Nor is the situation of the law enforcer who must step outside of the law to get justice,” explains Dudrah. “The setting in the fictitious village of Ramgarh, referencing the lawless Wild West and paying homage to American and Italian westerns, is not by accident. During the controversial period of India’s history – which began when prime minister Indira Gandhi declared a state of emergency across the country – political opponents were suppressed and the press was censored. There was social, political and economic turmoil, and widespread mistrust of the state,” he says. The nation is writ large in themes of law and order, justice and revenge – they reflect anxiety around India’s Emergency from 1975 to 1977. “But it’s not just thrilling entertainment. The stagecraft of the action scenes is incredible, especially in the opening train chase – my teenage nieces and nephews, who are used to CGI, were blown away.
“Because it has all the spices – drama, melodrama, romance, action, family – and they’re blended perfectly. “Sholay is the ultimate masala film,” he says, describing a film that mixes together different genres. Rajinder Dudrah, who teaches a course in Bollywood at the University of Manchester, believes Sholay is unsurpassed because it works on multiple levels.
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