'Sholay - The Final Cut' Re-release Opens to Low Screen Count Amid Dhurandhar Mania

Gabbar may have returned, but the theatres didn’t quite roll out the red carpet. Sholay: The Final Cut was pitched as a historic cinematic moment a once-in-a-generation chance to experience India’s most iconic film the way director-producer Ramesh Sippy originally envisioned it. Nearly 50 years after Sholay first changed Hindi cinema, Sippy finally unveiled his definitive version, complete with deleted scenes and his long-held dream ending where Thakur kills Gabbar. Yet, when the film reached cinemas, nostalgia alone struggled to pull crowds.

After celebrating Sholay’s 50-year milestone in August, the makers announced a December 12 theatrical re-release in collaboration with the Film Heritage Foundation (FHF). The film was restored from its original 70mm materials into a crisp 4K version, enhanced with Dolby 5.1 sound. The runtime now stretches to 209.05 minutes, making it longer than the original 1975 theatrical cut. The announcement came with a bold promise: a release across 1,500 screens nationwide.

When release day arrived, the numbers told a very different story. Sholay: The Final Cut managed just 373 shows across India, with overall occupancy at a weak 13.14 percent. According to Sacnilk, the opening-day collection stood at around Rs 30 lakh a modest figure for a reissue that was projected as the “biggest-ever re-release of a restored film.” The film was also positioned as a tribute to Dharmendra, who passed away on November 24, adding emotional weight to the release.

Industry insiders say the box-office wave created by Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar severely limited both screen count and footfall for Sholay. A source told Bollywood Hungama, “On November 15, the team behind Sholay: The Final Cut—restoration partner Film Heritage Foundation and producers Sippy Films—announced the December 12 release. Interestingly, FHF’s social media post claimed the film would release on 1,500 screens. However, this figure was conspicuously absent from the posts of Sippy Films and Pen.”

Trouble reportedly began earlier at the 56th International Film Festival of India in Goa, where a special screening of Sholay: The Final Cut was abruptly cancelled. While Dharmendra’s passing was cited as the official reason, later speculation pointed to “technical glitches from the makers’ side.”

Trade experts were also sceptical about the ambitious screen-count claim. One source noted, “Sholay: The Final Cut was originally slated to release a week after Dhurandhar and would also have clashed with Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon 2, backed by Disney-Star Studio18. That alone makes the 1,500-screen claim puzzling. As expected, the film is struggling to even reach 1,000 screens.”

Ticket pricing added another hurdle. While most re-releases are priced affordably, Sholay: The Final Cut carried regular ticket rates, further dampening audience interest.

Adding to the debate was a dialogue change in the trailer, where the famous “James Bond” reference was replaced with “Tatya Tope.” Reacting sharply, co-writer Javed Akhtar said, “What does this mean? And this is just one dialogue. They might have similarly changed other famous lines. The audience won’t accept this.” He added, “Have they spoken to the director (Ramesh Sippy)? They have certainly not spoken to me or to Salim saab (Khan). We are the writers of those lines that are recited even today by fans of Sholay.”

The re-release underlines a hard truth: legends endure, but at the modern box office, timing, pricing, and creative choices matter just as much as nostalgia.