Veteran screenwriter and lyricist Javed Akhtar has insisted that the iconic Bollywood film Sholay was not based – as rumoured – on a classic Western, Sergio Leone’s Once Upon A Time.
“As I have said, Salim Khan and I were influenced by Leone but Sholay was not based on his epic film. Critics have also drawn a parallel between Zanjeer and Dirty Harry,” Akhtar said in the recently released book Talking Life: Javed Akthar In Conversation With Nasreen Munni Kabir.
He pointed out that Dirty Harry was released in December 1971 and Zanjeer in May 1973. It would have been impossible in the pre-Internet days for the screenplay to be copied and the movie shot, edited and released in such a short time.
“It is all rubbish. No film was a remake or based on any other film,” said Akhtar, adding that Zanjeer was Khan’s brainchild.
“Salim and I wrote the screenplay together. Yes, Dirty Harry was remade in Hindi but it was not us. It was called Khoon Khoon and turned out to be a big flop.”
Akhtar also pointed out that the only similarity between Zanjeer and Dirty Harry was the profile of the heroes – two angry police officers.
“I think the Zanjeer hero has more layers,” said Akhtar.
“Whenever some Indian film critics saw a film of ours, they assumed it had to be a copy and couldn’t believe we could think up ideas ourselves.”
Last year, Akhtar stirred controversy when he claimed Dharmendra rejected Zanjeer and that “Amitabh Bachchan was actually the last choice for Zanjeer”.
He told India Today magazine: “Everybody refused to do this film. I can understand why.
“It was a time when Rajesh Khanna was considered god, music was a must in films, and Zanjeer offered neither romance nor comedy. The hero didn’t sing, he was a very grim, serious, bitter person. It was different, so everybody refused.”
Directed by Mehra, Zanjeer is one of the blockbusters in Bachchan’s career and it earned him the moniker Angry Young Man for his role as Inspector Vijay Khanna, who sets out to avenge his parents’ death after getting suspended.
Indo-Asian News Service
