The seven best performances of Amitabh Bachchan’s career

Zanjeer (1973): The thriller was not only a game changer for Amitabh Bachchan, but also for the Indian film industry. His portrayal of the angry police officer Vijay Khanna launched a new era in Indian cinema and redefined the on-screen hero. 

Sholay (1975): One reason why the curry western became the biggest grossing movie in Indian cinema’s history was the actor’s remarkable performance of Jai, a crook who is hired to protect a small village. His death at the end broke the hearts of audiences like no other on-screen. 

Deewaar (1975): The explosive performance saw him play a dockyard worker named Vijay who is forced by circumstance onto the wrong side of the law. The actor regards this as one of the best-written characters of his career and rightfully so. 

Amar Akbar Anthony (1977): One of his career-defining roles was a perfect mix of comedy and action. Pretty much every Bollywood fan has heard of Anthony Gonsalves and the main reason is the award-winning performance delivered by the A-list star. 

Don (1978): The actor has played more double roles than any A-list star on-screen and this is perhaps his best. He plays a ruthless villain and a kind-hearted street musician lookalike. The actor shows off an impressive range in the cult classic. 

Black (2005): The touching drama about a deaf-blind girl and her relationship with a teacher, who develops Alzheimer’s disease won the hearts of fans around the world. His performance as the teacher won all the major accolades including a National Award for Best Actor. 

Paa (2009): The actor was in his late sixties when he delivered the remarkable performance of a 12-year-old boy who has rare genetic disorder, progeria. He won all the major accolades including a Filmfare, IIFA and National Award for Best Actor.