An important factor in making Sholay such a memorable film, that is remembered 50 years after its release, is that apart from the lead characters of Jai, Veeru, Thakur Baldev Singh, Basanti, Radha and Gabbar Singh, there were actors in supporting roles, who have gone down in movie lore.
Asrani played the hilarious “Angrezon ke zamaane ka jailor” with a Hitler moustache and staccato speech. His dialogue in which he orders half his men right, half left and the remaining after him, still cracks up audiences. Jai and Veeru easily escape from the prison run by this clown.
Jagdeep played the paan-chewing timber trader, Soorma Bhopali, with a pronounced Bhopal accent and a bragging manner. When he is boasting to a group of hangers-on about thrashing Jai and Veeru, they sneak up behind him and egg him on with “phir kya hua”. When he finally sees them, he stutters to a halt and accuses his audience of forcing him to lie!
Mac Mohan played one of Gabbar Singh’s men, to whom he prefixes questions with “Arre o Samba”. The answer to the reward money on Gabbar’s head is “Poorey pachas hazaar,”
Viju Khote plays another Gabbar man, who is asked “Ab tera kya hoga Kaalia?” after the other two terrified men are forced to play Russian roulette and die. Gabbar laughs, “Bach haya saala” when Kaalia gets an empty revolver chamber and thinks he is spared. He is then shot for cowardice, because the three disgraced Gabbar by being defeated by just two men (Jai and Veeru).
Leela Chitnis was Basanti’s aunt. Mausi, who has the comic scene with Jai, who pretends to extol the virtues of Veeru, while actually pulling him down.
AK Hangal was the blind Imam Saheb, who does not realise that his son is lying dead, and utters the unforgettable line, “Itna sannata kyon hai bhai?” to villagers who have been stunned into silence by the brutality of the murder. His emotional speech after the tragedy wrenches the whole village.
Sachin Pilgaonkar was the Imam’s son Ahmad, in a small but catalytic role. His murder and mutilation by Gabbar Singh, who sends his body tied to a horse, finally spurs the villagers of Ramgarh towards supporting the fight against the sadistic bandit.
Keshto Mukherjee played the role he was stereotyped in –the drunken prisoner, who shares a cell with Jai and Veeru in the jail run by the comical Jailor (Asrani). His character provides comic relief and is part of the initial introduction to Jai and Veeru’s backstory.
Satyen Kappu, the ever dependent supporting actor, was Ramlal, the loyal helper of Thakur Baldev Singh, silently carrying out the orders of his master, who has no arms.
Iftikhar played Radha’s father, a minor but significant role in the film; after Jai’s death, he encourages Thakur to finally confront Gabbar and end the cycle of violence.
