Sholay, one of Hindi cinema's most celebrated films, is set to achieve an iconic milestone by completing 50 historic years on August 15, 2025. The legendary action drama directed by Ramesh Sippy featured Amitabh Bachchan (Jai), Dharmendra (Veeru), Sanjeev Kumar (Thakur), Hema Malini (Basanti), Jaya Bachchan (Radha) and Amjad Khan (Gabbar Singh) in lead roles. The movie is co-written by the legendary screenwriter duo Javed Akhtar and Salim Khan. Amid the buzz surrounding Sholay's golden jubilee, Iran, India's longtime ally known for its realistic cinematic works, paid homage to the iconic Ramesh Sippy directorial by sharing a cutout from an Iranian newspaper marking the film’s 50th release anniversary. ‘Sholay’ to Premiere Restored Version: Amitabh Bachchan–Dharmendra’s Hit Movie To Receive 50th Anniversary Tribute at Italian Film Festival.

Iran Pays Tribute to ‘Sholay’ Ahead of Its 50th Release Anniversary

Taking to its official X (formerly Twitter) handle on July 16, the Consulate General of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Mumbai shared a post paying tribute to Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra's legendary film Sholay, ahead of its 50th release anniversary. Sharing a full-page newspaper cutout on Sholay, the Consulate General of I.R. Iran wrote, "On #Sholay’s 50th anniversary, #IranNewspaper dedicated a full-page tribute to the iconic film. With its unforgettable story of friendship, Sholay became a cornerstone of cinematic memory in #Iran; so much so that many Iranians still associate #Bollywood with this epic."

Iranian Newspaper Pays Tribute to Legendary Indian Film ‘Sholay’

The official X handle of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in India shared the post honouring Sholay and wrote, "#Sholay Turns 50 And #Iran Still Remembers."

Embassy of Iran in India Honours ‘Sholay’

Indian Netizens Express Joy Over Iran’s Surprising Tribute to ‘Sholay’

From iconic dialogues like “Kitne Aadmi The?” and “Basanti, in kutto ke saamne mat naachna” to timeless songs such as “Yeh Dosti”, “Mehbooba Mehbooba” and “Haan Jab Tak Hai Jaa,,” Sholay is packed with unforgettable moments full of action and emotion. So, it’s no surprise that the film continues to leave a strong impression, not just on Indian audiences, but on viewers around the world. Indian fans of Sholay were overjoyed to find that people in Iran know and recognise this classic.

Taking to the comments, a user wrote, "I never thought Hindi films are so popular in Iran. Thank you Bro for the information." A  Shah Rukh Khan fan  commented, "Woww, didn’t know Sholay is this famous in Iran. Any Shah Rukh Khan film in the list??" Check out more reaction below.

Indian Netizens Express Joy Over Iran’s Tribute to’Sholay’

Many Users Requested English Translations of the Newspaper Article on ‘Sholay’

‘Sholay’ – A Rarity and True Gem!

‘Mothshekharam Iran’

The Aura!

 

About ‘Sholay’

Ramesh Sippy' 1975 film Sholay tells the story of two ex convicts Jai (Amitabha Bachchan) and Veeru (Dharmendra), who are hired by a retired police officer Thakur Baldev Singh (Sanjeev Kumar) to capture the notorious bandit Gabbar Singh played by Amjad Khan. The movie is available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 18, 2025 09:52 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).