India, Jan. 29 -- In the 70s, Hollywood had shifted to the summer blockbuster model. A number of increasingly big-budget films had dominated the ticket window since the mid-70s. Star Wars, Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark, had ruled the box office till the early 80s. And then, a maverick director flipped the formula on its head with a children's film on a tiny budget and still managed to beat the heavyweights. (Also read: Steven Spielberg reveals he fought studio hard to stop them from making ET sequel: 'I didn't have any rights')

ET the Extra Terrestrial, directed by Steven Spielberg, was released in 1982. The film was about a young American boy's unusual friendship with an alien stranded on Earth. With no big stars and just three kids in ...