Sholay turning 50 on August 15, 2025 is a big deal not only for India but also Pakistan. But did you know that this Ramesh Sippy classic, which was originally released in 1975, opened in Pakistani theatres just 10 years ago?
What's more is that the film, publicised as 'the greatest cast ever assembled and the greatest story ever told', didn't do well at the Pakistani box office when it released on April 17, 2025. Sholay barely earned a little over Rs 3 crore during its four-week run in the cinema halls there.
Pakistan's top exhibitor Nadeem Mandviwalla in an exclusive interview with NDTV revealed the reasons why Sholay flopped in Pakistan despite the film enjoying a massive fan following.
When Sholay Came To Pakistan In 3D
It was something new to go for, recalled Nadeem Mandviwalla, who brought Sholay to Pakistan as a prestige project to his company Mandviwalla Entertainment.
And this was happening decades after the movie was released everywhere else. In all the years that passed, many Pakistanis, especially those who could afford a VCR in the late 1980s and 1990s, had already watched Sholay.
"We got the rights and then it played here... You need to understand that the whole generation had changed and we could not make it as (appealing to them as we would have liked)... Everybody had already seen the film (by then). It was not that it was a new film. But it did okay, not bad.
"The collection was under Rs 10 million PKR (Rs 3.22 crore INR). But that was not the real issue for us, that was how much business it would do. It was more about the fact that we wanted to bring Sholay under our portfolio of our company. My company has already done some of the very significant films so this was one of those movies which we wanted to put on our portfolio, that we have distributed this film, even if it was after 40 years," the exhibitor told NDTV.
What Went Wrong
Whether it was Mughal-e-Azam or Sholay releasing in Pakistan, something was amiss every time.
"The coloured version of Mughal-E-Azam was released in India in 2004. By the time I got the film to Pakistan, it was 2006 and the hype had died down. The day I released the coloured version in Pakistan, it was playing on Sony TV channel.
"The same thing happened with Sholay. When it came out in 3D, we could not release it simultaneously because at that time they were asking for so much money that I said it was not possible to pay that kind of cost," added Nadeem Mandviwalla.
When there is hype, people go and watch the film, especially when it's already available on YouTube and TV, he said. "You have to be a die-hard fan to come back to watch the same film in cinemas. Films are all about excitement and you have to cash in on that. Both the times we were unable to do that. I don't blame the public, it was about the timing and the problems we had."
"Ramesh Sippy Was Not Happy About Sholay Coming In 3D"
The Pakistani exhibitor said he went to Mumbai around 2014-15 to invite Sholay director Ramesh Sippy for the film's premiere in Karachi, Pakistan.
"I came to Bombay and met Ramesh sahab. But Ramesh sahab was not that happy with Sholay being converted into 3D. I wanted him to come over for the premiere of Sholay in Pakistan. But I saw his reaction so I realised he was not happy with the 3D conversion."
What Sholay Means For Pakistan
According to the veteran distributor, Sholay holds a lot of significance for the Pakistani audience.
"As much as it has a significant role to play in Indian cinema, Sholay has a role to play wherever there is Urdu or Indian diaspora. We were very young when Sholay came out and it became a phenomenon at that time.
"Since then, Sholay has been a landmark after Mughal-E-Azam. For me, it's very special. When Indian films opened up for release in Pakistan, both the films (Sholay, Mughal-E-Azam) were brought to Pakistan by me. I had that honour," he said.
Both India and Pakistan have banned each other's cinema for years now. And yet, classics such as Sholay are like a shared memory between the two neighbours that are a stone's throw away from picking up a fight quite often.
Also Read | How Sholay Broke Four Major Bollywood Stereotypes 50 Years Ago