The Hidden Ending Finally Surfaces: Not Jai or Veeru, Guess Who Was Meant to Finish Gabbar?
After 50 years, Sholay’s long-buried original climax has been restored for its anniversary re-release. The unseen ending reveals that Thakur, not the iconic duo Jai and Veeru, was meant to kill Gabbar Singh.
Sholay has been discussed, dissected, and celebrated for decades, yet somehow it still finds ways to surprise us. With its new 4K restoration, Sholay – The Final Cut, the film returns to theatres not just as a nostalgia trip, but with a revelation that changes how you remember the story. The re-release finally restores the ending Ramesh Sippy shot in 1975, the one audiences never got to see.
What Was Actually Supposed to Happen
We all grew up with the version where Jai and Veeru corner Gabbar, the police arrive, and justice takes its procedural course. But the original script had a far more personal ending. Thakur Baldev Singh, carrying the weight of his family’s murder and his own brutal maiming, was supposed to deliver the final blow himself.
In the unseen climax, Thakur confronts Gabbar alone and uses spiked footwear designed especially for the scene to kill him. It wasn’t meant to be stylish or heroic but it was raw, messy, and emotional. In many ways, it closed the loop on Thakur’s long-simmering grief far more directly than the version we all know.
Why It Was Cut for Theatrical Release
The timing was unfortunate. India was under the Emergency, and censorship was at its strictest. The idea of an ex-police officer killing a villain in cold blood didn’t sit well with the authorities. The board insisted on softening the ending, worried the original would appear to endorse vigilante justice.
Ramesh Sippy had no choice but to reshoot the climax. The result was the subdued, morally tidy ending that ultimately made it to theatres, powerful in its own way, but far less intense than what the makers intended.
Why the Restored Ending Matters Today
For fans, this isn’t just a trivia nugget. It’s a chance to see a version of Sholay that reflects the filmmaker’s original vision and gives Thakur the emotional resolution he was written for. After half a century of retellings and mythology, the missing piece has finally slipped into place.
Whether you’ve watched Sholay dozens of times or you’re discovering this twist for the first time, The Final Cut invites you to experience the film with fresh eyes and maybe rethink everything you thought you knew about its iconic finale.
