#WhatIf: ‘Sholay’ was made in Punjabi with these actors in the lead
We have seen many times a Hindi dubbed version of a popular Punjabi movie killing the flavour of the whole film. Perhaps that is why Punjabi stars mostly say that they don’t want any of their Pollywood movies to be remade in Hindi. However, if we try to dub or recreate a classic Bollywood movie in Punjabi, there are great chances that the flavour of the film will be only enhanced. And to support this last statement, ETimes has come up with the new series called ‘#WhatIf’! In this series we will be picturing a Punjabi version of a popular Bollywood film, and talk about the Pollywood actors who will do justice to the iconic Hindi cinema characters.
Our first episode of this series is - “#WhatIf: ‘Sholay’ was made in Punjabi with these actors in the lead”
Gippy Grewal and Diljit Dosanjh as Jay and Veeru
It’s been more than a decade since we have seen Gippy Grewal and Diljit Dosanjh on the big screen together. Also, in the Punjabi remake of ‘Sholay’, we can’t imagine any other jodi fitting the bill of Jay and Veeru. We have seen Gippy doing the character of an angry young man in ‘Ik Sandhu Hunda Si’ and a more intense one in ‘Warning’. So we know he can pull off Jay. On the other hand, Diljit Dosanjh with his chocolate boy look and quirky flirtatious skills is certainly the best Punjabi Veeru.
Shehnaaz Gill as Basanti
The iconic role of Basanti in the original ‘Sholay’ was played by none other than the ‘Dream Girl’ herself, Hema Malini. Filling in her shoes is not easy, but we know a Punjabi diva who can do justice to the character. We are talking about the one and only Shahnaz Gill. Imagine her saying the dialogue, “Chal dhano aj teri Basanti ki izzat ka saval hai” in Punjabi!
Prince Kanwal Jit Singh as Gabbar
We all have just seen Prince Kanwal Jit Singh playing the character of a psychopath in ‘Warning’. The calmness with which he portrays the madness and evil, can’t be expressed in words. Perhaps that is why the moment we thought of a Punjabi Gabar, Prince Kanwal Jit Singh’s name topped our list. The image of him as Gabbar will be clearer for you once you imagine him delivering the dialogue “Kitne aadmi the?” in Punjabi.
Yograj Singh and Rana Ranbir as Thakur and Ramlal
The performance bar set by Sanjeev Kapoor and Satyen Kapoor is really high. It wasn’t easy for us to find a perfect match for Thakur and Ramlal in Punjabi. And our hours-long research came to a fruitful end when we came across the profile of Yograj Singh and Rana Ranbir. Nobody can pull off a poker face like Yograj Singh. Further, when it comes to character based roles, Rana Ranbir has never failed to surprise us!
Japji Khaira as Radha
Last but not least, the famous character of Radha, which was played by Jay Bachchan in the original ‘Sholay’, can be played by Japjhi Khaira in a Punjabi remake. The beauty and calmness of Radha’s character can be best showcased by Japji we believe. At the same time, she will be the best fit to show Radha’s internal struggles as well.