Los Angeles: Actor Billy Zane believes the reason why "Titanic" became such a big hit was that it shook people and penetrated deeply into the minds of the audiences. Directed by James Cameron, "Titanic" catapulted Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet to superstardom when they played unlikely young lovers from two different worlds, Jack and Rose, aboard the doomed ship. 

Zane portrayed the role of Winslet's arrogant fiance Cal in the film which went on to win 11 out of the 14 Oscars it was nominated for. "You cant remove the context from this point. This was pre-smartphone, pre-a lot of social media, or just right at a point when there was a significant generational marker. 

"I couldn't speak to it, it was something about how this impacted a right of passage for young men and women while still mining emotions in some audience members who could have grown a little jaded over time. It shook people up and penetrated deeply in a way that perhaps the numbing effects of some technology today," Zane told Variety.