25 yrs on, Sippys invoke Sholay nostalgia

NOVEMBER 30: Amitabh Bachchan's lazy one-liners, Dharmendra's mock-suicide, Hema Malini astride her tanga, chattering away nineteen to a ...

NOVEMBER 30: Amitabh Bachchan8217;s lazy one-liners, Dharmendra8217;s mock-suicide, Hema Malini astride her tanga, chattering away nineteen to a dozen, Gabbar8217;s manic evil, Sanjeev Thakur Kumar, Mehbooba Mehbooba. It8217;s been 25 years since the film that set the box-office on fire and sank deep into the popular consciousness of a nation was first released. Riding on the magic that was G P Sippy8217;s Sholay, the Sippys have decided to make a sequel that hopes to set the screen and audiences on fire all over again.

At a press conference on Tuesday at Hotel President to mark the occasion, G P Sippy said, 8220;Sholay is a cult film by any standard. In form and fashion, the country has adopted Sholay as part of its fabric. It is my life8217;s ambition to put before the people of the country, another masterpiece, which they will love and embrace as they did the first one.8221;

Hema Basanti Malini, Dharmendra, Sachin, Mac Mohan, Jagdeep were all there to rekindle the memory of the filmthat ic ounted among the all-time hits. But glaringly conspicious by their absence were director Ramesh Sippy, who was reportedly unwell, and Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan, who were unable to make it due to a 8220;family emergency8221;.

But what took the Sippys so long? Sascha Vijay Sippy, G P Sippy8217;s grandson and the new CEO of Sippy Films, explained, 8220;The new millennium calls for a new Sholay. Through the sequel we want everyone involved in the making of the film as well as the audiences, who made it such a stupendous success, to re-live the Sholay magic. We hope to spark yet another revolution that will define films, film making and the film industry over the next 25 years.8221;

The cast, director and producer of the updated Sholay will be chosen through a National Talent Search, tentatively slated for January 2000. The Sippys have also planned a slew of other events, including the commissioning of 30 pieces of art on Sholay from India8217;s leading artists, including Manjit Bawa andAparana Caur. These will be exhibited during a Sholay World Tour, to kick off in September 2000. A book on the film by journalist Anupama Chopra is also in the offing.

Sascha Sippy also used the platform to make public the launch of G P Sippy Entertainment Group, which would comprise three production houses8211; one each for mega-budget, budget and English language films for the Indian market as well as TV serials. The Sippys have also launched a website, sippyfilms.com, plus have plans to recreate the Ramgarh village where Sholay unfolds.

Obviously, the Sippys hope to piggyback the new venture on the success of its prequel. But unlike in Hollywood, sequels here have failed badly 8212; Dev Anand had a trukey on his hands with Return of Jewel Thief8212; and only time will tell if audiences swallow the bait.