Friday, June 8, 2007

Old vs new Sholay unplugged


Question that everyone is asking is - Will Amitabh Bachchan be able to give Gabbar a new lease of life in Ram Gopal Varma’s Sholay? The chief of bandits in the new version is an underworld don and has lost his original crassness for a sauve though scar-faced sinister self. Meanwhile, trying to fit into the Amitabh’s big shoes of the strong and silent Jai is newcomer Prashant Raj, another brooding baritoned tall order. A charmer, a comic and a big flirt, that pretty much defined the original Veeru. And Ram Gopal Varma has roped in the very intense Ajay Devgan to reprise Veeru, an unlikely choice. The new Veeru like the old one too loves his drink, still has a roving eye and is trying to get up, close and personal with Basanti who in the new version is Ghungroo, played by Nisha Kothari. If Basanti has become Ghunghroo, then her trusted horse, Dhanno has become an autorickshaw named Laila. But the street smart, Rajnikanth-emulating Ghunghroo, clearly lacks the innocence of Basanti.. However, Ghunghroo has something that Basanti didn't have - Durga for a friend. Durga, is to Ram Gopal Varma what Radha was to Ramesh Sippy (director of the original Sholay). The mute-Radha always clad in white was played by Jaya Bachchan and Durga is played by Sushmita Sen. And finally there's the Thakur. Inspector Baldev Singh now returns as Inspector Narsimha played by Mohanlal. Ram Gopal Varma’s Sholay might be set in present day Mumbai but it's characters are a remix of the unforgettable characters from the 1975 classic. But then, it's the story, which matters the most, and as every Sholay fan knows - Is Story Mein Emotion Hai, Drama Hai, Tragedy Hai (This story has emotion, drama and even tragedy).


Big Bad Boys
Here is an exclusive look at the old and new stars in the 1975-Bollywood blockbuster Sholay and Ram Gopal Varma's adaption of the classic. While Amjad Khan played big baddie Gabbar Singh in the old version, none other than Amitabh Bachchan plays the new-age villain in the new Sholay.


In place of Amitach Bachchan is newcomer Prashant Raj who plays the small-time crook, good-at-heart Jai



Ajay Devgan takes on the role of Dharmendra, essaying the character of the flirtatous Veeru.


Sushmita Sen as Durga, slips into the character of the quiet widow Radha that Jaya Bachchan immortalised.

RGV's new take on Sholay turns the gaon ki gori Basanti, played by Hema Malini, into a Mumbaiya tapori called Ghungroo played by Nisha Kothari.
Playing Sanjeev Kumar's role as the hardened Thakur, the cop-turned-man-on-a-mission out to get Gabbar, is southern star Mohanlal.Remember Gabbar Singh saying "Arre o Sambha!" Sushant Singh takes on the role of the main villain's side-kick Sambha that Mac Mohan essayed in the oldSholay.



Jajdeep made Soorma Bhopali a household name in the old Sholay. Now, meet Rajpal Yadav playing Soorma in RGV's adaption of the classic.

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