I think Sholay is a great Hindi film of its times, although with the amount of praise and superlatives it has been getting throughout the years, I must admit it's a little overrated. The film was indeed ahead of its time in many ways. First, the action was really good - there were some glitches here and there, but it was far more credible than what the times had set the public for. Secondly, the attention to detail, as expected from Ramesh Sippy, is first-rate. Sippy, a great director whose combination of professional, technically skilled direction, impressive storytelling, and the delicate yet honest depiction of his stories, produced several classic Hindi pictures. Sholay is a good product although sadly it mixes too many genres and is overlong for the story it tells. It could have easily edited out some parts. Given the extraordinary brutality of the villainous characters and the situations, as well as the marked contrast between the good and the evil, I think the comedic parts (except for those of Basanti) were grossly redundant, among others, as they dragged the narrative and undermined its consistency as well as the minimalist approach that was so successfully employed by Sippy in some key scenes.
Set in a rural, remote region in southern India, the film is beautifully shot, and Sippy manages to capture the essence of the village and its people. One wonderful scene shows the routine of the village and the different activities of its inhabitants in the morning, a rare glimpse into the cultural weight of the place, which few directors would bother to tap into. This is where our heroes and villains are thrown, in an interesting story which benefits from Sippy's unique direction. The realism with which some of the situations are portrayed is striking, and it is matched by a careful handling of the proceedings in ways the Indian moviegoing public, which was used to being spoonfed by Hindi filmmakers, had not been accustomed to. Note for one the way the romance between Veeru and Radha is portrayed. Just watch the scene in which Jai is playing his harmonica as Radha is walking around and turning off the Kerosene lamps. Such subtlety is rarely seen in Hindi films. This is not to say that the film is devoid of any sentimentality. Still, the overall thing is really good - the film is both entertaining and then it is also quite moving and heartbreaking in some hard-hitting scenes, not to mention the famous, harrowing parts.
The film's authenticity is achieved in large parts through the acting, particularly the grounded, authentic performances of the main characters. Sholay is in my view Sanjeev Kumar's story as it is his character's determination that carries the narrative forward. He is tremendous. Dharmendra plays the energetic and happy-go-lucky Veeru pretty well, but Bachchan is fantastic in a subdued, quiet performance as Jai. Hema Malini is wonderful as the iconic, highly talkative and kind-hearted village belle Basanti; her comic timing is top-notch, and her dance numbers are never less than fabulous. Out of the two couple, it is Jaya Bhaduri of course who can always be trusted to do so much by doing so little. Her quietly understated performance is one of the film's assets, the other one being Amjad Khan's phenomenal turn as one of the greatest screen villains of Hindi cinema. Sholay is greatly aided by the great background score which enhances some of the most difficult scenes and helps alleviate others. R. D. Burman's soundtrack is as memorable as the film. Sholay is definitely a classic in many ways. It is not flawless, nor do I think it matters. In many ways it is a landmark film, and I'm sure non-Indians might enjoy it just as much.
