If a movie, made 35 years ago, gets frequently labelled as the greatest movie ever made in Bollywood, then surely, there must be some sorcery surrounding it, or it just might have been a movie called Sholay.

The film was allegedly inspired from countless Hollywood classics and Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai, but it somehow managed to become the de facto Hindi movie - a film that, connoisseurs of the trade believe, truly defines Bollywood.

35 years have passed since the most recognisable characters, Gabbar, Jai, Verru, Basanti and Thakur, struck a chord with the masses and the bond still thumps with nostalgia and passion for the movie.

But when Sholay released way back in then, there were initially few takers. Its length, its plot, its ending and its 'terrible Bollywood grammar' made the film seem like it was headed exactly where its 2007 remake, Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag went.

But it didn't. It ran for over five years straight in some theatres, it went on to become the highest Indian grosser of all time (a record it held till 1995) and it made a statement. A very bold one.

The film was so poorly received in fact that the cast and crew got together and were even considering re-shooting the climax, in which Jai one of the protagonists is killed.

Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan who played the intense, brooding Jai says the team, including the writer duo Salim-Javed met the day after the release and actually discussed on what could be done to 'improve' the movie.

Be it director Ramesh Sippy or writer Javed Akhtar, almost everyone associated with the film, till date maintain that they had no idea 'how big it was going to be'.

WIth frequently being referenced, 'tribute-ed' and plagiarised in everything from sitcoms to television commercials, Sholay has not just become a part of the popular Indian culture today but is much more.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) reportedly has announced announced that a chapter on Sholay would be included in the Class V curriculum.

Be it R D Burman's music, or the dialogues written by writers Javed Akhtar and Salim Khan, the film's literature has been immortalised in the Indian psyche.

The film, India's first one to be made on 75mm film and feature stereophonic sound, was reportedly made with a budget of Rs 3 crores and released with 250 prints nationwide.

For Sholay, a film released on 15 August 1975, becoming the quintessential Bollywood film meant a perfect balance of drama, melodrama, romance, comedy, tragedy and of course action, which it did capture, apparently like no other film ever made till date.

Sholay Trivia

Sholay was India's first film to be made on 75mm film and feature stereophonic sound. Initially, only four 75mm prints were released.

It was reportedly made with a budget of Rs 3 crores and released with 250 prints nationwide.

The makers considered re-shooting the climax in order to improve public reaction.

Sholay was about to be removed from theatres due to 'low attendance'.

Dharmendra was very keen to play, not Veeru, but Thakur.

Shatrughan Sinha was supposed to play Jai, till Amitabh Bachchan convinced the makers otherwise.

The writer duo, Salim-Jawed, first approached filmmaker Manmohan Desai to direct the movie.

Ramesh Sippy reportedly re-filmed several scenes to get the 'desired effect'.

The film's villain, Gabbar Singh was framed after a real-life 1950s dacoit who terrorised people around Gwalior.

Amjad Khan, who played Gabbar was almost dropped because his voice was found to be too 'weak'.

Sholay ran for 10 years straight in some theatres.