{"id":7975,"date":"2023-09-26T09:16:05","date_gmt":"2023-09-26T09:16:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/javed-akhtar-speaks-up-on-copying-western-films-for-sholay-zanjeer\/"},"modified":"2023-09-26T09:16:05","modified_gmt":"2023-09-26T09:16:05","slug":"javed-akhtar-speaks-up-on-copying-western-films-for-sholay-zanjeer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/javed-akhtar-speaks-up-on-copying-western-films-for-sholay-zanjeer\/","title":{"rendered":"Javed Akhtar speaks up on ‘copying’ Western films for ‘Sholay’, ‘Zanjeer’"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Veteran Indian screenwriter and lyricist, Javed Akhtar addressed the claims of his Bollywood hits \u2018Zanjeer\u2019<\/em> and \u2018Sholay\u2019<\/em> being copied from western classics.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Watch ARY News live on\u00a0live.arynews.tv<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Recently, Indian actor Adil Hussain pointed out the similarities between the key sequences of the cult hit \u2018Sholay\u2019<\/em>\u00a0and a Western classic,\u00a0\u2018<\/em>Once Upon a Time in the West\u2019 <\/i>by iconic filmmaker, Sergio Leone.<\/p>\n

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Ha ha\u2026 Who would have thought that portions of one of the most watched\/ Admired films in India will be a copy of this film below\u2026 Probably you already knew that!? .. But didn\u2019t.. pic.twitter.com\/jeIad77Gs5<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Adil hussain (@_AdilHussain) July 31, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Addressing the rumours in a recently-released book, \u2018Talking Life: Javed Akthar in Conversation with Nasreen Munni Kabir\u2019<\/em>, the veteran screenwriter wrote, \u201cAs I have said, we [screewriting duo Salim-Javed] were influenced by Sergio Leone. But \u2018Sholay\u2019<\/em> was not based on his epic film.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the excerpt from the same book, Akhtar also touched upon the claims of another of their hit with Amitabh Bachchan, \u2018Zanjeer\u2019<\/em> being inspired by \u2018Dirty Harry\u2019<\/em>, directed by \u00a0Don Siegel.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is all rubbish. No film was a remake or based on any other film,\u201d Akhtar penned, explaining that their title came out a couple of years after \u2018Dirty Harry\u2019<\/em>, and it was not <\/span>possible for them in those pre-Google days to have written the screenplay, then have the film shot, edited and released in such little time.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Claiming that \u2018Zanjeer\u2019<\/em> was a brainchild of his writing partner Salim Khan, he recalled, \u201cLater we wrote the screenplay together. Yes, \u2018Dirty Harry\u2019<\/em> was remade in Hindi, though not by us \u2013 Salim and Javed. It was called \u2018Khoon Khoon\u2019<\/em> and turned out to be a big flop.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Although admitting that the only point of commonality between the two films was the hero profile (angry police officers), Akhtar maintained, \u201cI think the \u2018Zanjeer\u2019<\/em> hero has more layers. Whenever some Indian film critics saw a film of ours, they assumed it had to be a copy and couldn\u2019t believe we could think up ideas ourselves.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThink of the twist in \u2018Don\u2019<\/em>. Vijay is planted in a gang by a police officer to expose the bad guys, then the police officer gets killed in the line of duty. Without the police officer to back up his story, Vijay has a hard time convincing the police that he is an undercover agent, even as the gang guesses he\u2019s a plant.<\/span> So, we have a situation where both the police and the gang are after Vijay\u2019s blood. What a fantastic twist. All Salim Sahib,\u201d he explained with an example.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Javed Akhtar calls Kangana Ranaut liar<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n