Sholay: From Dharmendra To Big B, Who Was Paid What For The Cult Classic

Sholay, directed by Ramesh Sippy and featuring an ensemble cast including Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Sanjeev Kumar, Amjad Khan, Jaya Bachchan and Hema Malini, was released on August 15, 1975. It failed initially and picked up as the weeks went by.

Interestingly, Amitabh Bachchan was not the highest-paid actor on set; it was Dharmendra. Jaya Bachchan was the lowest paid. 

What's Happening

• A recent report shared by India.com revealed the paychecks received by the cast members of the multi-starrer Sholay.
• Dharmendra had received Rs 1,50,000 for his role as Veeru, while Amitabh Bachchan took home Rs 1,00,000 for his portrayal of Jai.
• Sanjeev Kumar, as the righteous jailer Thakur Baldev Singh, was paid Rs 1,25,000.
• Amjad Khan, as the notorious bandit Gabbar Khan, got Rs. 50,000.
• Hema Malini was paid Rs 75,000 for her role as Basanti, while Jaya Bachchan was the lowest paid with an amount of Rs 35,000.

About Sholay

2025 is a milestone year for Ramesh Sippy's Sholay. The film clocks 50 years, and is one of those films that has continued to garner love over the years.

Be it dialogues, the friendship between Amitabh Bachchan's Jai and Dharmendra's Veeru, Sanjeev Kumar's vengeful turn as Thakur or Amjad Khan's portrayal of the dreaded dacoit Gabbar Singh that went on to redefine the Hindi film villain, Sholay has stayed at the top of the pop culture charts - for five decades and counting.

Crafted by Salim-Javed, the plot revolves around two notorious criminals, Jai and Veeru (Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra), who are hired by a former jailer, Thakur Baldev Singh (Sanjeev Kumar), as he seeks vengeance to bring down the vile bandit Gabbar Singh (Amjad Khan).

The film's cast also includes Sachin Pilgaonkar as Ahmed, Asrani as Jailer, AK Hangal as Imam Saheb, Mac Mohan as Sambha, Jagdeep as Surma Bhopali and Viju Khote as Kalia, among others.

In A Nutshell

Here's a look at what the star cast of Ramesh Sippy's Sholay took back home in 1975 as their paychecks. From Dharmendra being the highest paid actor to Jaya Bachchan being the lowest paid.

Also Read | Exclusive: A Sholay Climax Change That Irked Hema Malini 50 Years Before Raanjhanaa AI Edit Row

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Watch: Newborn Calf Walks Alongside Mother Elephant, Hours After Birth

A stunning video of a mother elephant crossing a road with her newborn calf has gone viral, catching the internet's attention. The nearly 20-second clip, shared by Indian Forest Service officer Parveen Kaswan, showcases the mama elephant carefully guiding the baby elephant, who is still learning to walk, having been born just a few hours earlier.

On average, the newborn elephant calves stand about one metre in height and weigh roughly 120 kilograms. The calf is helped to its feet by the mother and other maternal figures in the herd. Calves are able to stand on their own within minutes of birth. After a couple of hours and a few minor but adorable setbacks, the calf is able to walk.

"An unsteady walk, as the calf just came into world. Elephant calves start walking within one to two hours of birth. In wild, they have to be mobile, necessary for survival," Mr Kaswan captioned the video.

Watch the viral video here:

An unsteady walk, as the calf just came into world. Elephant calves start walking within 1-2 hour of birth. In wild they have to be mobile, necessary for survival pic.twitter.com/dEQO0dPtP1

— Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) August 7, 2025

'Miracle of nature'

The video triggered a flood of online reactions, with users expressing a range of emotions from awe and admiration for the baby's elephant's determination to cross the road and stay alongside the mother. 

"What a heartwarming moment! The little one's first steps show nature's perfect timing," said one user while another added: "Miracle of nature!"

A third commented: "Favourite animal of all time. Absolute sweethearts and best seen in the wild. No to zoos always. Hope we can shut all Indian zoos and give these guys a chance at a proper life in the wild amongst mates."

A fourth said: "Always stay with Mummy. She'll protect you, little baby elephant."

Video: Delhi Restaurant Denies Entry To Couple For Indian Attire, Chief Minister Takes Note

Last month, another video showed a baby elephant attempting to hoist itself onto a chair and sit like a human. As the video went viral, the baby jumbo's cuteness in trying and failing to climb up the chair mesmerised the internet.

Similarly, another viral post on Instagram showed a tusker enjoying a bath with his caretaker when he spotted an unexpected little visitor - a tiny frog. Despite being relatively large in size, the baby elephant displayed tremendous composure and gently attempted to avoid the croaking frog.

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Restaurant Owner Threatens Marathis, Apologises After MNS Workers Show Up

A restaurant owner in Thane was threatened by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers over allegations that he used abusive language against the Marathi language.

A video of the incident that happened in Thane's Kalyan town has gone viral on social media.

In the video, the owner of the restaurant which serves south Indian dishes was seen surrounded by MNS workers who told him to speak in Marathi, and asked why he used abusive language on Marathi-speakers.

One of the MNS workers also grabbed the restaurant owner's collar.

Later, the hotel owner and two of the MNS workers including the one who grabbed his collar appeared in another video in which they made peace.

"I would like to tell Raj Thackeray and MNS that I have apologised," the hotel owner said, flanked by the two MNS workers.

One of the MNS workers then said they have no problem with anyone coming to make a living in Maharashtra.

"We have no opposition to any non-Marathi speaker. Even Raj Thackeray says whoever lives here, speaks Marathi and respects Marathi identity, we always treat them with respect," the MNS worker said.

"But this person lives here, does business here, and while speaking to someone, a video/audio clip has come to us in which he says, 'We will beat the Marathi man until he is red with blood.' For such wrong statements, he has already been made to understand," the MNS worker said.

"From now on, if such people speak wrongly about the Marathi language or about Marathi people, then we will show them their place," he added.

Despite the tension over the language row, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had said there is no dispute between Marathi and Hindi-speaking communities and warned against those trying to stoke tensions.

Last month, the civic education department warned of action against schools in Thane if they violated norms and taught Hindi as a third language to primary students.

Thane City Education Officer Kamalakant Mhetre said Marathi teaching norm applies to schools affiliated with the Maharashtra board and not to CBSE-run schools.

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BJP MPs Nishikant Dubey, Manoj Tiwari Charged For "Forcibly Entering" Temple

The Jharkhand Police on Friday said it has registered an FIR against BJP MPs Nishikant Dubey, Manoj Tiwari and others for "forcibly" entering the sanctum sanctorum of the Baba Baidyanath Temple in Deoghar on August 2 and hurting religious sentiments.

The FIR was lodged under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita as per a complaint by temple priest Kartik Nath Thakur for "forcibly entering the inner shrine on August 2 between 8.45 pm and 9 pm" despite a restriction on VIP or VVIP entry during the holy month of 'Shravan' in view of a large number of devotees.

"An FIR has been lodged at Baba Baidyanath Mandir Police Station against Nishikant Dubey, Manoj Tiwari, Kanshikanat Dubey, Sheshadri Dubey and others for entering the inner shrine of the temple, hurting religious tradition and sentiments and causing obstacles in government work by entering into a scuffle with police persons deployed for security reasons," an officer told PTI.

The "forcible entry" by the MPs and "scuffle" with policemen resulted in causing fear and panic among thousands of devotees present and a stampede-like situation, as per the complaint.

Thakur said he had lodged the FIR on August 7.

In the FIR, he also alleged that both the MPs entered the inner chamber during the 'kancha jal puja' ritual, resulting in disruptions during the prayer.

पूजा करने के कारण यह केस है,अभी तक 51 केस मेरे उपर दर्ज है । कल देवघर एयरपोर्ट से सीधे पुलिस स्टेशन जाकर गिरफ़्तारी दूँगा https://t.co/75wzLi8jFY

— Dr Nishikant Dubey (@nishikant_dubey) August 8, 2025

While both the MPs did not respond to phone calls, Nishikant Dubey in a post on X said: "This case has been registered for worshipping... So far 51 cases have been registered against me. Tomorrow, I will go straight to the police station from Deoghar airport for my arrest." During the month of 'Shravan', thousands of devotees known as 'Kanwariyas' embark on a 105-km pilgrimage from Sultanganj in Bihar to Deoghar, Jharkhand, to offer holy Ganga water at the Baba Baidyanath Dham Temple, one of the 12 'Jyotirlingas'.

About 55 lakh 'Kanwariyas' have offered holy water at the temple during the ongoing month-long 'Shravan Mela' so far.

Additionally, about two lakh devotees offered obeisance through 'Shighra Darshanam' (fast track) facility.

The shrine registered an income of around Rs 7.5 crore between July 11 and August 5, which includes revenue from other temple sources.

This is not the first time the MPs have courted controversy.

On August 31, 2022, an FIR was registered against nine people, including both the BJP MPs, for allegedly forcing Air Traffic Control (ATC) officials to provide clearance for their chartered flight to take off from Deoghar airport beyond the scheduled time.

As per the complaint, all the nine persons violated safety standards by entering the ATC room at the Deogarh airport and "forcibly taking clearance" for the take-off. The FIR had resulted in a spat on social media between Dubey and then Deoghar Deputy Commissioner Manjunath Bhajantri, who has earlier, too, locked horns with him on many occasions.

The Supreme Court in January had confirmed the quashing of the case of criminal trespass registered against the MPs and others for entering the ATC room at Deoghar airport. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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"He Did Cross The Line": Ex India Star's Big Verdict On Gill's Captaincy

India captain Shubman Gill has been on the receiving end of some massive praise from fans and experts, following his breathtaking tour with the bat in England. Gill raised his stocks in the five-match rubber against England, smashing 754 runs to emerge as the leading runscorer in his debut series as captain. Speaking on Cricbuzz, former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik showered heaps of praise on Gill, saying that the young batter silenced all of his doubters. Karthik also noted the changes made by Gill in his batting technique, as well as the way he dealt with the media pressure during the lengthy tour.

"He's been aggressive at times; sometimes he did cross the line. I think he'll change that about himself to an extent. I hope he doesn't change it too much. But most importantly, the way he handled the English media [he did it very well]. Walking into this series, people were asking - Shubman Gill, away from India, his record can be better. And he said, 'I want to be the best batter across both teams'. It's one thing to have confidence, but you've got to back that up with skill. He came prepared. There was a vulnerability in his batting [against] the ball coming back in. He found a way to work on his technique and counter it," said Karthik.

Karthik suggested that Gill should get a lot of credit for the way he batted in the second Test, saying that his 430-run aggregate in the contest at Edgbaston was the most defining moment of the series.

"What was the defining part of what he achieved was the hunger and determination. That 269 and the hundred he got at Edgbaston, the amount of time he batted was astounding," he added.

Gill's next assignment as captain will see India take on West Indies for two Tests, starting October 2. Before that, he will be leading North Zone in the upcoming Duleep Trophy.

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NDTV Ground Report: No Land, Papers, Dharali Villagers Stare At Bleak Reality

Still reeling from the trauma of losing her home in Tuesday's flash floods, Sushila silently cooks for 150 others at a relief camp at Someshwar temple in Uttarakhand's Dharali village. "We have no house, no land, no clothes. We are speechless," she said, while urging the government to provide them with housing.

At the temple's relief camp, all those staying have lost all they had when a cloudburst led to a flash flood, sweeping through Dharali, burying homes, vehicles and even a legendary temple under metres of debris. Four died, while many are missing. Multiple authorities as well as the Indian Army are working together to conduct search and rescue operations.

Balvinder Singh Pawar's escape from the cascading sheet of debris was caught in viral videos, where he was in a visibly injured condition but fighting the flood's strong current to crawl out of rubble. "I saw death and I didn't think I would come alive. The only two scenarios in front of me were getting trapped under one of the collapsing houses or getting swept by the debris rolling towards me at great speed," he told NDTV.

Mr Pawar does not know what happened to the two people he saw stuck in the current as he struggled towards safety. he escaped with bruises and injuries, a prominent one on his eye. He remembered the Kalp Kedar temple, a Shiva temple where he prayed every day, which was now part of the debris. "I don't think the village will be the same again. We are out of the energy and courage. We have nothing left. People who have lost their young children haven't even been able to deal with the trauma yet," he said.

On a personal mission is Sushil, a boy who came from Nepal, to look for his father and six other family members who were in Dharali at the time of the disaster. "He called me and said 'save me, son. I am drowning in debris'. The phone disconnected after that and I was unable to connect with him," he recalled.

Under the thousands of tons of debris are also the many hotels in the village. NDTV's visit to the flash flood-affected area found that only marsh, mud and boulders remained where buildings once stood.

As the search and rescue operations continue with full momentum, forces have deployed sniffer dogs and drones to aid their efforts. Over 500 people have been rescued so far. According to residents of nearby villages, like Mukhba, who witnessed the disaster, the number of missing is likely to be higher as locals and labourers from Bihar and Nepal were working at under-construction hotels and there were guests in about two dozen big hotels in Dharali when the disaster struck.

Dharali is the main stopover on the way to Gangotri, from where the Ganga originates, abounding in hotels, homestays, restaurants and guest houses.

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"Unbelievable": Body Of Pak Man Missing For 28 Years Found In Glacier

The body of a man who went missing 28 years ago has been discovered remarkably well-preserved within a glacier in remote Pakistan. According to the BBC, Naseeruddin had been on a trip with his family to escape a violent feud when he disappeared. On July 31, locals in the Kohistan region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province spotted the preserved body near the edge of the shrinking Lady Meadows glacier. An identity card found with the body confirmed his identity as Naseeruddin.

"What I saw was unbelievable. The body was intact. The clothes were not even torn," Omar Khan, a local shepherd who found the remains, told BBC Urdu.

After police confirmed the identity, locals came forward with more information about Naseeruddin's disappearance. According to police, Naseeruddin fell into a glacier crevice during a snowstorm in June 1997 and went missing.

Naseeruddin, a husband and father of two, was travelling on horseback with his brother Kathiruddin in 1997 when he fell into a crevasse. The brothers had fled to the mountains to escape a village dispute, and Kathiruddin survived the ordeal.

"Our family left no stone unturned to trace him over the years. Our uncles and cousins visited the glacier several times to see if his body could be retrieved, but they eventually gave up as it wasn't possible," Malik Ubaid, his nephew, told AFP over the phone.

The family expressed gratitude upon the discovery, with Mr Ubaid stating they finally found some relief after recovering his body. He was buried on Wednesday.

When a body falls into a glacier, the extreme cold rapidly freezes it, stopping the process of decomposition. The glacier's lack of moisture and oxygen then mummifies the body, preserving it, according to Prof. Muhammad Bilal, head of the Department of Environment at Comsats University Islamabad.

The Kohistan region in northern Pakistan, near the Afghanistan border, once experienced consistent snowfall. However, rising global temperatures linked to human-driven climate change have accelerated glacial melt. As per AFP,  Pakistan is home to more than 13,000 glaciers, more than anywhere else on Earth outside the poles.

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