A month ahead of Sholay's 50th release anniversary, Iran honoured the popular 1975 film and its team with a full-page tribute in one of its newspapers.
Featuring an ensemble cast of Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Hema Malini, Sanjeev Kumar, Jaya Bachchan and Amjad Khan, Sholay was directed by Ramesh Sippy and co-written by Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar.
According to the official X page of the Consulate General of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Mumbai, Sholay enjoys a massive fan following in Iran even today.
On Wednesday, the page shared a cutting from the Iranian newspaper which carried a story on the 50th release anniversary of Sholay.
🇮🇳🇮🇷 On #Sholay's 50th anniversary, #IranNewspaper dedicated a full-page tribute to the iconic film.
— Consulate General of the I.R. Iran in Mumbai (@IRANinMumbai) July 16, 2025
With its unforgettable story of friendship, Sholay became a cornerstone of cinematic memory in #Iran; so much so that many Iranians still associate #Bollywood with this epic. pic.twitter.com/xNoNPd4JUw
"On #Sholay's 50th anniversary, #IranNewspaper dedicated a full-page tribute to the iconic film. With its unforgettable story of friendship, Sholay became a cornerstone of cinematic memory in #Iran; so much so that many Iranians still associate #Bollywood with this epic," the post read.
In an accompanying post, the Consulate General of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Mumbai said Iranian actor Navid Mamza played a villain in an Iranian film modelled on Amjad Khan's iconic antagonist Gabbar Singh.
Iranian actor @navidmamza once drew inspiration from #GabbarSingh, mimicking his iconic looks and menacing mannerisms for a villainous role. pic.twitter.com/WaO2skFxWT
— Consulate General of the I.R. Iran in Mumbai (@IRANinMumbai) July 16, 2025
"Iranian actor @navidmamza once drew inspiration from #GabbarSingh, mimicking his iconic looks and menacing mannerisms for a villainous role."
The official X account of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in India also shared this post, with the caption, "Sholay turns 50 and Iran still remembers".
#Sholay Turns 50 And #Iran Still Remembers 🇮🇷 🇮🇳 https://t.co/uyUEKkq5s3
— Iran in India (@Iran_in_India) July 16, 2025
Indians on X Reacted With Joy And Surprise
From dialogues such as "Kitne Aadme The", "Tumhara Naam Kya Hai, Basanti?" to "Yunki Ye Kaun Bola?", action-packed sequences to characters such as Jai, Veeru, Thakur and Gabbar Singh, Sholay has stood the test of time over half a century.
A section of Indian fans of the epic film was overjoyed to find out that Sholay is also widely loved in Iran.
One said, "Oh..!. It's popular in Iran ..! surprising ..!"
oh..!. It's popular in Iran ..! surprising ..!
— ~sb~ (@Shubham70590144) July 16, 2025
"This is heartwarming!" said anothe X user.
This is heartwarming!
— Divergent (@Aneel2941985) July 16, 2025
A user credited Salim-Javed for the film's feat.
The legend of Salim-Javed 🙏 @Javedakhtarjadu
— Jitu Salvi (@jitusalvi10) July 16, 2025
When one of the users said, "It means Gabbar was famous in Iran too", the Consulate General of the Islamic Republic of Iran replied, "In Iran, he is known as 'Jabbar Singh'; a formidable villain whose presence leaves a lasting impression."
In A Nutshell
Regarded as one of the most groundbreaking Hindi films, Sholay is set to complete 50 years of its release on August 15, 2025. A fully restored, uncut version of the film was screened on June 27, 2025 at the prestigious Il Cinema Ritrovato Festival in Bologna, Italy.
Also Read | Restored Uncut Version Of Sholay To Have World Premiere In Italy
