India, Aug. 14 -- At a time when five-year anniversaries of films are celebrated by stars on social media, the 50th anniversary of one of India's best-loved films is indeed a momentous occasion. Sholay, released on August 15, 1975 in the thick of the Emergency, was a slow starter at the box office. It would be a full two-weeks before the swashbuckling tale of Jai-Veeru and Gabbar and Thakur gripped the nation's imagination, making it the biggest film after Mughal-e-Azam.

As with all classics, an inexplicable alchemy turned this desi spaghetti western into cinematic gold. The set pieces, the ringing dialogues, the cameos, Dharmendra's comedic timing and the tragic crescendo worked seamlessly. But for a film made of broad brushstrokes, the...