Producer GP Sippy Passes Away

On Tuesday night, veteran filmmaker Gopaldas Parmanand Sippy died at his Altamount Road residence after a prolonged illness. He was 93. GP Sippy was cremated in the presence of family and close relatives. Incidentally, no known faces from the film industry were seen at the funeral of the man, who gave the country one of its biggest blockbusters, Sholay.


In a career spanning more than five decades and 18 films, GP Sippy became a household name with Sholay. The film was directed by his son Ramesh Sippy and it is believed that no efforts were spared to create the right effect and ambience. According to trade pundits of that time, close to Rs 3 crore, an unheard of sum in the Seventies, was pumped into the film. Of course, the gamble paid off, and the returns were believed to be almost ten times more than the investment. He entered the world of films in 1955 and set up Sippy Films. He made films like Marine Drive, Adle-e-Jahangir. He also produced other memorable films like Shrimati 420, Chandrakanth, Light House, Bhai Behan, Mr India and Andaaz. He faced a financial crisis in the late sixties and early seventies. He had creative differences with Bhappi Soni, who was directing Brahmachari, starring Shammi Kapoor and Rajshree. The film was almost shelved. It affected his next venture, Bandhan, starring Rajesh Khanna and Mumtaz. Dejected, GP Sippy was ready to quit the film business but both the films did well at the box office. That is when he asked his son Ramesh Sippy to quit his studies in London and join his production business. Ramesh Sippy the director was then born with films like Andaaz (1971), starring Rajesh Khanna, Shammi Kapoor and Hema Malini; Seeta Aur Geeta (1972), with Hema Malini in a double role. The father-son duo created a hattrick of sorts at the box office with the success of Sholay in 1975. GP Sippy never could never replicate the success of Sholay, but he continued to produce films like Shaan (1980), Saagar (1985), Pathar Ke Phool (1991), Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman (1992), Aatish (1992), Zamana Deewana (1985) and Hamesha (1997).

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