Sholay restored version with director’s original ending to premiere at Sydney festival

Sholay restored version with director’s original ending to premiere at Sydney festival

The Indian Film Festival of Sydney (IFFS) has chosen the restored version of Sholay as its centrepiece film this October, giving audiences a rare chance to experience one of India’s most celebrated classics in its original form. Presented by the team behind the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, the Sydney edition will run from October 9 to October 11 and highlight Indian cinema through screenings, conversations, and retrospectives.

The restoration of Sholay was a meticulous process led by the Film Heritage Foundation in collaboration with Sippy Films. Technicians tracked down a rare colour reversal print in London and uncovered original negatives and deleted scenes stored away in a Mumbai warehouse. The work resulted in a pristine 4K version with enhanced sound, faithful to its original 70mm format.

What sets this restoration apart is the return of director Ramesh Sippy’s original ending. In this version, Thakur finally avenges his slain family by killing the dreaded bandit Gabbar Singh. Censors in the 1970s had pushed for a less violent finale, which is the version that made it to cinemas. For the first time in decades, audiences will see Sholay as its maker intended.

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The film’s restored edition made its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) earlier this month. Its screening at IFFS marks the next step in Sholay’s international journey, reaffirming the film’s global appeal.
Festival director Mitu Bhowmick Lange underlined the cultural weight of the event, saying, “Sholay is more than a film—it is woven into the fabric of Indian storytelling, memory and myth. To bring back its original ending, after all these years, is to restore not just a different final scene, but the full vision of its creator.”

Alongside Sholay, the festival will showcase over 15 films spanning multiple genres and languages, accompanied by filmmaker interactions and panel discussions on the evolution of Indian cinema.

Released on August 15, 1975, Sholay starred Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Hema Malini, Jaya Bachchan, Sanjeev Kumar, and Amjad Khan. Its restoration and revival, nearly 50 years later, stand as a tribute to both its enduring legacy and the importance of film preservation.