Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 23 (ANI): The legendary Bollywood epic 'Sholay' will receive a special 50th anniversary tribute with the world premiere of its fully restored, uncut version at the Il Cinema Ritrovato Festival in Bologna, Italy.

The screening will take place on June 27 at the large open-air Piazza Maggiore, known for hosting memorable film events.

Originally released in 1975, Sholay became a cult favourite in Indian cinema, thanks to its powerful story, characters, and action scenes. Directed by Ramesh Sippy, the film featured Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Hema Malini, Jaya Bhaduri, and Amjad Khan, and went on to become a cultural phenomenon.

The restored version is the result of a three-year collaboration between the Film Heritage Foundation and Sippy Films Pvt. Ltd. For the first time, viewers will be able to see the film with its original ending and previously deleted scenes that were missing from the version that was widely shown in theatres.

As per a press release, Amitabh Bachchan, while sharing his thoughts said, 'Some things in life remain permanently etched in your mind. Sholay is one such film. Shooting for the film was an unforgettable experience, but at the time I had no idea that it would be a watershed for Indian cinema. Its dramatic change in fortunes from being declared an unsuccessful venture, to its record-breaking box office run was an emotional rollercoaster for all of us. It's wonderful that the Film Heritage Foundation has restored 'Sholay' and that they have managed to locate and include the original ending as well as some deleted scenes in the restoration.I hope that even 50 years later, the film will capture the imagination of new audiences across the world.'

Dharmendra said, 'Sholay is the 8th wonder of the world. I am thrilled to hear that the film is being restored and I am sure it will have the same success as it had 50 years ago. Who can forget the dialogues of Salim-Javed and the direction of Ramesh Sippy? So many scenes have gone down in the history of Indian cinema and every character became a star. But the real hero was the coin. Few people know that I was offered the role of Gabbar and Thakur, but I was clear that I wanted to play the role of Veeru as he is so much like me. I had so much fun on the shoot. My favourite scenes were the tanki scene, the scene in the temple, and so many others, but the most powerful scene I feel was the death of Jai, which is still etched in my mind.'

The restoration project involved working with rare materials found in film archives in Mumbai and London, and the final version was created with the help of experts in Italy and support from the British Film Institute.

The film will be shown in a 2.2:1 aspect ratio, with restored sound and visuals. (ANI)