bollywood

Updated: Apr 18, 2015 20:07 IST

Bollywood classic Sholay released in theatres across Pakistan for the first time on Friday, 40 years after its release in India. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra as Jai and Veeru respectively.

The Ramesh Sippy-directed action film, considered as an all-time blockbuster of Indian cinema, was released across the country by Geo films and Mandviwalla entertainment with a grand premiere in Karachi at the Neuplex, which was attended by several celebrities.

"Sholay has its legion of fans in Pakistan including that generation which grew old watching Indian movies on VCRs when it was illegal to screen them in Pakistan," said film critic Omair Alavi.

"We have heard so much about the movie from our parents and older relatives so for them to watch the movie for the first time on the big screen in 3D and 2D is an unforgettable experience," he said.

Nadeem Mandviwalla, the exporter and distributor of the film in Pakistan, said he was expecting Sholay to generate good business.

"Even though we have some top releases on May 1 including Avengers: Age of Ultron but Sholay will continue to draw its audiences because of its evergreen effect," he said.

Adnan Baig, a well-known actor and stylist, said watching Gabbar Singh (Amjad Khan), Veeru (Dharmendra) and Jai (Bachchan) in 3D was an exciting experience.

At one cineplex, where Sholay is being screened, the owners have erected huge cut outs of Gabbar Singh, Jai and Veeru in a village like environment and film goers can get photographed with their favourite characters.