 The character Gabbar Singh was modelled on a real @-@ life dacoit of the same name who had <unk> the villages around <unk> in the 1950s . Any policeman captured by the real Gabbar Singh had his ears and nose cut off , and was released as a warning to other policemen . The character was also influenced by the villain " El <unk> " ( played by Gian Maria <unk> ) of Sergio Leone 's For a Few <unk> More ( 1965 ) . Soorma Bhopali , a minor comic relief character , was based on an acquaintance of actor Jagdeep , a forest officer from <unk> named Soorma . The real @-@ life Soorma eventually threatened to press charges when people who had viewed the film began referring to him as a <unk> . The main characters ' names , Jai and Veeru , mean " victory " and " heroism " in Hindi . 
