"Sholay" remake!...mastered or massacred?

I think the current trend in Bollywood these days is remake. The concept is pretty simple, take a super hit from the past and re shoot it with the present day technology and perspective. But making a remake is not as simple as the concept. The first thing everyone will do is to compare it with the original and weigh its pros and cons. Any little point not justified will be seen through a magnifying glass.

So, the challenge in making a remake is to match to the standards of the original film in all aspects and at the same time deliver something new to the viewers. When I first heard that DON is being remade, I was exited to see how will it be. When I saw the film it was pretty well managed, in the sense the plot was similar at the same time different, it was shot with the SRK's style/image and not to mention using the latest technology and gadgets.

But when I heard that Sholay is being remade...I was out of words and in fact I was a bit scared. I always thought that Sholay is one master piece which has everything a viewer wants and there was no stone left unturned in it.

I am not sure how RGV's Sholay will be, but I hope that if not Mastered, at least it should not be massacred.

Here is a 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!" Mac Mohan takes on the role of the main villain's side-kick Sambha as Sushant Singh in the new Sholay.

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

*According to the information I got