The cult film from the 70s has its own aura. Given the fact that it's one of the most envied brands of cinema today, one needs pure guts to touch the tale for a retelling (and this goes for a certain Ram Gopal Varma also!!).
But hypothetically thinking (yeah, that's harmless), it is always an interesting idea to fit in other known, popular faces in such legendary plots. Here's a Popcorn attempt at it:
THE DIRECTOR: Anurag Kashyap, without a doubt! The filmmaker is celebrated for his unadulterated knack for creating dark, serious dramas with just the right doses of humour in them.
THE CAST: This one was a little tricky, given the contenders we have from the industry to slip into the iconic avatars. After much brainstorming, here's freezing the lucky ones -
THAKUR: Ajay Devgn would pull off the no-nonsense part with ease and flair. It would make for a visual treat to witness the action master let the Jai-Veeru combo do all the dhishum-dhishum while all he gets to do is to emote through his eyes and expressions.
JAI: As cliché as it may sound, there's no denying that it would simply be an awww-worthy experience to watch Abhishek Bachchan step into his megastar dad's shoes, no?
VEERU: Who else could play a better fun mate to AB junior than his Dostana 'sweetheart', John Abraham? I knew you too wouldn't agree more.
GABBAR SINGH: One of the finest actors on the tinsel turf, Manoj Bajpai would be just the apt baddie, in an out-and-out negative portrayal, pitted against the Ajay-Abhishek-John troika.
BASANTI: How about fitting the chirpy, vivacious Parineeti Chopra in this role? Like the original charmer, PC too would play the perfect chatterbox. And her fresh pairing with John would just add to the excitement.
RADHA: Ammm... Either Rani Mukerji or Vidya Balan Roy Kapur. Known for their brilliant acting skills, any one of the two would do a bang-on job to the intense role.
JAILOR: Though I seriously think Arshad Warsi could be put to much use in the masterpiece, but since all the key players have already been locked, I'm sure the versatile actor would certainly leave a mark as the comic factor.
THE PUBLICITY HEADLINES: With the new-age cast all set on papers, here's listing down some of the 'in' buzzes around the film to guarantee a packed opening -
#1: "Katrina Kaif To Do An Item Number In Anurag Kashyap's Sholay"
#2: "Who's Got More Meat? Parineeti Vs Rani or Vidya"
#3: "Dostana Duo Are Back To Bromance"
#4: "Manoj Bajpai Joins Mogambos & Tejas"
#5: "Aishwarya Upset With Hubby Dear For Romancing Rani" (if she beats Vidya at the final choice, that is)
THE BOX OFFICE RESULT: Let's toy around both the cases – a hit scenario as well as a flop one.
SCENARIO ONE: HIT-TING THE MARK -
Sholay breaks all records and becomes the first ever Bollywood film to enter the prestigious 500 crore club. The Khan trinity feels the jerks and the jolts. Apparently, they will announce their super huge, dream projects soon. Chances are the three might get together for the first time in a chase to outshine Sholay. Meanwhile, Abhishek and John have become the toasts of the town.
SCENARIO TWO: THE FLOP SHOW -
Anurag Kashyap fails to strike a chord as he managed with his Gangs Of Wasseypur series. Abhishek falls flat once again. His repeated pairing with John only drives the viewers up the wall. Talents like Manoj, Arshad, Rani or Vidya and Parineeti have been wasted to the core. The Khans breathe a sigh of relief, courtesy Sholay's inability to live up to its pre-release hype and hoopla. But despite all this, Sholay still looks hundred times better than RGV's Aag.
THE END
Do you think the above cast will do justice to Sholay?
