Maps of Movies

Sholay (1975)

Where Sholay says it takes place, and where it was really shot.

A village that was built for the film, then torn down: the real Ramgarh stood in Karnataka, and its prison was a set in Mumbai.

Scenes and places

Jai and Veeru in prison (1975)

Thakur Baldev Singh, a former police inspector, comes to the jail to pick two small-time crooks, Jai and Veeru, for a dangerous job. He wants them because they once saved him on a train.

Set in The prison where Jai and Veeru are held — Story location not named in the film; built as a set.

The jail was not a real prison: it was an outdoor set built beside a Mumbai film studio.

The train robbery Thakur remembers (1975)

Years before the story, Thakur is taking Jai and Veeru, chained, to a police station on a goods train when bandits attack. The two crooks, who boast they can handle fifteen or twenty men, fight beside him and save his life.

Set in A goods train on the way to a police station — Thakur, then an inspector, rides a goods train with two chained prisoners, Jai and Veeru, when bandits attack.

A railway route between Bombay and Poona (Pune).

Filmed at Bombay–Poona railway route near Panvel (Maharashtra, Panvel, India) — Location given only as the railway route near Panvel; the coordinate is the centre of Panvel, not the exact spot. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there:

Arriving in Ramgarh (1975)

Jai and Veeru reach the village of Ramgarh to take on Gabbar Singh's gang for Thakur. Veeru falls for Basanti, a talkative horse-cart driver, and Jai grows close to Radha, Thakur's reserved widowed daughter-in-law.

Set in Ramgarh — A rural village terrorised by the dacoit Gabbar Singh; Thakur's home.

Ramanagara is a rocky town about an hour from Bengaluru; a road had to be built to reach the film sets.

Filmed at Ramgarh film township, Ramanagara (no longer standing) (Ramanagara district, Karnataka, Ramanagara, India) — The village was an entire township built for the film near Ramanagara; the sets are gone and the coordinate is the town centre, not the set. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there:

The Imam's son (1975)

To break the villagers' will, Gabbar kills Ahmed, the son of the village Imam. The grieving village does not hand over the two outsiders; it urges them to strike back.

Set in Ramgarh village — Gabbar's men send the Imam's son back to the village.

The village set built near Ramanagara.

Filmed at Ramgarh film township, Ramanagara (no longer standing) (Ramanagara district, Karnataka, Ramanagara, India) — Presumed to be filmed on the Ramgarh sets; the sources do not name a separate spot. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there:

Gabbar Singh's hilltop hideout (1975)

Gabbar Singh rules his gang from a rocky hilltop base. Later Jai sneaks into the hideout to rescue Veeru and Basanti, who were captured by Gabbar's men.

Set in Gabbar Singh's hideout — A rocky hilltop den where Gabbar's gang lives.

A granite hill near Ramanagara, now a vulture sanctuary, popularly called Sholay Betta.

Filmed at Ramadevara Betta (Sholay Betta), Ramanagara (Ramanagara district, Karnataka, Ramanagara, India) — The hill is named in two reports as the hideout location; the coordinate is the sanctuary centre. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: A climb of about 350 steps leads to the top, from where fans can see the film's locations around.

The rocky ridge under fire (1975)

After the rescue, Jai, Veeru and Basanti retreat to a rocky ridge under heavy gunfire, with their ammunition running low.

Set in A rocky ridge — Open rock where the heroes retreat from Gabbar's gunmen.

Rugged granite hills around Ramanagara.

Filmed at SRS Hills near Ramadevara Betta, Ramanagara (Ramanagara district, Karnataka, Ramanagara, India) — Only one site names these hills as a backdrop; the coordinate is the nearby sanctuary centre. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there:

Filmed at Savandurga hills — Horseback rides and attack planning Google Maps · Apple Maps

Characters

• Jai — A small-time crook hired with his friend Veeru to capture a bandit.
• Veeru — Jai's best friend and fellow crook, who falls for the horse-cart driver Basanti.
• Thakur Baldev Singh — A former police inspector who hires the pair to capture Gabbar Singh alive.
• Gabbar Singh — The feared dacoit leader who terrorises the village of Ramgarh.