Ramesh Sippy DEDICATES Sholay – The Final Cut to Dharmendra: ‘There were plans…’

Ramesh Sippy has shared his feelings regarding the upcoming film, the 4K version of Sholay—The Final Cut. He has dedicated the movie to the late veteran actor Dharmendra, who breathed his last on November 24, 2025. The film was going to be released on November 24, as the makers and the team had planned a grand release on the 50th anniversary of the release of the movie, on August 15, but the unfortunate passing of the actor led to the postponement of the movie’s release. Now, the movie is all set to be released today, on December 12, 2025. Sippy said, “We will miss him (Dharmendra) dearly. Unfortunately, he passed away, as did Amjad Khan and Sanjeev Kumar in earlier times, and then Asrani recently, and others have also passed away. But all their work will be there forever. So, they live through the film now.”

The movie was a celebration of…

He also emphasized the fact that this film is a tribute to every legendary star involved in the movie. “There were plans; we wanted to make a splash, but it wasn’t appropriate. The film is a celebration for everyone, so why not look at it that way? His contribution—now that people will see the film—will come to the forefront. It will revive those memories, and we will say, ‘Oh God, he just passed away, and he has done wonders. The kind of enthusiasm, like lines and character, he brought in his way was amazing!”

“Nobody can decode…”

He also talked about the movie’s everlasting impact, saying, “Nobody can decode Sholay! There is something that connects the audience across generations, and had I found the secret, I would have made several Sholays by now! Music, dance, friendship, romance, drama, and action—everything was in abundance, and the packaging was good. Salim-Javed’s writing, the actors being marvelous in each role, and RB Burman’s music—all put together brought out the best, and my job was made easier because of that. Captaining the ship like that was a delight.”