New Delhi: Recalling ‘Sholay’ in the time of struggle, the Mahavanitra of Iran in Mumbai on Tuesday waited for his 50th anniversary to post an Iranian newspaper coverage on the prestigious Bollywood film of an Irani newspaper on Tuesday.Posting the Iranian Embassy, posting “Sholay 50 and Iran still remember.” While this indifferent tribute exposed the film’s timeless appeal and cross-cultural resonance boundaries, the gesture was also pleasant at a time when the country is recovering from war.‘Sholay’ was released on August 15, 1975, when India was in the Emergency.The Consulate General’s post recalled how an Iranian newspaper paid a full-fledged tribute to ‘Sholay’, given that the unforgettable story of the film’s friendship has become the cornerstone of cinematic memory in Iran. Interestingly, the iconic villain Gabbar Singh is known as Jabbar Singh in Iran. The post also mentioned the Iranian actor Naveed Mamza, who took inspiration from Gabbar Singh’s look and manging.This gesture is important given the historical and cultural relations between India and Iran. The two countries enjoyed a long -standing relationship in their common border until the partition of India in 1947. Indian cinema is a common thread between the two countries, with films like ‘Sri 420’ and ‘Sangam’ gaining immense popularity in Iran. Raj Kapoor’s visit to Iran for the premiere of Sri 420 took place with a grand reception, in which fans bathed him with affection.A newspaper on the Hinduja group’s website – who played a role in the distribution of the film in Tehran – quoted SP Hinduja, saying that it was the largest of the Hinduja brothers and sisters located in Iran in the 1950s, which came up with the idea of promoting Indian films in Iran. “As he (Kapoor) stepped on stage on arrival in Tehran, the crowd – primarily women – started screaming. The noise was incredible and then there was a bounce because many women smooth her with kisses,” it says.
