Thakur, Jai, and Veeru

The story begins with Thakur Baldev Singh (Sanjeev Kumar) asking an old colleague and policeman friend to track down Jai (Amitabh Bachchan) and Veeru (Dharmendra). Having dealt with them briefly in his career as the police chief, he hires the two friends to catch Gabbar Singh (Amzad Khan)- the infamous bandit who has terrorized his entire village.

Compliant Jai and Veeru

Notorious, yet compliant, the duo swear to Thakur and the villager's freedom.

Thakur remained stolid

Hearing about the two, Gabbar sends his men to get them killed. In a battle between the duo and Gabbar’s men, the two friends struggle to save their life because Thakur, who could have helped them at that moment instead, stood stolidly in such a taxing situation.

Veeru & Jai thought Thakur was craven

Unaware about the real reasons behind Thakur's actions, Veeru and Jai are angry at Thakur for being craven.

Thakur was impaired by Gabbar

In retrospect, Thakur had jailed Gabbar. To seek revenge Gabbar kills Thakur's entire family, amputates both his arms and impairs him for life.

Basanti's diffused arguments

Veeru falls in love with Basanti, a young girl whose arguments are diffuse and interesting stories and who pulls a horse cart to make a living.

Veeru threatens to commit suicide

When Veeru realizes that Basanti's aunt will not let Basanti marry him, he stages his suicide to get her approval.

Guileless villagers watching Veeru

Traumatized by the drama, Guileless Basanti and villagers convince her aunt to agree.

Radha with a subsided will to live

Jai, on the other hand, falls in love with Thakur’s widowed daughter-in-law, Radha (Jaya Bachchan) whose will to live life is subsided when her husband is killed at the hands of Gabbar.

Gabbar kills Ahmed

One day Ahmed, the son Imam, an elderly and blind villager, is killed by Gabbar as a warning to the villagers to send Jai and Veeru back, else the group of bandits will kill other children.

Villagers were inured to Gabbar's misdeeds

Worried, the villagers ask them to leave. Imam, who feels that the villagers have become inured to Gabbar’s misdeeds, persuades them to get together and fight off this evil.

Reprobate Gabbar

Jai and Veeru get into a battle with the dacoits after Basanti is abducted by them. As Basanti dances to keep Veeru alive, Jai seeps through Gabbar’s defenses to make him pay for his reprobate behavior.

Veeru and Basanti run to save their lives

Jai holds Gabbar on gunpoint and frees Veeru and Basanti. As Jai covers for them, he is wounded by the bullet fired by one of Gabbar’s men.

Weltered Jai

When Veeru returns to the scene, he finds his friend weltered in blood. As Veeru takes him in his arms, Jai breathes his last breath.

Veeru on profound grief after Jai's death

With profound grief and angst, Veeru runs after Gabbar. He finds him, beats him up and almost kills him. He then remembers the promise his friend had made to Thakur and presents Gabbar beaten up, yet alive to Thakur

Veeru foments Thakur

Seeing Gabbar in front of him, Veeru foments Thakur to kill the bandit, but he gets him arrested and leaves his fate to be decided by law.

The End

In the end, Radha looks away into nothingness mourning Jai’s death. Veeru, depressed about his friend’s death, boards the train to leave the village and is joined by Basanti.