Zanjeer 1973

The film: Police officer Vijay is obsessed with his parents' death. He has one clue with which to ID the killer -- when he does; the angry young man has his revenge.

No one could have predicted the film's spectacular box office performance; in fact, many actors refused the role that proved to be the turning point in Amitabh's career.

What they say: "The film just wasn't picking up in Bombay. Amitabh even contacted a fever. But four days later, I happened to pass by the Gaiety-Galaxy theatre in Bandra. A five-rupee ticket was being sold at Rs 100 at the advance booking window!" (Prakash Mehra)

"We searched high and low for an actor. Dharmendra, Dev Anand, Raaj Kumar... Finally, we decided on Amitabh Bachchan, having seen him in Bombay To Goa!" (Prakash Mehra)