Veteran actress Hema Malini will always be remembered for her role of Basanti in the evergreen blockbuster Sholay. The actress says it is one of the most challenging role she has ever shot for.

""Sholay' is a cult movie but I must add that it was one of the toughest roles I had done because of various conditions. I was shooting barefoot, and that too in Bangalore, in the month of May. The floor was always very hot and walking barefoot was very tough especially if you are shooting in the afternoon. Weather conditions made the shooting a little difficult than normal but, overall, the experience of shooting with everyone will always be cherished by me," she said.

The actor recalled the experience on an episode of the singing-based-reality show Indian Idol 12, when she was asked to recount her experience of shooting Sholay.

The 1975 blockbuster was directed by Ramesh Sippy, and produced by his father GP Sippy. Besides Hema, the film featured Dharmendra and Amitabh Bachchan as Veeru and Jai, and Amjad Khan as the iconic Gabbar Singh.