Amitabh Bachchan was Paid Rs.5000 for his Debut Role

Amitabh Bachchan made his debut in Saath Hindustani (1969) over five decades ago as a character artist where the actor played the role of a poet who resided in Hindpiri, Ranchi. One of his dialogues in the film was, "Main hoon Anwar Ali. Bihar ke Ranchi ka rehne wala hoon aur shayri karta hoon." (I am Anwar Ali. I live in Ranchi, Bihar and I am a poet.)

Bachchan was awarded the 'Best Newcomer' award for the role and journalist, scriptwriter, and filmmaker Khwaja Ahmed Abbas paid him an acting fee of Rs. 5,000. "Agar Anwar Ali ke kirdar ke taur par mujhe break na mila hota, toh pata nahi mai aaj kis maukaam par hota (If I hadn’t got my a break as Anwar Ali, I don't know where I would be today),” Bachchan has said in a past interview.