Javed Akhtar has this response to those who think Dharmendra and Amitabh Bachchan's Sholay ‘is not great’

When asked why the small characters of Sholay are timeless, Javed Akhtar said that he wished he knew. Sholay released in theatres on August 15, 1975.

Writer Javed Akhtar, whose film Sholay will celebrate 50 years of release on August 15, has opened up about how "there are some people who say that it's not a great film." Speaking with Screen, Javed shared that even after five decades, the minor characters from Sholay "are used in stand-up comedies" or other films' dialogues. Sholay was written by Salim–Javed (Salim Khan).

Javed Akhtar and Salim Khan wrote Dharmendra and Amitabh Bachchan-starrer Sholay.

Javed Akhtar on people saying Sholay isn't great

When asked why the smaller characters of Sholay are timeless, Javed said that he wished he knew. "I wish I knew it. If you find out, do call me and tell me, because I would like to do it again. There are some people, I have heard on YouTube, who say that Sholay is not a great film. Maybe it is not, and I have no idea what the definition of a great film is," he said.

Javed on Sholay's minor characters

"The fact is, even today, a minor character from Sholay, who has uttered three words, or who just stood there, is used in stand-up comedies. He is referred to in other films’ dialogues. He has even become the reference in political speeches. People use their lines such as ‘Tera kya hoga, Kaliya’; ‘Arre o Samba’; and ‘Poore pachaas hazaar’. When you mention ‘mausi said this’, everybody will know which mausi you are talking about," added Javed.

About Sholay

Sholay (1975) was an action-adventure film directed by Ramesh Sippy, produced by his father, GP Sippy. The film stars Dharmendra, Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjeev Kumar, Amjad Khan, Hema Malini and Jaya Bachchan.

The film is about two criminals, Veeru (Dharmendra) and Jai (Amitabh), who are hired by a retired police officer (Sanjeev) to capture Gabbar Singh (Amjad). Hema (Basanti) and Jaya (Radha) feature as Veeru and Jai's love interests.