50 years ago, in 1975, Bollywood saw the release of Sholay, a film that would go on to become the most iconic Bollywood production. Its dialogues, from “Kitne Aadmi The?” to “Basanti inn kutto ke saamne mat naachna” and characters like Basanti, Gabbar, and Jay and Veeru became a raging phenomenon in the 70s and 80s and have achieved cult status today. As the film marks its 50th anniversary in August 2025, team unstumbled thought of revisiting Sholay shooting locations. So, hop on, it’s time to pack our bags to Ramgarh, if you know, you know!
Shooting Locations Of Sholay: Then Vs Now
Sholay: How The 1975-Movie Became A Cult Classic
It was in August 1975 that the Ramesh Sippy directorial Sholay released in India. The movie revolves around two small-time partners-in-crime (literally) who get recruited by an ex-police officer to capture a wanted dacoit, Gabbar. Through its plot, the movie is the perfect dose of action, adventure, romance, and drama.
With an ensemble cast of Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Hema Malini, Amjad Khan, and many others, the movie was expected to do wonders at the box office right from day 1. However, the movie initially opened to lukewarm response.
It is only after the good word-of-mouth and the music and star cast that the movie emerged a smash hit at the box office. From groovy dance numbers to whistle-worthy scenes, the movie had all the ingredients that made for an indulgent commercial pot-boiler. Decades later, the movie remains a cult classic, a trailblazer, and a production that redefined Bollywood. Many cinephiles proudly claim it to be the best Indian movie ever made, and if you’ve watched it, you’ll know exactly why!
Sholay Shooting Locations: Then Vs Now
Ramanagara: Where Almost The Entire Movie Was Shot
While you may think that the movie was shot in some village in North India thanks to the ‘Ramgarh’ shown in the movie, the entire movie was actually shot in a village in South India! Sholay was shot entirely in the small village of Ramanagara near Bengaluru. The script and art direction of the movie demanded the backdrop to feature rocky, rugged terrain, so the makers of this movie decided to finalize Ramanagara as the shooting location of Sholay.
The art directors worked day and night to develop sets in this village as the movie was shot here for two and a half years. In fact, just a single two-minute scene between Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan took the makers 23 days to shoot!
A significant portion of the movie was shot at the Ramadevara Betta, an area characterized by grassy patches and steeply-cut rocks, and craggy slopes. Today, this location is fondly known as Sholay Hills to pay tribute to the iconic Hindi movie. In 2012, Ramadevara Betta was transformed into a vulture sanctuary to boost the conservation of these scavenger birds.
Ramanagara was extensively shown in the movie, including its roads and the town square. Try to spot them when you rewatch the movie! Additionally, the iconic train robbery sequence in the movie was shot at the Ramanagara Railway Station.
Neighboring Towns And Mumbai: Supplementary Sets
Not just Ramanagara, but there were many neighboring towns and villages where the makers of Sholay constructed supplementary sets. Plus, some parts of the movie were also shot on artificially constructed sets in Mumbai.
While it was easy to replicate the look and feel of Ramanagara in the neighboring towns and villages, the makers were faced with a tough task of replicating the natural ambiance in the city of Mumbai. For an important prison sequence in the movie, the makers constructed a set in the Rajkamal Studios in Mumbai.
Summing Up
Sholay is a movie that has achieved iconic status in the long list of Bollywood movies – so iconic that it ran for 25 years in some select theaters across India! Now that the movie will complete its 50 years, it is likely that the movie will re-release in many theaters across India. So, if you wish to relive the magic of Sholay in theaters and spot some of its iconic locations, this is your cue to mark your calendars!
