A restored and uncut version of the cinematic classic Sholay was showcased before a full house at the renowned Il Cinema Ritrovato Festival in Bologna, Italy. 

Commemorating 50 years of this film, it was screened in the open-air Piazza Maggiore on Friday night. Director of the Film Heritage Foundation, Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, took to social media to share his enthusiasm about the screening on the social media platform X. “What an incredible feeling to see restored Sholay with the original ending on the big screen at Piazza Maggiore in Bologna with so many people under the stars as they stayed awake till 1 am for me it was my childhood memory come alive 50 years later ‘Sholay’ is back,” he says in the caption. 

The film is considered an inalienable part of Indian culture, with unforgettable characters like Jai, Veeru and Thakur, as well as the iconic villain Gabbar Singh. Its restoration was spearheaded by Film Heritage Foundation and Sippy Films Pvt Ltd and took more than three years.