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Exclusive | Sholay's 4K version screening cancelled at 56th IFFI, here's why

HT City gets you the reason why the much-awaited Indian premiere of Sholay's 4K version is no longer happening.

Published on: Nov 26, 2025, 09:08:10 IST
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It's been a bad month for all Dharmendra and Sholay fans, as they lost their iconic Veeru, the evergreen charmer. The veteran actor died at the age of 89, and his last rites were conducted on Monday this week. And now, HT City has exclusively learnt that the much-anticipated screening of Sholay in 4K won't be taking place anymore at the 56th International Film Festival of India. And the reason for it too.

A still from Sholay
A still from Sholay

Also read: IFFI 2025| Farhan Akhtar, Kriti Sanon, Dhanush to attend 120 Bahadur, Tere Ishk Mein premiere; here are the other films

The reason for Sholay 4K's screening being called off at the festival, a source tells us, is “Technical glitches from the makers' side.” Expected to walk the red carpert for the same were director Ramesh Sippy and the film's lead actress Hema Malini. However, given Dharmendra's failing health since last week, Hema's appearance was under question anyway.

The remastered version of the iconic 1975 classic had first been screened at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this year, with Dharmendra's son, actor Bobby Deol walking the red carpet on his father's behalf. The India premiere had been a question ever since then, and the announcement of it's IFFI screening had come as a relief for all cinephiles. Not just because of the technical restoration but also since this particular version will have the original ending shot by director Ramesh Sippy.

 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rishabh Suri

Rishabh Suri is an Assistant Editor, film critic, and professional overthinker of plot points. He writes for HT City, keeping pace with an industry where news cycles expire long before the popcorn gets cold. He completed his graduation in English Honours from Kirori Mal College, followed by a Master’s degree in English Literature-effectively training his brain to over-analyse classic texts before applying those exact same skills to 3-hour Bollywood blockbusters. He got into the profession when he had barely graduated from college and has been at HT ever since. At HT, Rishabh reviews films with a simple rule: skip the dense academic jargon and get straight to the point. Beyond reviews, as Assistant Editor, he helps navigate the broader circus of showbiz, tracking everything from OTT shifts to sudden box office panics. In a beat driven by loud PR machinery and carefully scripted answers, Rishabh prefers cutting through the noise to focus on how stories get made and why trends shift. When he isn’t writing against a deadline, he is usually sitting in a dark theater, compulsively memorising dialogues. For Rishabh, analysing movies isn't just a day job- it’s a habit he couldn't turn off even if he tried.

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