Beginning on Saturday, 8 October, a first-of-its kind festival of Bachchan's landmark early films, organised by the non-profit Film Heritage Foundation, will be held over four days at 22 cinemas in 17 cities across India.Led by Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, an award-winning filmmaker, archivist and restorer, the non-profit has been at the forefront of efforts to preserve 60 of Bachchan's films in a temperature-controlled archive in the city of Mumbai. The archive has "built an international reputation for excellence", according to director Christopher Nolan.An exhibition of some 50 photographs, mainly sourced from the collection of SMM Ausaja, a film historian, author and memorabilia archivist, will accompany the screenings.Mr. Ausaja has been collecting film memorabilia for three decades and is the author of a number of books, including one looking at Bollywood through posters.Here's a selection of rare images from the exhibition that show the actor at work.


This picture of Bachchan and wife Jaya Bhaduri was taken during the shooting of Abhimaan (Pride), a musical drama directed by famed director Hrishikesh Mukherjee.In the film, Bachchan plays an insecure man who cannot cope with the success of his wife - played by Jaya - when she surpasses his popularity as a singer.The film was released in 1973, only a month after Bachchan and Bhaduri got married and was successful at the box office.Film critic Jai Arjun Singh calls it one of the "most popular Bachchan-Bhaduri screen pairings, with a beautiful soundtrack". Abhimaan was also one of the earliest hits of Bachchan's career.

Top Bollywood director Subhash Ghai picked Bachchan to star in a film called Devaa, which was eventually shelved for reasons which were never entirely clear.Bachchan was apparently playing an outlaw in the film, which was abandoned after Ghai shot some scenes and also a dance number featuring the star, according to reports.This picture is from one of the filming sessions in the mid-1980s.Ghai and Bachchan never worked together after this aborted venture."I regret that I haven't been able to work with Amitabh Bachchan yet. I had gone to him with Devaa, it's my fault that the film didn't happen. I never got another opportunity," Ghai told an interviewer later."I've thought of making a film with him many times, but when it is 'the Amitabh Bachchan', you need a project that will justify his status and a role worthy of him," he said.

This photograph of Bachchan pinning down a villain, played by Ranjit, was taken on the sets of the 1973 film Bandhe Haath (Tied Hands). Behind the actors is the director, OP Goyal.Bachchan reprised a double role as a thief in this thriller about crime and retribution. It was one of his early films which did not do well at the box office.