these roles were classified as “character roles,” which were typically reserved for actors who didn`t prioritize their appearance on screen and were not concerned with the number of action sequences or songs they would have. Sanjeev Kumar, also known as Hari bhai, was Ramesh Sippy`s choice for Thakur, even though Pran was considered for a brief period. Sippy had previously worked with Sanjeev Kumar in his previous hit film `Seeta Aur Geeta` and had complete faith in the actor`s abilities to do justice to the fierce and hard-hitting character of Thakur. While `Seeta Aur Geeta` didn`t fully showcase Sanjeev Kumar`s potential due to his role not being as substantial as the titular characters played by Hema Malini, “Thakur” felt like it was tailor-made for him. Interestingly, even Dilip Kumar had declined the role initially, only to express regret later.
During the filming of “Sholay,” Sanjeev Kumar became deeply immersed in his role as Thakur, and this is evident in his performance. An anecdote from the last days of the film`s shoot reveals Sanjeev`s dedication. While shooting the scene following Jai`s death, when Radha (played by Jaya Bachchan) breaks down, Sanjeev was so emotionally invested in the scene that he momentarily forgot Thakur had no arms. In Anupama Chopra’s book Sholay: The Making of a Classic, the comical behind-the-scenes were spelled out. Sanjeevs Thakur expressed his concern for Radha, stating that he felt bad for her as she was initially married to his son and then had to experience this tragedy. Sanjeev even asked if he could take her in his arms and comfort her, to which Ramesh Sippy reminded him, “What arms?”
It was only Dharmendra, who later ended up becoming Veeru who had expressed great interest in taking on the character of Thakur. However, Sippy knew how to convince him otherwise – by hinting at the increased chances of him getting together with Hema Malini. Sanjeev Kumar had already proposed to the actress — the director just had to tell him that if they swapped the roles, she would end up with Sanjeev. No wonder Dharmendra readily slipped into Veeru’s character again.
When Sanjeev Kumar was offered the role of Thakur, he initially had another character in mind—Gabbar Singh. Salim-Javed, the film`s writers, narrated the fully finished script with dialogues to the actors, and upon hearing it, Sanjeev was captivated by Gabbar Singh`s role. However, he later changed his mind due to the film`s violent content, which didn`t align with his preferences. Javed Akhtar, in Chopra`s book recalled Sanjeev`s reaction to the violence. “When we reached the interval point, his face was crushed. It was like somebody punches you on the nose. Sanjeev was totally taken aback.”
Sanjeev Kumar`s training in theatre, including his time with the Indian People`s Theatre Association (IPTA), played a significant role in shaping his acting skills. Even during his late teens, he often portrayed old man characters in IPTA productions. Veteran actor AK Hangal, his senior at IPTA, once advised Sanjeev that if he focused on playing a “hero,” he would never become a true actor. This theatre background allowed Sanjeev Kumar to seamlessly blend his unconventional heroic performance in Sholay with the rest of the film`s characters, each becoming catalysts to the other`s journey in their own unique ways.
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