no sholay without gabbar.

Gabbar Singh is firmly entrenched in Indian cinema history as being a very popular villain. This is mainly due to Amjad’s tour-de-force performance but also partly due to the way Ramesh Sippy introduces his character into the film. He allows suspense to build-up through several characters’ hushed mentions of the notorious bandit. Gabbar does not make his screen appearance until after one song and a lot of scenes have gone past. Even then his face is not shown immediately at first. The sound of shoes clashing onto the rock signifies Gabbar’s entrance. The camera shows his henchmen’s terrified faces from the angle of Gabbar’s shoes. This is a comment on the power that he wields over his yes-men. He is above them and can control whomever he wants. He believes that he is as powerful as God. He has a very maniacal laugh that would not sound out of place in a mental asylum. The role was originally signed to Danny Denzongpa but fate meant that it landed in Amjad’s lap. And how he lapped it up! His dedication to his role (blacking his teeth, vigorous rehearsing, menacing eyes) is mainly the reason why his character is remembered so much today.