Sholay

Sholay is a 1975 Hindi action adventure film directed by Ramesh Sippy, following two small time criminals hired to capture a ruthless bandit terrorizing a village, with romance and revenge driving its story. The film opened to poor reviews but went on to become one of the most commercially successful films in Indian history, breaking records for continuous theatrical runs and playing for more than five years at one Mumbai theatre alone. Its blend of action, comedy, romance and music helped define the masala film format that came to dominate mainstream Hindi cinema, its dialogue entered everyday Indian speech, and its villain Gabbar Singh became one of the most recognized characters in Indian film history. The BBC has compared its cultural impact on Indian cinema to the impact Star Wars had on Hollywood.