Talking about the making of Deewaar, Rajiv Rai, son of the film’s producer Gulshan Rai, says, “Deewaar has inspired many films in various Indian languages. The film received a massive response upon its release. My father, Gulshan Rai, who produced the film, didn’t really talk much about its success. I believe that when you make a film, you don’t come home and discuss it – you let the film speak for itself. Every scene was a gem, and everyone has their favourite moments from it. Pran Mehra, an ace editor of his time, played a major role in the making of the film. He was a highly sought after editor at the time and instrumental in making this film what it became.”

Film historian Gautam Chintamani says, “Deewaar made the anti-hero cool 50 years back. It was among the first few films that made the anti-hero, the hero. The 70s was the point in Indian cinema where films focused on anti-establishment themes, changing the system, and how the system oppressed the common man and his fight against the system.”

Writer Saurav Dey adds, “The film talks about taking a stand against the establishment, capitalism, and has social commentary – but the entertainment value of the film is still high. It is not a morose, silent film despite the heavy topics it deals with. It made the grey, varied, flawed character very cool 50 years back.”

“Films like Deewaar, Shakti, Zanjeer, and other such films of Bachchan sahab, gave us the confidence to stand up against those who were superior to us. These films gave us the belief that one can stand up for something we truly believe in,” says Adil Hussain, adding that Deewaar was one of the films that inspired him to get into acting.

In the documentary The Romantics, Amitabh Bachchan talks about Deewar and says, “Yash ji was looked upon as this new-age young director wanting to make different films. Salim-Javed suggested that he should direct Deewar. Yash ji, by that time, had established himself as a director who worked more in beautiful sceneries, objects and the beauty of nature. Deewaar was very rugged and one wondered if he would agree to do something like this. He never lost his mind towards nature and towards romance, even when he was doing a film like Deewaar.”

Talking about the cult status of Amitabh Bachchan’s Angry Young Man persona, film historian Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, shares, “Deewaar has had a very strong influence in enhancing Amitabh Bachchan’s Angry Young Man persona – a rebel who takes on the system and almost single-handedly revolutionized the ideology surrounding workers’ rights. At the end, the film shows the triumphs of righteousness, as his own brother kills him. The intensity and drama between the two brothers and their mother, combined with the way the angry young man became a powerful symbol after this film, are unforgettable. Deewaar cemented Amit ji’s legacy as the Angry Young Man.”

- Deewaar’s screenplay was written in 18 days and dialogues were written in only 20 days

- Two songs were removed from the film because of its length

- Aruna Irani and Deven Verma are credited in the film, but their scenes were removed because of the length