Mumbai:
Superstar Amitabh Bachchan says the bond he shares with
Sholay co-star Dharmendra is similar to one shared by their Sholay characters Jai and Veeru.
When asked about his friendship with Dharmendra in real life, Mr Bachchan said, "What you saw in the film is the kind of bond Dharam ji and I share even today. We meet today not just as co-actors but as Jai-Veeru."
The bond of Mr Bachchan as Jai and Dharmendra as Veeru was one of the highlights of Sholay. The song picturised on them, Ye Dosti Hum Nahin Todenge is one of the most popular songs on friendship in the history of Indian cinema.
About the benchmark the Jai-Veeru friendship set, Mr Bachchan said, "Once people love a particular thing, it becomes an example. The first thing gets stuck in the minds of people and they feel that this example should be followed."
Big B also revealed that Dharmendra also played a role in fetching him the role of Jai in the film.
"When I was unsure if I'll get cast in the film, I even visited Dharam ji's home and told him that I deeply wish to work in this film and if you could recommend me that would be great," the actor said.
In a reference to the coin tossed by the two characters in the film, Mr Bachchan defined friendship as "Friendship is that kind of a coin where both sides have the same image. And friendship for me is the kind where I'll always wish that my friend lives on forever."
Mr Bachchan also shared anecdotes about the film, including mulling over numerous changes to ensure its success.
Sholay, a revenge drama, is considered as one of the best examples of a Bollywood potboiler. Written by the renowned writers Salim-Javed, the movie was directed by Ramesh Sippy and also starred Amjad Khan, Hema Malini and Sanjeev Kumar in key roles.