What Sachit Thinks

AK Hangal is an actor I admire, no, I worship. In Sholay , his role was that of a blind man, and to practice, he employed a method he called "psycho-technique". He felt what it was to be blind by traversing eons back to the very beginning of life, when blind amoeba swam in dark waters. That helped him get that 'gaze'. Imam sahab , the character he portrayed, was the conscience of the film and had some memorable dialogues. One of them is the subject of this post. This time, I'm trying something different. A well-wisher, whom I admire a lot, gave me valuable tips on writing. I hope I have been able to incorporate some of them. Muhavra: Kabr Mein Paanv Latke Hona (कब्र में पांव लटके होना) At 1h 57m, Gulzarilal (the postman) is reading a letter from Mukaitullah (the Imam's brother-in-law) that Ahmed's job has been confirmed and to send him to Jabalpur. Ahmed (Imam's only son) walks in (after having shampooed his hair that day) and impl...

Ek Galti Ki Thakur Sahab, Humein Tijori Kholkar Dikhadi (एक गलती की ठाकुर साहब, हुमें तिजोरी खोलकर दिखादी) I'll be upfront with you. There are a few, in fact very few, scenes where Jai and Veeru don't do justice to either their brains or their brawns. I'm ashamed to bring you one such scene from Sholay. Being a massive Sholay fan myself, my hands tremble as I write this, but the reportage is important, even if only to show that the makers of Sholay were human. Analysis of the Phrase This particular phrase is often used in corporate situations, mostly when one party unknowingly reveals vital information, giving the other party leverage. For example, in a competitive RFP situation, if you accidentally see that the client placed you as No. 1, you might say: ' Ek galti ki Thakur sahab... ' Act 1: Enter, the Tijori Jai and Veeru arrive at Thakur's haveli in Ramgarh. Ramlal opens the tijori and hands Jai ₹5,000. While open, Jai and Veeru peek a...

I must confess that bringing this series of Sholay nuggets to you has been an immensely joyful experience. The many hours and days of research, thinking, and writing have provided me an escape from the otherwise dull period of the wretched lockdown. And I hope you are enjoying reading it too! In this episode, I'm digging out a proverb that is neatly ensconsed in the famous ' Kitne Aadmi The ' scene. Muhavra: Kisika Namak Khana (किसिका नमक खाना) Did you realise that Gabbar Singh (the Late Amjad Khan) is introduced well after the first hour of the film? Surprising, considering the import and gravity of the character, but Salim-Javed were true masters at the art of storytelling. Anyway, when Gabbar is diabolically playing Russian Roulette with three hapless dacoits, at 1h 10m, Kaalia (the Late Viju Khote) stammers: S-S-S-Sardar, Maine Aapka Namak Khaya ...

And ladies and gentlemen, I soldier on in my quest to write about my observations and thoughts on the 1975 cult classic Sholay . If you've landed on this page directly, do check out the eight nuggets that I've unearthed so far: One - Oont Pahad Ke Neeche Two - Kala Akshar Bhains Barabar Three - Loha Garam Hai, Maardo Hathoda Four - Joon Nahin Rengti Kaan Par Five - Zamindar Ki Bekaari Six - Ghoda Ghas Se Dosti Karle To Khayega Kya? Seven - Loha Lohe Ko Katata Hai Eight - Aam Ke Aam Guthliyon Ke Daam And so here I am, on the ninth nugget, talking about a phrase used in the film that has some fascinating perspectives: Phrase: Khota Sikka To Dono Hi Taraf Se Khota Hota Hai (खोटा सिक्का तो दोनो ही तरफ से खोटा होता है) During Jai’s death scene, Veeru exclaims: "Jai, tune meri jaan bachane ke liye, itna bada dhoka diya hai?" He realizes that Jai had been fooling him all along by flipping a coin with...

Nuggets of Sholay — Aam ke Aam Guthliyon ke Daam A proverb, a mango orchard, and a lesson from Sholay This happens to be one of my favourite proverbs used in the film Sholay . Why, you might ask? Well — a) I love mangoes, and b) I actually own a mango orchard. 🥭 And there’s an interesting story connected to this muhavra . Read on. Muhavra: Aam ke Aam Guthliyon ke Daam (आम के आम गुठलियों के दाम) In the scene, Imam Saab is climbing down the steps of the mosque when Basanti catches up with him. Imam Saab requests her to convince Ahmed to take up a bidi-making job in Jabalpur. At that moment, Basanti says (at 0h57m ): "Yun to humein bephijool baat karne ki aadat to hai nahin, lekin sochlo yeh, karkhana bidi ka hai, jab tak dil chaha kaam kiya, nahin to aaram se bidi pee li. yaani ke yeh to wahi misaal hui, ke aam ke aam guthliyon ke daam." Loosely translated, she says you can work when you like — or just re...

Nuggets of Sholay — Seven: Loha Lohe Ko Katata Hai | Sholay Proverbs Explained Nuggets of Sholay — Seven: Loha Lohe Ko Katata Hai In case you’ve not been following, I’ve been writing about nuggets hidden in the movie Sholay , that are being presented a bit hatke (differently). And in this episode, I’m choosing a proverb that always has me puzzled. Muhavra: Loha Lohe Ko Katata Hai (लोहा लोहे को काटता है) During the 40th minute, Thakur Sahab and his minion Ramlal meet Jai and Veeru at the halfway house. Thakur is giving a supari (contract) to them for catching Gabbar Singh — the first time his name is mentioned in the movie. Jai, ever the sharp one, asks why Thakur chose them even though they’re rogues themselves. Thakur replies triumphantly: “ Isliye, ke loha lohe ko katata hai. ” The English equivalent is “diamond cuts diamond.” It means it takes something of equal strength to defeat another. On a humorous note, Gangs of Wasseypur extended the line with Piy...

Nuggets of Sholay — Six: Ghoda Ghas Se Dosti Karega Toh Khayega Kya? Nuggets of Sholay — Six: Ghoda Ghas Se Dosti Karega Toh Khayega Kya? Back to muhavras. And this time — the sixth in this series — I’ve picked one that’s profoundly philosophical. It’s not just witty, but quietly teaches us the meaning of life. I’ve also reimagined its origin with a creative twist — hope no one minds! The Muhavra Ghoda Ghas Se Dosti Karle Toh Khayega Kya? (घोड़ा घास से दोस्ती करले तो खाएगा क्या?) This line appears when Basanti drops Jai and Veeru at Thakur Sahab’s house in Ramgarh. Around the 46-minute mark, Veeru offers her ₹2 — the fare agreed upon at the start. But Basanti refuses, saying that while she doesn’t feel like taking money from good men, “if the horse befriends grass, how will it eat?” On the surface, it’s a reminder that service deserves compensation. But beneath that, it hints at something far deeper — a reflection that echoes through the Bhagavad Gita . ...

Nuggets of Sholay — Five: Zamindar Ki Beqaari Nuggets of Sholay — Five: Zamindar Ki Beqaari (ज़मींदार की बेक़ारी) Breaking tradition, this nugget isn’t a muhavra but a rare phrase from Sholay that showcases Basanti’s wit and linguistic flair. If you’ve landed here directly, you can explore the earlier entries: One — Oont Pahad Ke Neeche | Two — Kala Akshar Bhains Barabar | Three — Loha Garam Hai, Maar Do Hathoda | Four — Joon Nahin Rengti Kaan Par Phrase: Zamindar ki Beqaari (ज़मींदार की बेक़ारी) Around the 42-minute mark, Jai and Veeru arrive at the station (which one? — trivia for later). Outside waits Basanti with her tanga , launching into her signature nonstop spiel. Instead of simply asking where they want to go, she delivers a mini-lecture: " ...ab koi zabardasti ka sauda to hai nahin. baithe baithe, nahin baithe nahin baithe. arre yeh to Basanti ka tanga hai — k...

Nuggets of Sholay — Four: Joon Nahin This fourth nugget brings us a muhavra that most people don’t even realize features in Sholay . Muhavra: Kaan Par Joon Na Rengna (कान पर जूँ न रेंगना) At the end of the 54th minute, Basanti is feeding Dhanno when Mausi calls out, “ Ari o chhokariya, din bhar hawa-hawai ghoomti ho. Magar main koi kaam boloon, to joon nahin rengti kaan par. ” Mausi scolds Basanti — “ Joon nahin rengti kaan par .” I’ve looked everywhere for the origin of this proverb — nothing. So here’s my theory! The expression essentially means that telling someone something makes no difference — the English equivalent being “falling on deaf ears.” Literally translated, it means “Lice don’t crawl near the ears.” Odd, right? Lice feed on human blood and usually stay near the scalp, especially behind the ears. (Yes, you read that right.) Lice usually gather behind the ears. So imagine — the lice are comforta...