Javed Akhtar, Bimal Dutta, Salim khan ellam ordinary writing-a? The films started to put a proper framework of 'masala' as is what we refer to, today. Start at plot level and character dynamics, they are still world apart from modern day Karan johar and Farah khan. Which is not saying much.
But seriously you got to watch early yash chopra, Hrishikesh mukherjee, Prakash Mehra films with Amitabh. Well, you don't have to in some cases, If you had watched Rajini's remade films.