Dharmendra Reacts To FIR Writer's Claim That Salim-Javed Copied Sholay: 'Koi Same Si Baat...'

Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar revolutionised the industry and became the only writing duo to achieve star status, with their names often billed alongside leading actors. However, Amit Aryan, who wrote the popular show FIR, recently accused them of having “plagiarised their entire life” and called them “non-writers”. Dharmendra, who has worked with the writing duo several times, has now reacted to these claims.

Amit Aryan said to Digital Commentary that Sholay was copied from Raj Khosla’s Mera Gaon Mera Desh. Veteran actor Dharmendra, who played the lead in both movies, told Zoom, “Maine dono filmon mein kaam kiya hai, mujhe toh koi same si baat nazar nahin aye. Haan, ek ka villain Jabbar Singh doosra ka Gabbar Singh. That doesn’t make them similar. (I have worked in both films and I don’t see any similarity. Yes, the villain in one film was Jabbar Singha and in the other the villain was Gabbar Singh but that doesn’t make them similar). They might be cousins. Who knows!”

During his interaction, Amit Aryan had said, “Sholay features one man, whose hands were cut off and his family eliminated by a dacoit, trying to take revenge against his rival through other persons. In Mera Gaon Mera Desh, Vinod Khanna played a dacoit named Jabbar Singh, which became Gabbar Singh (Amjad Khan) in Sholay. Actor Jayant played a retired soldier in the Khosla movie whose one hand was cut off. In Sholay, there is a retired police officer (Sanjeev Kumar) instead with both hands cut off. In Mera Gaon Mera Desh, Jayant’s character asks Dharmendra to take revenge on his behalf, which the latter initially declines but does in the end. In Sholay, one more character was added and with Dharmendra, Amitabh Bachchan also appeared.”

Amit said that Javed Akhtar and Salim Khan are like “copywriters” because they don’t produce original work. “Salim and Javed are better businessmen and salesmen. They knew how to sell something and narrate it well,” he added. As for Amit Aryan, he is known for writing FIR, Yeh Un Dinon Ki Baat Hai, Lapataganj, ABCD and Do Knot Disturb.