MUMBAI: “Sholay,” an action adventure Bollywood movie circling around two petty thieves hired by a police officer to exact revenge on a ruthless bandit, is set to release in Pakistan, 40 years after hitting Indian theaters, NDTV reported.

The release of megastar Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra’s film, which was directed by Ramesh Sippy in 1975, proved to be a watershed event in the industry. The movie screened for five years at a landmark Mumbai theater, the longest ever run in India at the time.

It’s no wonder that owner and managing director of Mandviwalla Entertainment, Nadeem Mandviwalla is now bringing the iconic classic to Pakistani cinema screens, 40 years after its release.

“Sholay is undoubtedly one of the most unique films of all time; it’s a classic that has never been released in the country. Many people have been deprived of the experience of watching it in a cinema so we feel the audience will want to come watch it, given the opportunity,” Mandviwalla said.

The movie will be releasing in 2D and 3D in Pakistan.

“The film will not have a wide release. It will be shown at more cinemas but with less number of shows. It’s tentatively releasing on March 20, as March 23 will be a public holiday (on account of Pakistan Day), so people will have a wide array of movies to watch such as Jalaibee and Insurgent, which are also releasing around the same time,” said Mandviwalla.