If you think long and hard about the parallels between the two of the most iconic properties in cinema, you’ll realise that there’s more than meets the eye. Star Wars looks extremely similar to Sholay if it’s stripped down to some very basic plot-lines. 

1. Recruiting two guys to fight the villain

Thakur recruits Jai and Veeru to fight Gabbar. Obi Wan takes help from Luke and Han to take on Darth Vader.

Thakur needed help from two unlikely heroes to put an end to Gabbar Singh’s menacing reign. He knew that he couldn’t do it alone and what better way to rain on a dacoit’s parade than get two of the best guys in the business. On the other hand, Obi Wan comes across Luke and Han and starts believing that only this duo can match Empire’s tyranny. 

2. Gabbar Singh and Darth Vader were wronged by Thakur and Obi Wan

Gabbar was arrested by Thakur (who also wanted to kill him). Anakin decided to go to the Dark side of the force after being betrayed by the Jedi council and Obi Wan.

It’s an old Klingon saying that goes something like this – “Revenge is a dish best served cold.” The same was the case with two of the most misunderstood antagonists in pop-culture. Gabbar and Anakin were forced into doing what they did. 

3. History between the antagonist and the wise old man

Darth Vader and Obi Wan share history and so do Gabbar and Thakur.

Darth Vader and Obi Wan were supposed to fight shoulder-to-shoulder against the Dark side but things didn’t go as planned. They became sworn enemies after that. Gabbar and Thakur become sworn enemies when Thakur decides to arrest the notorious dacoit. Obi Wan and Thakur end up being maimed by their respective enemies.

4. Both the protagonists in the two movies are of the same mould

Jai and Veeru are extremely similar in their approach to Luke and Han.

Jai is a laid-back badass who will get things done by any means necessary whereas Veeru is the lovable character who has to come to his own after the death of a loved one. Han is a bad-ass who’ll get the job done for the right amount of money. Luke decides to train as a Jedi and becomes strong with the force after Yoda becomes one with the force.

5. Leia and Basanti are very similar

Leia and Basanti start off as damsels in distress but as the movies progress, you find out that they are badasses who can defend themselves and those around them.

Leia and Basanti seem like the characters who’d depend on the male characters at the start of the movie. When shit hits the fan, Basanti and Leia show us that they are more than capable of taking care of themselves. They rally the troops behind them while leading the charge against the Empire and the dacoits.

6. Sambha and Boba Fett are cult-heroes

Two henchmen with limited screen time are cult heroes now.

Sambha is one of the most beloved characters from Sholay. People often forget how he helped Gabbar continue his reign of terror. Boba Fett is a fan-favourite who had almost zero screen time. It’s difficult imagining their respective movies without them in it.

7. Basanti ka Tanga and Millenium Falcon are looked down upon initially but they become important quickly

Both of them were referred to as inefficient means of transport but they become key to some of the most exhilarating action sequences in pop-culture.

Basanti’s tanga was called extremely inconvenient and inefficient at the start of the movie. Let’s not forget how Dhanno and her tanga delivered when it was Basanti ki izzat ka sawaal. The Millenium Falcon was referred to as a piece of junk. That piece of junk saved the asses of some of our most beloved characters later on.

In the words of one of the toughest Jedis to have ever lived,