Actor-writer Murali Gopy took to social media to pay tribute to Ramesh Sippy's iconic film Sholay, which celebrates its golden jubilee today. In his post, Murali wrote that film critics "panned" the film upon its release and suggested that they made a premature prediction about its box-office fate. Directed by Ramesh Sippy, Sholay tells a story of vengeance between a police officer (Sanjeev Kumar) and a dacoit leader (Amjad Khan). The story, which shifts between the past and present, also has elements of friendship, brotherhood, and romance. The ensemble cast includes Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Hema Malini, Jaya Bhaduri (now Jaya Bachchan), and AK Hangal, among others.

Sholay is known for its great production values, virtuoso filmmaking, RD Burman's music, and the performances by the lead actors, especially Sanjeev, Amjad, Amitabh, Dharmendra, and Hema. Sholay is regarded as the most expensive film in Indian cinema at the time of its making. The film reportedly minted 35 crore back then, a remarkable figure for its time. Beyond its box-office collection, the film has inspired a number of filmmakers in India, most notably Ram Gopal Varma. However, it also has some detractors, such as legendary actor Naseeruddin Shah, to name one.

Speaking of which, Murali Gopy knows a thing or two about facing criticism for a big-scale film. While commercially successful, actor-director Prithviraj Sukumaran and Mohanlal's L2: Empuraan faced much criticism, particularly writer Murali's screenplay.