Sholay immortalised
It was the late eighties — as a young girl, I would hear my cook murmuring dialogues throughout the day until curiosity got the better of me and I asked him what he was reciting. He broke into a smile and revealed he was savouring the immortal lines from his beloved film of all time —Sholay.
And here we are today, fifty years after the film’s release, finding it just as mesmerizing, stirring, and relevant in its themes, so much so that the unveiling of the Sholay 50 years commentary stamp and first-day cover at the World Trade Centre was a standing-room-only affair. I was honoured and excited to be invited as one of the guests of honour to release the stamp alongside Shehzad Sippy and the iconic director Ramesh Sippy. A truly landmark moment for me. Ramesh Sippy enchanted the philatelist audience with magical vignettes from the filming, earning a standing ovation.
Shehzad Sippy, who now helms his grandfather G.P. Sippy’s legacy, shared that the Film Heritage Foundation is orchestrating the restoration of Sholay as it commemorates its golden jubilee this year. I spoke about the relevance of this movie even today — not forgetting to mention Prem Singh to great laughter and applause. Film Heritage Foundation director Shivendra Singh Dungarpur delighted everyone with the announcement that Sholay would grace the silver screen soon, once again.
Ramesh reminisced, “Everyone associated with Sholay poured their heart and soul into the film – that’s why we’re all here today. 50 saal baad Sholay pe stamp ka thappa bhi lag gaya,” noting how each actor emerged from this association as a luminous star, while adding their unique magic to the masterpiece. While Basanti, portrayed by the effervescent Hema Malini, was integral to the film and missed at the event, she sent a heartfelt voice note congratulating the postal department.
Honouring talents
An equally inspiring event I attended as guest of honour was the awards ceremony by the Golf Foundation — a visionary initiative by Asian Games Golf champion Amit Luthra, who happens to be food critic Rashmi Uday Singh’s brother. In a nation yearning for more sporting icons and greater international presence in athletics, Amit established the Golf Foundation in 2000.
Since then, he has nurtured more than 700 underprivileged yet talented young Indian golfers, transforming several into international stalwarts. This foundation has provided nutrition, opportunity, and education to children from modest backgrounds — like those of gardeners and drivers — who would otherwise never have accessed the elite world of golf.
True to his vision, the foundation has given them not just the impetus but the complete wherewithal to master their game, fundamentally transforming their lives in the process.
The heartwarming stories of Rashid and Shubham, discovered in villages and supported through their high school education with substantial investment, exemplify this transformation — both are now world champions. These polished diamonds of the foundation, sons of Indian villages who would have remained distant from the sport, have etched an indelible mark in national and international golf, continuing to excel and inspire.
(Write to Nisha JamVwal at [email protected])
