40 years of Sholay: Hema Malini still called Basanti

Sholay redefined Bollywood, and its actors received more than just love and accolades. Each of the characters became famous, whether it was Jagdeep's Soorma Bhopali or Asrani's Angrezo ke zamane ke jailor, they all gained cult status. On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the film's release, Hema Malini, who played Basanti reminiscenced about the classic.

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She posted a tweet saying:

40 yrs of Sholay & still going strong.So proud I was part of such an iconic movie! Ppl still call me Basanti & transport me to that era again! Hema Malini (@dreamgirlhema) August 14, 2015

Actor-turned-politician, Hema played the role of Basanti, the female lead paired with Dharmendra. Basanti, was the chirpy talkative village girl who earns her living by ferrying passengers on a horse cart, driven by Dhanno. Her cheeky role has since been emulated by many artists. Her escape sequence from the dacoits with the dialogue 'Chal Dhanno, Aaj teri Basanti ki izzat ka sawal hai' is one of the most famous scenes in the history of Bollywood.

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The film had released on Independence Day, 1975, and even though it did not start well, word of mouth catapulted it to being an all time blockbuster. Sholay was the debut film of Amjad Khan who played Gabbar and also saw Sanjeev Kumar, Jaya Bachchan and Amitabh Bachchan in pivotal roles.