To celebrate the 50th year of its release, Hindi cinema’s most iconic film Sholay will land in theatres again, this time with its original ending, on December 12. Directed by Ramesh Sippy and written by Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar, the film originally released in theatres on August 15, 1975. It starred Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Dharmendra, Sanjeev Kumar and Amjad Khan.
Making the announcement on social media on Sunday, the official handle of Film Heritage Foundation posted on X, “The wait is finally over!! “Sholay - The Final Cut” restored by Film Heritage Foundation in 4K with the original ending being seen for the first time is slated to be released by Sippy Films in 1500 screens across India on December 12, 2025!!!”
The film’s original climax had Thakur (Sanjeev Kumar) killing Gabbar Singh (Amjad Khan) with spiked shoes but it was replaced with a milder version as the film released during the Emergency and the Central Board of Film certification objected to its depiction of violence.
Last month, the Indian classic was also screened at the London Film Festival with its original ending. Earlier this year the film was also screened at other film festivals, like the Indian Film Festival of Sydney and the Toronto International Film Festival.