Sholay does not need this review. The film is already what it is even without the new technology added to it. Can seeing this film with a black, plastic chashma add something new to your viewing experience? To an extent it does. Nobody must have imagined that after 39 years the much-talked about film would get re-released, aided by new technology, converted from 2D into 3D. You must have never thought that you would be reading a review of a film that you have probably seen many times before. What does one say about a film which everyone agrees is one the greatest films of Indian cinema. What does one say that has not already been said or written about Sholay. One of the biggest reasons to re-visit this classic again is that many of you may have not seen this film on the big screen. That's the way a film like Sholay should actually be viewed. With topnotch performances, extremely well-constructed scenes and superlative directorial effort, revisiting this gem of a movie would be a perfect and the best way to begin your cinematic journey of 2014.
Large swathes of popular Hindi cinema are no longer what they used to be when Ramesh Sippy’s all-conquering Sholay was released nearly four decades ago. Yet, all these years later, the film remains a benchmark that commercial filmmakers in Mumbai can only aspire to match, let alone outstrip. Why on earth then, one might wonder, would anybody be interested in watching a 3D version of a megahit that is part of Indian cinema folklore? So, apart from adding depth to the frames, the added dimension does not actually ‘add’ any significant value to the movie experience. Here, 3D is no more than superficial embellishment at best. At worst, it seems to rob Sholay at times of the natural panoramic sweep of 70mm Cinemascope and lend it a caged-in feel. The effect of 3D is felt only occasionally, but this is a restored print that should do the rounds in 2D format as well. Sholay was an event when it hit the screens way back in the mid 1970s. Its reappearance in a new format may not create quite the same ripples, but Sholay, 3D or not, is definitely worth a revisit.
The 3D version of Sholay is tedious and feels like a classic novel being turned into a children's pop-up book. But this cult classic for a taste of how good the Indian entertainer can truly be. You know Sholay. It is a part of pop culture in a way very few films can ever be. It is, as the much-abused term goes, genuinely larger-than-life. And now it comes to us in 3D. Oo-er. The prospect appears a dodgy one, largely because 3D conversion is a pretty rummy operation at the best of times, and 80 percent of the films that are accompanied by 3D glasses work far better without them. This re-release -- 39 years after the original -- is then nothing but gimmick. Should you still go watch it? Sure, because it’s still Sholay. And you know Sholay. What would be truly, truly grand would be a 70mm re-release celebrating this cinematic giant. Watch Sholay for a taste of how good the Indian entertainer can truly be, and revel in the magic you already know. But don't 3D it.
This is not a review. This is why I think 'Sholay', re-released in a 3D version, needs to be your go-to movie this weekend, no ifs, no buts. And that's because, `Bharat desh ke vaasiyon', 'Sholay' is the greatest Hindi 'masala' entertainer ever made, 3D, 2D or no D. I watched it yesterday in 3D, fully prepared to moan and groan about how it ruined the film for me. But nothing took away from my viewing ; I even enjoyed a few of the 3D bells and whistles, despite the darkened screen. And of course I cheated, by whipping off those glasses every few minutes and catching it as it was meant to be. I found bits of the long jail sequence dull,like I had before,and a flashback involving Jaya wisely taken out at the time it first released,made me wince this time around. But only for that moment,because I was caught up with the rest again,and enthralled all over again. It feels surprisingly undated,and fresh. You can divide Hindi cinema into two eras,pre-and-post Sholay. It is a landmark. They dont make em like this anymore.