Ramesh Sippy: 'Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag should not have been made'

Ramesh Sippy has said that Ram Gopal Varma should not have attempted to remake Sholay.

The reworking of the Amitabh Bachchan starrer, titled Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag, was rejected by audiences when it was released in 2007, Mumbai Mirror reports.

Sippy said: "I have never thought of remaking Sholay. I am not against remakes. I wasn't upset when Ram Gopal Varma decided to remake Sholay.

"That he didn't take my permission is a different matter. But yes, I had advised him not to remake Sholay. It is a cult film. I didn't want to tamper with it."

The movie went on to gain notoriety as a byword for bad cinema, ranking at number 12 in the IMDb bottom 100 movies.

Sippy also revealed that he is not satisfied with certain aspects of the climax scenes from his 1975 original.

"The scene in which Dharmendra throws a coin after Amitabh dies. I remember watching it in a theatre and at the clink of the coin, I heard a few people laughing," he said.

"It was an emotional moment. I should have used the same sound effect in a lighter moment."

Bachchan, who appeared in both versions of the movie, has said that he regretted working on the updated version.

Sholay star Hema Malini has also voiced her opinion that the original should be left alone.