Great balls of Fire

 

 

Basanti! In kutton ke saamne mut naachna”… This line and a handful of others have become so iconic of a movie, a generation, a nation that hearing them in any other avatar is simply ridiculous. Sippy’s Sholay was not just another flick that promised to be an above-average entertainer. It was movie magic right from the word ‘go’. With its picturesque locations, memorable costumes, superb songs and excellent fight sequences, it was a must-watch for all cine-goers.

If it were to be defined, a remake of a movie or a remix of a song is reconstruction of old with the addition of something new (like a new character or an additional beat) to make the old song or movie all the more appealing for the new audience. But why would there be a need to remake a timeless classic such as Sholay? This is seconded by the co-scriptwriter of the original, Javed Akhtar who told TSI, “I’m slightly puzzled with this remake of Sholay. The original was a legendary film. And where was the ‘scope’ for improvement at all? Let’s see what they do with it anyway.” However, for the masala-movie lovers, let it be told that Sholay of 1975 itself was not an original. It had deep shades of a 1960 hit western film The Magnificent Seven, which, in turn, was heavily borrowed from Akira Kurosawa’s The Seven Samurai (Japan 1954). Then what is the big hullabaloo all about?

So will the new Sholay, ahem, R.G.V. ki Aag make any ripples at the box office? With the original Jai playing the new baddie, your guess is as good as mine. The character sketches are quite similar to the original blockbuster. Heero (Ajay Devgan) and his bosom buddy Raj (Prashant Raj) come to Mumbai to realise their big dreams. They meet Ghungaroo (Nisha Kothari), who is Mumbai’s only lady auto driver. She knows all the short-cuts of the maddening town and calls her speed demon Laila. Narsimha (Mohanlal) is the urban thakur who maintains his cool at all times, never betraying the hideous past that lies behind him. Durga (Sushmita Sen) is Jaya Bachchan whose life was all colours and sweet. But then tragedy struck and nothing was the same anymore. But the star attraction is, like was in the original, Amitabh Bachchan who plays Babban, the uncrowned king of the ugly Mumbai underworld and who likes to speak to no one except himself.

Complete with Helen’s unforgettable dance number, Mehabooba is also paralleled in Aag with Urmila’s hip-shaking number.

But with some theatres in India still playing Sholay non-stop since 1975, will audiences and Sholay fans, who are the harshest critics themselves, pay to watch Ram Gopal Verma’s remake? Veteran script writer Javed Akhtar exclaims, “There cannot be a blanket judgement on this remake business. Some remakes do well, the others don’t. Like everyone saw, the Oscar winning movie, The Departed, was a remake.”

Remake it is… like it or not. But will Ramu’s take be any different from the original? Gaurav Kapoor, V.J. and a part of the star-cast comes to his rescue. “RGV ki Aag is his treatment of the legendary Sholay... He understands that he becomes prone to criticism when he remakes a classic. But he loves Sholay; it touched him at various levels. So it is a tribute to the film.” Well, it is not just Gaurav who is backing the ‘Godfather’ (which Ramu made into a money churner as well in the name of Sarkar). Prashant Raj who plays the ageless Jai (Raj) also pro claims his admiration for the maverick director. “When people will watch this film, they will realise that RGV ki Aag has a rich new flavour to offer. The thing to look forward to is how Ramu has made it quick, fast and interesting.” Ajay Devgan stated at being asked if there was pressure working under the shadow of the original, “I would not like to compare the two. Attitudes have changed since then. There was no pressure on me while shooting the movie.”

So we get the message that the movie is going to be an absolute thrill-ride. But how will these undying characters be remembered? Jai or Raj? Gabbar or Babban? Basanti or Ghungroo? Nisha Kothari attempts at clearing the fog. “I think RGV has done a wonderful job and it is his tribute to the film. The situations are the same but the attitude, characters and the designs are completely RGV’s. I personally felt no pressure as I cannot compare myself with Hemaji, as Ghungroo’s role is very tapori and bindaas”. Sushmita aka Durga adds, “I play durga, thakur’s sister-in-law. I wanted to be directed by RGV for a very long time now. So when he offered me the role, I didn’t even ask him what role it was. I was just on. I am very satisfied with how my character has shaped up as RGV’s technique itself is unique and brilliant.”

“All the films that have been made in the past have pretty much been based on the same subject. So there is nothing new there, but what has changed is my treatment. The story itself has changes like instead of a village, it is based out of a town now. Sholay was made 32 years back, the face and state of the country socially and culturally has changed tremendously over these years. I have tried to incorporate all that,” says Ramu of his Aag.

So the contrasts drawn are inevitable and the comparisons are legitimate. All that now remains is to see whether the new-look Sholay, aka RGV ki Aag, will be a live cracker, which will set the box-office afire or will it be a damp squib. Whatever the case, Amitabh Bachchan’s role will yet again ebb... and thus flow. Maybe that’s what made Sholay eternal? Maybe the magic will work again... ‘May be’...