In Ramanagara, ‘Sholay’ lives on in memories, myths

Often described as India’s biggest box office sensation — they say its tickets outsold modern-day blockbusters ‘RRR’ and ‘Bahubali’ put together — ‘Sholay’, the 1975 film is not without its share of critics.

Some say the story, written by Salim-Javed, is a mish-mash of Hollywood and Japanese classics; others say it has no moral centre. But no one denies that ‘Sholay’ enjoys an iconic status in Indian film history. A hundred theatres screened the film without a break for 25 weeks, and 60 theatres for 50 weeks. Silver jubilees and golden jubilees, these milestones were called in a pre-multiplex, pre-OTT era.

In Ramanagara, about an hour and a half by road from M G Road, Bengaluru, ‘Sholay’ is a bunch of sepia memories.

Boramma was seven when the unit came and camped at Konkanidoddi, a vil