A low-down on the men and women who played a key role in making Amitabh Bachchan the Phenomenon that he ultimately became.
Sunil Dutt-Nargis
Khwaja Ahmed Abbas
The legendary writer-filmmaker was looking for a new actor to play the character of a Muslim man in Saat Hindustani when he met Bachchan, who had landed in Bombay (now Mumbai) after quitting his Rs 1,600-a-month job in Calcutta to make a career in films. Abbas, however, sought the consent of his father, noted poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan before roping him in on a remuneration of Rs 5,000. Bachchan told him that several filmmakers had found him ‘too tall’ to reject him but Abbas was looking for a lanky young man who could look like his poet friend Asrarul Haque ‘Majaz’.
Mehmood
The superstar comedian who ruled the film industry for nearly two decades not only offered Big B the lead role in Bombay to Goa (1972) but also a ‘home away from home’ after he was introduced to Bachchan by his younger brother Anwar Ali. Anwar had become a close friend of Bachchan ever since they worked in Saat Hindustani. Bombay to Goa proved lucky for Bachchan. Salim-Javed were impressed with him after they saw him in a fight sequence with Shatrughan Sinha. They took Prakash Mehra to meet him on the sets of Gehri Chaal (1973) to sign him for Zanjeer, which had been rejected by four stalwarts, Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, Raaj Kumar and Dharmendra.
Hrishikesh Mukherjee
Hrishikesh Mukherjee signed Bachchan as the good doctor, Babu Moshai in the Rajesh Khanna-starrer, Anand (1971). Though Khanna walked away with all the honours in the film, Bachchan too was noticed by the industry. In spite of superlative performances by Khanna in Anand and Namak Haraam (1974), Hrishi Da chose to back Bachchan to the hilt and went on to make many movies, from Abhimaan (1973) to Bemisaal (1982) with him all through the seventies and eighties and elicited some of his finest performances.
Salim-Javed
Erstwhile superstar Rajesh Khanna asked struggling writer-duo Salim-Javed to redo the script of the Hindi remake of a Tamil hit, Haathi Mere Saathi (1972), which became a monster success. However, when they saw a new actor called Amitabh Bachchan in Bombay to Goa, they were suitably impressed. They liked his attitude, especially in a fight scene in the film where he gets up from the ground with chewing gum in his mouth. After finding their ‘angry young man’, it did not take them long to convince Prakash Mehra to cast Amitabh in Zanjeer.
Prakash Mehra
Dilip Kumar did not find the police inspector’s character stimulating enough in Zanjeer, Dev Anand did not want to do a movie without any song that would not show his toothless smile, Raaj Kumar wanted him to shoot in Madras (now Chennai) instead of Bombay and Dharmendra, who had earlier bought Salim Javed’s script of Zanjeer, opted out at the prodding of his cousin who had some issues with Prakash Mehra. So, when Salim-Javed told Mehra to sign Bachchan, which was seconded by Pran, Mehra decided to bet on Big B. Together, they delivered many blockbusters.
Manmohan Desai
The man with the Midas touch, filmmaker Manmohan Desai was least impressed when he first met Bachchan. Initially, he called him to be a “constipated looking” actor but was wise enough to make amends in the latter part of his career. When Dharmendra, who was already working in Chacha-Bhatija (1977) with him, declined to do his upcoming home production, Amar Akbar Anthony (1977), he felt offended and signed Bachchan. Together, they also delivered some of the biggest hits, from Parvarish (1977) to Mard (1985), until Ganga Jamuna Saraswati (1988) and Toofan (1989) ended their dream run.
Jaya Bhaduri
Dharmendra and Mumtaz were supposed to do Zanjeer but both backed out, leaving Prakash Mehra high and dry. No other actress was willing to work with Bachchan because of the track record of his flop movies. But Jaya Bhaduri, his girlfriend who had worked in Mehra’s Samadhi (1972) came to his rescue, though she was earlier advised by her Bawarchi (1972) co-actor Rajesh Khanna to keep away from the "jinxed" actor. They got married soon after the success of Zanjeer and did Abhimaan (1973), Mili (1975), Silsila (1981) and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001) together.
Yash Chopra
Yash Chopra may have made Deewar (1975), Kabhi-Kabhie (1976), Trishul (1977) and Kaala Patthar (1979) and Silsila with Bachchan but he is also credited with having given a fresh lease of life to his career in his second innings with Mohabbatein (2000) under his banner. Towards the end of the 1990s when Bachchan was facing a major financial crisis, Bachchan landed at Chopra’s doorstep one fine morning asking for work. He has not since looked back.
Siddhartha Basu