A still from the film Sholay
Karachi:
Cult Bollywood classic Sholay, starring megastar Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra, hit theatres in Pakistan for the first time on Friday, 40 years after it released in India.
The Ramesh Sippy-directed action film, considered an all-time blockbuster of Indian cinema, was released across the country by Geo films and Mandviwalla entertainment with a grand premiere in Karachi which was attended by several celebrities.
"Sholay has its legion of fans in Pakistan including that generation which grew old watching Indian movies on VCR's when it was illegal to screen them in Pakistan," film critic Omair Alavi told PTI.
"We have heard so much about the movie from our parents and older relatives so for them to watch the movie for the first time on the big screen in 3D and 2D is an unforgettable experience," he said.
Nadeem Mandviwalla, the exporter and distributor of the film in Pakistan, said he was expecting "Sholay" to generate good business.
"Even though we have some top releases on May 1 including Avengers: Age of Ultron but Sholay will continue to draw its audiences because of its evergreen effect," he said.
Adnan Baig, a well-known actor and stylist, said watching Gabbar Singh (Amjad Khan), Veeru (Dharmendra) and Jai (Bachchan) in 3D was an exciting experience.
At one multiplex, where Sholay was being screened, the owners erected huge cut outs of Gabbar Singh, Jai and Veeru in a village like environment where film goers could photographed with their favourite characters.
The Ramesh Sippy-directed action film, considered an all-time blockbuster of Indian cinema, was released across the country by Geo films and Mandviwalla entertainment with a grand premiere in Karachi which was attended by several celebrities.
"Sholay has its legion of fans in Pakistan including that generation which grew old watching Indian movies on VCR's when it was illegal to screen them in Pakistan," film critic Omair Alavi told PTI.
"We have heard so much about the movie from our parents and older relatives so for them to watch the movie for the first time on the big screen in 3D and 2D is an unforgettable experience," he said.
Nadeem Mandviwalla, the exporter and distributor of the film in Pakistan, said he was expecting "Sholay" to generate good business.
"Even though we have some top releases on May 1 including Avengers: Age of Ultron but Sholay will continue to draw its audiences because of its evergreen effect," he said.
Adnan Baig, a well-known actor and stylist, said watching Gabbar Singh (Amjad Khan), Veeru (Dharmendra) and Jai (Bachchan) in 3D was an exciting experience.
At one multiplex, where Sholay was being screened, the owners erected huge cut outs of Gabbar Singh, Jai and Veeru in a village like environment where film goers could photographed with their favourite characters.
