Chandigarh Ke Sholay

I grew up with Sholay playing on the tape recorder of the village pan shop. Years before I actually saw the film. Sholay is an unprecedented film in Indian film’s history in the sense that its complete soundtrack, not just songs, was playing in the remotest corners of the country. All of us in my school knew the dialogues. It was a magic films of later years have not been able to recreate.

One of the 'dialogues' I was particularly fascinated with was “Jail Mein Surang (Tunnel in my jail)” uttered by a funny jailer who was proud to be a jailer from the time of the Raj. “Hum Angrez Ke Jamaane Ke Jailer Hain!”

Two criminals are planning to escape and they do, even without digging the tunnel the jailer suspects they are digging. The jailer is not only funny but also stupid. We have all grown up with that Jail Mein Surang story, but we haven’t learnt anything.

Yesterday, three men, standing trial in the assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh and another inmate made, escaped by digging a nearly 100 feet-long tunnel in the high security Burail Jail in Chandigarh.
High security jail, huh?

The jail police discovered it today morning when the staff did not find the three accused and their helper in their barracks.

A report said the three — Jagtar Singh Hawara, Jagtar Singh Tara and Paramjit Singh — and their helper Ved Singh had to break through a multi-tier security cordon sometime after the check last night.

Describing the incident as “unfortunate,” Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh hopes that the four would soon be back in the jail. Well, Good Luck Mr Singh, but till the time they are catch the Sholay DVD and watch it again. It's fun.