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By:

Rajeev Puri

24 October 2024 at 5:11:37 am

Before Sholay, there was Mera Gaon Mera Desh

When the comedian and television host Kapil Sharma recently welcomed the veteran screenwriter Salim Khan onto his show, he made a striking claim. India, he joked, has a national bird and a national animal; it ought also to have a national film. That film, he suggested, would surely be Sholay. Few would quarrel with the sentiment. Released in 1975 and directed by Ramesh Sippy,  Sholay  has long been treated as the Everest of Hindi popular cinema -quoted endlessly, revisited by generations and...

Before Sholay, there was Mera Gaon Mera Desh

When the comedian and television host Kapil Sharma recently welcomed the veteran screenwriter Salim Khan onto his show, he made a striking claim. India, he joked, has a national bird and a national animal; it ought also to have a national film. That film, he suggested, would surely be Sholay. Few would quarrel with the sentiment. Released in 1975 and directed by Ramesh Sippy,  Sholay  has long been treated as the Everest of Hindi popular cinema -quoted endlessly, revisited by generations and dissected by critics. In 2025, the film marked its 50th anniversary, and the release of a digitally restored, uncut version introduced the classic to a new generation of viewers who discovered that its mixture of revenge drama, western pastiche and buddy comedy remains curiously durable. The film’s influences have been debated almost as much as its dialogues – from scenes taken by the Spaghetti westerns of Sergio Leone, particularly ‘Once Upon a Time in the West’ (1968) or to the narrative architecture of ‘Seven Samurai’ (1954) by Akira Kurosawa. Others note echoes of earlier Hindi films about bandits and frontier justice, such as ‘Khotey Sikke’ (1973) starring Feroz Khan. Yet, rewatching ‘Mera Gaon Mera Desh,’ directed by Raj Khosla, one cannot help noticing how many of the narrative bones of  Sholay  appear to have been assembled there first. Released in 1971,  Mera Gaon Mera Desh  was a major hit at the box office, notable for holding its own in a year dominated by the near-hysterical popularity of Rajesh Khanna. The thematic framework of the two films is strikingly similar. In  Sholay , the retired policeman Thakur Baldev Singh recruits two petty criminals - Jai and Veeru - to help him avenge the terror inflicted upon his village by the bandit Gabbar Singh. In  Mera Gaon Mera Desh , the set-up is not very different. A retired soldier, Jaswant Singh, seeks to protect his village from a ruthless dacoit and enlists the help of a small-time crook named Ajit. Even the villain’s name seems to echo across the two films. In Khosla’s drama, the marauding bandit played by Vinod Khanna is scene-stealing performance is called Jabbar Singh. In  Sholay , the outlaw who would become one of Indian cinema’s most memorable antagonists was Gabbar Singh. There is an additional irony in the casting. In  Mera Gaon Mera Desh , the retired soldier Jaswant Singh is played by Jayant - the real-life father of Amjad Khan, who would later immortalise Gabbar Singh in  Sholay . The connective tissue between the two films becomes even clearer in the presence of Dharmendra. In Khosla’s film he plays Ajit, a charming rogue who gradually redeems himself while defending the village. Four years later, Dharmendra returned in  Sholay  as Veeru, a similarly exuberant petty criminal whose courage and irrepressible humour make him one half of Hindi cinema’s most beloved buddy duo alongside Amitabh Bachchan as Jai. Certain visual motifs also appear to have travelled intact. In Khosla’s film, Ajit finds himself bound in ropes in the bandit’s den during a dramatic musical sequence. A similar image appears in  Sholay , where Veeru is tied up before Gabbar Singh while Basanti performs the now famous song ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan.’ Other echoes are subtler but just as suggestive. Ajit’s pursuit of the village belle Anju, played by Asha Parekh, anticipates Veeru’s boisterous attempts to woo Basanti, portrayed by Hema Malini. Scenes in which Ajit teaches Anju to shoot recall the flirtatious gun-training sequence between Veeru and Basanti that became one of  Sholay ’s most cherished moments. Even the famous coin motif has a precedent. Ajit frequently tosses a coin to make decisions - a flourish that would later appear in  Sholay , where Jai’s coin toss becomes a running gag. Perhaps most intriguingly, the endings of the two films converge in their original form. In  Mera Gaon Mera Desh , the villain is ultimately killed by the hero. The uncut version of  Sholay  reportedly ended in a similar fashion, with Gabbar Singh meeting his death at the hands of Thakur Baldev Singh. However, censors altered the climax before the film’s 1975 release, requiring that Gabbar be handed over to the police instead. All this does not diminish  Sholay . Rather, it highlights the alchemy through which cinema evolves. The scriptwriting duo Salim–Javed took familiar ingredients and expanded them into a grander narrative populated by unforgettable characters and stylised action. On the 55 th  anniversary of  Mera Gaon Mera Desh , Raj Khosla’s rugged western deserves a renewed glance as the sturdy foundation on which a legend called  Sholay  was built. (The author is a political commentator and a global affairs observer. Views personal.)

Yogi Adityanath accuses Waqf Board of land encroachment, calls it 'land mafia'

  • PTI
  • Apr 3, 2025
  • 3 min read


Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the Waqf Board, accusing it of land encroachments and asserting that its "arbitrary claims" over public and historical sites would no longer be tolerated.


Addressing a gathering in Prayagraj, Yogi Adityanath said, "The Waqf Board had been making baseless claims over lands across cities. Even during the preparations for the Kumbh Mela, they declared that the event's land belonged to them. We had to ask -has the Waqf Board turned into a land mafia?" He emphasised that under his government, such encroachments had been removed, and mafias had been driven out of Uttar Pradesh.


"Encroachments were made in the name of Waqf at various places, including the sacred land associated with Nishad Raj. But this will not be allowed to continue. A grand and divine Kumbh Mela was organised despite their objections," he said.


The chief minister also lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for taking legislative action against the alleged irregularities of the Waqf Board.


"We are grateful to the prime minister and the home minister for ensuring that the Waqf Board's arbitrary practices are curbed. A crucial act addressing this issue has already been passed in the Lok Sabha and will now be cleared in the Rajya Sabha," he stated.


The Waqf (Amendment) Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday and introduced in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.


Yogi Adityanath stressed that the state would no longer tolerate illegal claims and national interest must come first. "Those who are loyal to the nation will always find their path ahead," he said.


Yogi Adityanath on Thursday here inaugurated an exhibition based on stories related to Lord Ram and King Nishadraj, along with the 'One District, One Product' (ODOP) initiative, on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Lord Ram's close companion Nishadraj Guha. He was accompanied by Cabinet ministers Nand Gopal Gupta and Sanjay Nishad, among others.


As part of the celebrations, the chief minister also inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for 181 development projects worth Rs 579 crore in Prayagraj.


In preparation for 'Maha Kumbh 2025 Prayagraj,' trained guides, boatmen, and homestay operators who made significant contributions were felicitated with appreciation certificates.


Additionally, under the Mukhyamantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, a financial assistance of Rs 20 crore was provided to 1,400 fish farmers.


He highlighted the historic bond between Lord Ram and Nishadraj, drawing a parallel with the current political alliance between the BJP and the Nishad Party. "The remarkable friendship between Lord Ram and Nishadraj is once again visible today in the form of the BJP and Nishad Party's alliance," he said.


The chief minister reiterated his government's commitment to restoring Prayagraj's historical significance. "Prayagraj is no longer just Allahabad. It is the confluence of great traditions. Those who tried to hide its identity did so for their vote-bank politics," he remarked.


Yogi Adityanath also spoke about the significance of preserving one's heritage. "Everyone lives for themselves, but those who uphold their ancestors' traditions and legacy are the ones who remain immortal," he said.


Reflecting on the recent Maha Kumbh, Yogi Adityanath asserted that the event had set an example for the world.


"No other faith can organise an event of such magnitude - only Ram devotees can. This requires unwavering dedication to the nation, and those without it cannot manage such a grand event," he said, adding that over 66 crore devotees visited Prayagraj and left with a sense of spiritual fulfilment.


Hitting out at the previous governments, Yogi Adityanath said that the recognition and respect Prayagraj has gained today was under threat earlier. "There is nothing greater than earning respect and identity. The previous governments were trying to erase this identity, handing over Uttar Pradesh to mafias and nurturing criminals in every district. However, our double-engine government is restoring our ancestors' legacy in a grand way," he said.


The chief minister also mentioned the success of the state's fisheries scheme, under which loans worth crores of rupees have been distributed.


"Earlier, no one knew where this money went. Now, the benefits are directly reaching the people," he said.


Yogi Adityanath credited the Maha Kumbh for giving Prayagraj international prominence. "Earlier, people knew Prayagraj as a city next to Varanasi.

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