Mithun Chakraborty Opens Up About His Journey With Dadasaheb Phalke Award
Mithun Chakraborty On His Journey in Life Since the Dadasaheb Phalke Award Implementation In a heart-to-heart interaction with India Today TV, veteran actor Mithun Chakraborty shared how being bestowed with the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award ,which indeed is the highest honor in Indian cinema, used to really stir up in him the biggest of emotions after receiving it.
Indeed, this hour attains great importance in his several-decade-long career, whereby, on one hand, he delivered many commercially successful films and, on the other hand, many critically acclaimed ones.
When Mithun appeared with India Today’s Consulting Editor, Rajdeep Sardesai, he expressed his disbelief and whirling thoughts when he was given the award. “I am still in shock.
Abhi tak hosh sambhala nahi,” he said, pointing out to how difficult it was to take in such a momentous consideration. His voice dripped with humility as he held his amazement at being nominated for something he put so much passion into-all lifetime’s work.
It hasn’t exactly been a bed of roses for Mithun in the film industry. He recalls the stinging, trying moments that defined his journey to stardom, candidly admitting that many would find his story depressing instead of inspiring.
“Yeh safar bahut katheen tha” he said, explaining why he has avoided writing a biography. “Meri story logo ko inspire nahi karega; unko morally down kar dega.” He said they were afraid that all that would discourage young minds coming to terms with their lifestyle.
He has described his initial life vividly whereas his first years grew up in the narrow streets of Kolkata. Mithun spoke of his initial days in Bombay, arriving there with dreams of surviving in the world of cinema but, to his shock, facing colossal difficulties.
“Khana nahi mila, footpath pe bhi so liya kabhi” is what he reflected, conveying the reality of sometimes going hungry and even sleeping on the streets. Thinking that this boy would eventually receive India’s biggest award for cinema was something he still found difficult to digest.
As the conversation went on to his filmography, Mithun went through the projects that had defined his career. He mentioned his debut in Mrigya, a much-acclaimed art film by filmmaker par-excellence Mrinal Sen, which landed him his first National Award.
His work in Mrigya and much later projects like Tahader Katha illustrated his growth as an artist. Mithun, the face of Bengal’s Tollywood, was no longer the amateur who had acted for a serial under Budhadeb Baba who could approach him with the role in Tahader Katha.
He agreed to do Tahader Katha, in which he played Ramkrishna Paramhans, winning yet another National Award. This is what defines his career-to drift across the threshold of commercial success and meaningful cinema.
The most interesting part about Mithun’s story is that it goes way beyond name and bunnings-it speaks of struggling and perseverance and the pursuit of realities.
As an artist in the making, he is a perfect representation of Indian cinema-a mixture of entertainment, artistic expression, and strongly deep-rooted narratives about culture. His willingness to share his journey and the difficulties it entailed reminds us of the complexities behind the glitz and glamour of films.
Now, the reflections of Mithun Chakraborty on receiving the Dadasaheb Phalke Award encapsulate lifetime experiences—both joyful and painful ones. His journey becomes all the more important in reminding us that success has its share of problems that will test a person’s resolve.
As he enters this next phase of his career, the fans and audiences in tow will be treated to much more from a man who has devoted his life to the art of storytelling in cinema.
Mithun Chakraborty: A Journey Through Cinema and Life
Mithun Chakraborty, who has his full name as Gouranga Chakraborty, is one of the most versatile personalities, regarded as an actor and a producer and politician. Former Member of Parliament in Rajya Sabha, Mithun gave his valuable contribution to the Hindi and Bengali cinema, making him an iconic figure in the world of cinema.
It was Oriental Seminary, where he began his study, followed by B.Sc. in Chemistry from Scottish Church College in Kolkata. Further, Chakraborty smoothened his skills at the studios of Film and Television Institute of India, Pune, to give rise to the most prolific career in acting.
Mithun has acted in over 350 films over his scintillating career in various languages: Hindi, Bengali, Bhojpuri, Tamil, Odia, Kannada, Telugu, and Punjabi. He began acting with Mrigayaa in 1976 which first won him National Film Award for Best Actor.
Then, he started with comparatively minor roles in Do Anjaane and Phool Khile Hain Gulshan Gulshan. His first of a spy movie was Surakksha that took him to the heights when his career reached its second stage. Another notable film associated with those days of his career is Basu Chatterjee’s Prem Vivah.
Collaboration with the director Deepak Bahry at the end of the 1970s translated into a list of successful films in the 1980s. Amongst these are notable titles like Humse Badhkar Kaun: The Entertainer (1998), Hum Se Hai Zamana (1983), and Woh Jo Hasina (1983).
His success in the track of versatile different genres helped him create an impact that would stick in the industrial memory long after he was gone.
Before entering Bengali cinema with Nadi Theke Sagare, directed by Arabinda Mukhopadhyay in 1978, Chakraborty continued to be a relevant figure in Hindi cinema across the 1980s, doing over 110 releases.
His iconic role as Jimmy in the 1982 film Disco Dancer is specially memorable because it was the first Indian film to cross Rs. 100 crores.
Mithun was also a trendsetter in playing the double role, where he followed it religiously throughout his career, as evident in Taxi Chor (1980) and later in 19 more films. His versatility as an actor entitled him to enact diverse characters to win hearts.
From 1990 to 1999, Chakraborty continued success in films with over 100 films in which he performed exceptionally. His performance in the film Agneepath won him the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor.
More films like Shandar (1990) and Trinetra (1991) made him one of the most popular actors in Bollywood.
Mithun’s genius was proved when he won two national film awards for acting in Tahader Katha (1992) and Vivekananda (1998), thereby proving that he could carry off the most ingrained, deep roles with finesse and sensibility.
Chakraborty continued to feature in mainstream Hindi cinema throughout the 2000s, with notable performances in films such as the widely acclaimed Elaan in 2005.
His movie Zor Lagaa Ke. Haiya! won many international awards, and Chal Chalein got appreciation for taking bold themes on board.
Phir Kabhi (2008) was another notable addition to his body of work, screened straight to homes and garnered six awards at the Los Angeles Reel Awards of 2009. Bhojpuri cinema saw his debut with Bhole Shankar (2008), which has been widely considered a landmark in that field.
Chakraborty had also featured in movies like Veer (2010) with Salman Khan and Golmaal 3 (2010) with Ajay Devgn.
Then there were three films with Akshay Kumar in 2012 that include OMG: Oh My God!, Housefull 2 and Khiladi 786, with whom he seemed very flexible to modern cinema.
He started his career with The Villain in 2018 and made his critically acclaimed debut with the film The Kashmir Files (2022). Digital media saw him through his web series Bestseller (2022), which finally moved him into the OTT world of Amazon Prime.
A string of accomplishments throughout the career, including three National Film Awards and two Filmfare Awards along with one Screen Award, and countless other such accolades have rendered him a shining name in Indian cinema.
Serving as a brand ambassador for Panasonic during late 1980s and currently as a brand ambassador with GoDaddy and Manappuram Gold Loan in West Bengal prove the appeal is sought after but not a fleeting affair that disappears with silver screens.
Mithun also had his dose of high and low tiding years in his personal life. His first marriage was to the actress Helena Luke whom he married in 1979 but separated within four months of his marriage.
Later the same year, he married the actress Yogeeta Bali. The duo have four children, including Mimoh, Ushmey, Namashi Chakraborty, and adopted daughter, Dishani Chakraborty.
To sum it all, Mithun Chakraborty’s career speaks for itself as an ultimate survival artist with ever-changing trends in cinema.
He was so humble from a childhood that reached him the topmost spot in Bollywood, loved by millions across generations of Indians.
In short his contributions cannot be merely counted in terms of the number of films but also the amount of diversity in characters he has played and the track record he has made through the Indian film industry.
Mithun’s genius was proved when he won two national film awards for acting in Tahader Katha (1992) and Vivekananda (1998), thereby proving that he could carry off the most ingrained, deep roles with finesse and sensibility.
Chakraborty continued to feature in mainstream Hindi cinema throughout the 2000s, with notable performances in films such as the widely acclaimed Elaan in 2005.
His movie Zor Lagaa Ke. Haiya! won many international awards, and Chal Chalein got appreciation for taking bold themes on board.
Phir Kabhi (2008) was another notable addition to his body of work, screened straight to homes and garnered six awards at the Los Angeles Reel Awards of 2009. Bhojpuri cinema saw his debut with Bhole Shankar (2008), which has been widely considered a landmark in that field.
Chakraborty had also featured in movies like Veer (2010) with Salman Khan and Golmaal 3 (2010) with Ajay Devgn. Then there were three films with Akshay Kumar in 2012 that include OMG: Oh My God!, Housefull 2 and Khiladi 786, with whom he seemed very flexible to modern cinema.
He started his career with The Villain in 2018 and made his critically acclaimed debut with the film The Kashmir Files (2022). Digital media saw him through his web series Bestseller (2022), which finally moved him into the OTT world of Amazon Prime.
A string of accomplishments throughout the career, including three National Film Awards and two Filmfare Awards along with one Screen Award, and countless other such accolades have rendered him a shining name in Indian cinema.
Serving as a brand ambassador for Panasonic during late 1980s and currently as a brand ambassador with GoDaddy and Manappuram Gold Loan in West Bengal prove the appeal is sought after but not a fleeting affair that disappears with silver screens.
Mithun also had his dose of high and low tiding years in his personal life. His first marriage was to the actress Helena Luke whom he married in 1979 but separated within four months of his marriage.
Later the same year, he married the actress Yogeeta Bali. The duo have four children, including Mimoh, Ushmey, Namashi Chakraborty, and adopted daughter, Dishani Chakraborty.
To sum it all, Mithun Chakraborty’s career speaks for itself as an ultimate survival artist with ever-changing trends in cinema. He was so humble from a childhood that reached him the topmost spot in Bollywood, loved by millions across generations of Indians.
In short, his contributions cannot be merely counted in terms of the number of films but also the amount of diversity in characters he has played and the track record he has made through the Indian film industry.