Sholay: ₹300 Cr budget, 5-week flop, CBFC-forced climax; Sippy restores original ending

• 'Sholay' initially flopped for 5 weeks, with its high budget (₹300 crore in today's terms) drawing industry concern and negative press before becoming a historic success.
• The Censor Board forced director Ramesh Sippy to change the original climax, replacing Gabbar Singh's death with his arrest, due to objections about a police officer killing on screen.
• This forced change occurred during the Emergency period, leaving Sippy no room to argue, but the original climax was eventually restored in a re-release decades later.

Why It Matters: Sholay's story proves initial failure and censorship can't stop true cinematic greatness.