Going down a rabbit hole (poetry, films & more)
Going down a rabbit hole (poetry, films & more)
Dear Reader,
Hello! I recently watched Angry Young Men, a documentary on Salim-Javed, as it marks my friend Namrao’s directorial debut. I thoroughly enjoyed it, seeing much of her unique perspective in the film, and loved listening to Javed Sahib’s insights. Here’s something I created in response:
When the documentary released, the Film Heritage Foundation screened Sholay in Mumbai. I’d never watched it fully—it always seemed too long—but decided to go with Tanya and Sahiti.
Wiki says this:
When first released, Sholay received negative critical reviews and a tepid commercial response, but favourable word-of-mouthpublicity helped it to become a box office success. It broke records for continuous showings in many theatres across India, and ran for more than five years at Mumbai's Minerva theatre. The film was also an overseas success in the Soviet Union. It was the highest-grossing Indian film ever at the time, and was the highest-grossing film in India up until Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! (1994). By numerous accounts, Sholay remains one of the highest-grossing Indian films of all time, adjusted for inflation.
Salim Javed also released this ad in trade journals.
Watching Sholay after 50 years, it’s easy to see why it was such a hit. The audience sang along, mouthed dialogues—it felt like a true community experience. The film has aged well; the writing is brilliant.
A dialogue I discovered and loved is when Jai and Veeru decide to leave crime. Veeru worries he knows nothing about farming, and Jai replies: “बुराई ने बन्दूक चलाना सिखा दी थी, नेकी हल चलाना सिखा देगी”—Malice taught us to fire a gun; goodness will teach us to plough a field.
After seeing Gabbar on screen, I understood why every actor except Dharmendra wanted that role. His lines are unforgettable—everyone in the audience knew them. I also didn’t realize this was Amjad Khan’s debut. What a film to start with!
The seats were terrible, but the samosas, the film, and the crowd were fantastic. A guy near me couldn’t stop praising the kurta worn by one of Gabbar’s aides—he must’ve mentioned it five times. I almost told him, “Relax, I’ll take you to Pydhonie to get the fabric!” The crowd added to the whole experience. On our way back, we ran into the woman with the umbrella and shared how much fun we had.I also said bye to the Amitabh fan!
While making the Angry Young Men post, I recalled Jaya Bachchan saying she did Zanjeer for the male lead. I wrote that I felt she did Sholay for Amitabh too. Then @crazymindseye shared this with me:
They also shared this fabulous interview with Javed Akhtar. It is deeply poetic and philosophical and funny.
And while all this was going on, Akshata shared a letter by Javed sahib’s mother, Safiya Akhtar to his father Jan Nisar Akhtar.
I have to share this key insight from Angry Young Men by Jaideep Sahni before I end.
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<3
Indu