Whenever there is talk of iconic films of Hindi cinema, Salim-Javed's Sholay is definitely mentioned. Released on 15 August 1975, this film is completing 50 years today, but the audience's passion is still intact. From dangerous villains like Gabbar to bubbly characters like Basanti, every role made a place in people's hearts.

On this special occasion, 'Basanti' i.e. Hema Malini shared stories related to the film and her off-screen life in a conversation with NDTV. As lovely was the love between Basanti and Veeru (Dharmendra) in the film, love blossomed between the two in real life too. After working together for a long time, they got married and are still together. Hema Malini said, “He loved me and I loved him. Our relationship was very beautiful as we did many films together. We shared both our joys and troubles with each other. This friendship gradually turned into love. Perhaps this was the reason why people liked our on-screen chemistry so much.” She further said, “Our relationship was very natural. True friendship can turn into love anytime. We cared for each other and loved each other.”

Hema Malini also recalled that her first scene in the shooting of Sholay was the one in the temple. This scene is still fresh in the memories of the audience - just like the love story of Basanti and Veeru.