Hyderabad, March 28 -- By K. Sudhir Kumar

That was the pinnacle of the Golden Period for the Hindi Film Industry (HFI). It has now been 50 years (Golden Jubilee) since 1975, a year that, despite being associated with the Emergency period, remains unique in Hindi cinema history.

That remarkable year saw the simultaneous triumph of Sholay and Jai Santoshi Maa, while an innocent tale of love and ignorance, Geet Gata Chal, unexpectedly took the industry by storm.

1975 began with the rise of Amitabh Bachchan's stardom in Deewaar, a film that became a turning point in his career. The year's blockbusters further cemented Bombay's status as the Mecca of Bollywood. Sholay ran for five straight years in Bombay's Minerva talkies from 1975 to 1980...