Produced by Sippy Films and esk, the world premiere will be performed by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra
Widely regarded as one of the greatest Bollywood movies of all-time, Indian-Hindi action-adventure film Sholay will be making its In Concert world premiere at London’s Royal Albert Hall as part of their Films in Concert series on Saturday 10 October. G.P. Sippy’s classic will be accompanied by The Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra performing R. D. Burman’s much-loved score live to screen, conducted by Melvin Tay.
Produced by Sippy Films and esk, the film will be projected on to a giant HD screen in the Hall’s auditorium in Hindi with subtitles in English.
Directed by (Ramesh Sippy) and featuring an all-star cast, the 1975 film follows two petty criminals, Jai (Amitabh Bachchan) and Veeru (Dharmendra), who are hired by a retired, disabled police officer, Thakur Baldev Singh (Sanjeev Kumar). Thakur’s goal is to capture the ruthless bandit Gabbar Singh (Amjad Khan), who previously massacred his family, in order to save the village of Ramgarh.
Shehzad Sippy, head of Sippy Films, said: “We are truly excited to partner with esk to bring Sholay to audiences in this novel format. We are also honoured for the film to make its’ Films in Concert world premiere at the prestigious Royal Albert Hall, with the musical score being performed by The Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra. The screening will feature ‘Sholay: The Final Cut’, the recently restored 4k version of the film with its’ original cut that had been banned by the Indian censor board in 1975. This version of the film will only be available theatrically for the next couple of years and we are excited for audiences to have a chance to experience this classic on the big screen.”
Matt Todd, Director of Programming at the Royal Albert Hall, said: “Sholay is an undisputed Bollywood classic paired with an impeccable score, so to host its Films in Concert world premiere here at the Hall is incredibly exciting. This film has only grown in reverence over time, and, having just celebrated 50 years since its original release, it seems the perfect time for us to celebrate this brilliant story and soundtrack in the most impactful way possible with a live orchestra.”
Samuel Weatherstone, CEO and Co-founder of esk, added: “Sholay is an iconic piece of cinema and we are thrilled to be working with Sippy Films to bring their restored 4k version of ‘Sholay: The Final Cut’ to audiences in this immersive way for the first time. We are hugely proud of the work we have produced alongside our partners at the Royal Albert Hall, and this next production in their ‘Films in Concert’ series is no exception. This prestigious venue provides the perfect backdrop for audiences to come to together to experience R. D. Burman’s score performed live and to share in the collective joy of this record-breaking film.”
Sholay has topped many Best Film lists including the “Film of the Millennium” by BBC India (1999), British Film Institute’s “Top 10 Indian Films” of all time poll (2002), Time Magazine’s “Best of Bollywood” list (2010) and voted the greatest Indian movie in a Sky Digital poll of one million British Indians (2004). Most recently, Time Out ranked it #1 on its “100 Best Bollywood Movies” list in 2023.
Sholay in Concert follows the hugely popular RRR in Concert held at the Royal Albert Hall last year, where the film’s stars Ram Charan and NTR, as well as director S. S. Rajamouli and composer M. M. Keeravani, were interviewed on stage during a pre-show talk celebrating the film.
Other upcoming Films in Concert at the Hall this year include a 10th anniversary screening of La La Land, a 20th anniversary screening of Casino Royale, 25th anniversary screening of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, and 30th anniversary screening for Brassed Off and Matilda. Other films taking place across 2026 include Black Panther, Home Alone 1 and 2, How To Train Your Dragon 2 and Pirates of the Caribbean.
Pre-sale for Royal Albert Hall Friends & Patrons at 10am on Thursday 25 June.
Tickets on general sale from 10am on Friday 26 June from the Royal Albert Hall website.