India did not win any awards at the 97th Oscars in 2025. Priyanka Chopra and Guneet Mongas short film Anuja was nominated in the short film category but lost leaving India empty-handed at the Oscars this year. A similar feeling of sadness was felt 51 years ago when Amitabh Bachchan and Nutans 1973 film Saudagar directed by Sudhendu Roy was Indias official entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the 46th Academy Awards. However it did not receive a nomination. Amitabh Bachchan played the lead role in Saudagar with Nutan starring opposite him. Although the film didn’t perform well at the box office the on-screen pairing of Amitabh and Nutan left a lasting impression on the audience. The film is based on a story by renowned writer Narendranath Mitra. Amitabh portrayed the character of Moti a jaggery seller who earned his livelihood by extracting date juice making jaggery and selling it. While Saudagar wasn’t a commercial success Amitabh’s performance in the film remains memorable among audiences even today. The popular song Sajna Hai Mujhe Sajna Ke Liye from Saudagar remains a favourite among girls even today. Other songs like Har Haseen Cheez Ka sung by Kishore Kumar and Tera Mera Saath Rahe in Lata Mangeshkar’s voice have also contributed to making Saudagar a memorable film. A