Ramesh Sippy only filmed Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra & Sanjeev Kumar’s scenes in Sholay; Sachin Pilgaonkar reveals, “Amjad Khan and me handled second unit”

Ramesh Sippy’s 1975 action-adventure flick, Sholay – starring Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Amjad Khan, Sanjeev Kumar, Hema Malini and Jaya Bachchan, is one of the most loved films in Indian cinema. The film – penned by the legendary duo Salim–Javed, didn’t just emerge as a box office success but also successfully left an indelible mark on Indian cinema. But did you know, Sippy didn’t direct the entire film?

During a recent chat, actor-director Sachin Pilgaonkar – who essayed the role of Ahmed in Sholay, reminisced his time as an assistant director on the sets and who Ramesh would mostly direct. Read on to know all he said.

Sachin Pilgaonkar on co-directing Ramesh Sippy’s Sholay

In a recent conversation with the YouTube channel Khaane Mein Kya Hai, actor-director Sachin Pilgaonkar got candid about being an AD on the sets of Sholay. During the same chat, the actor also revealed that Ramesh Sippy was primarily present on set to guide the stars, such as Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra and Sanjeev Kumar. He said, “Rameshji decided to have a second unit to handle some action sequences that didn’t involve the main stars.”

Stating that the second unit consisted of renowned stunt filmmaker Mohammed Ali and action director Azim, along with two Hollywood professionals, Jim and Jerry, Sachin said, “At that time, there were only two ‘bekaar’ (useless) people in the unit: Amjad Khan and me.” Adding that Ramesh Sippy recognised his and Amjad’s interest in direction, the filmmaker decided to involve them in the production. He said, “He asked us if we would like to represent him. Andha maange ek aankh, suddenly usko do mil gaya (the blind man asked for one eye, but suddenly he got two).” This enabled the duo to remain on set even when the second unit wasn’t actively filming.

Sachin – recounting the iconic train robbery scene filmed along the Bombay–Poona railway route near Panvel, said, “Ramesh was supposed to come only when Dharamji, Amitji and Hari bhai (Sanjeev) had work. He shot those portions and we handled the remaining scenes.”

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