Ramesh Sippy reveals he took 23 days to shoot THIS iconic scene of Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan in Sholay: 'We can only shoot at that magic hour'

The 1975 classic Sholay continues to be a landmark in Indian cinema. Director Ramesh Sippy recently shared that he didn't need to consult co-writer Javed Akhtar for changes in the film. He also revealed that one iconic scene between Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan took 23 days to shoot, as it had to be captured during a brief two-minute "magic hour."

At a recent masterclass at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa, Ramesh Sippy talked about creating a touching scene with Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan. He explained that the scene, showing the silent connection between their characters, was filmed during the 'magic hour,' when day turns into night.

The director mentioned that the moment felt instinctively perfect. After discussing it with the cameraman, they realized they only had a brief two-minute window to capture it just right.



The director explained that the scene between Amitabh and Jaya, which portrayed a silent bond of love, felt right at the moment when day shifts into night. After speaking with the cameraman, he realized they could only shoot during that brief "magic hour," giving them just two minutes to capture the perfect shot.

Ramesh explained that the shooting schedule for Sholay was carefully planned to capture the perfect moment. They filmed other scenes in the morning and early afternoon, then prepared for the special shot in the evening. When the magic hour came, they were ready to shoot.



He mentioned that his father, GP Sippy, the producer, never questioned his decision to spend 23 days shooting one scene. He allowed Ramesh to handle it in his own way.

When asked about Javed Akhtar's involvement, the director explained that while Akhtar, the co-writer, was sometimes on set, he wasn't always present. The dialogues were already written, so Ramesh didn't need to consult him for visual adjustments like lighting and scene setups.