NEW DELHI: In the summer of 1969, Mithun Chakraborty was asked to leave Kolkata by his father for getting involved with the Naxalites, the radical Reds whose ideology had enchanted hundreds of young men in search of a cause in Kolkata. In the years that followed, among other things, Mithun slept on pavements of Mumbai and was forced to cough up a fee for the precious space.On Monday, he was declared as the next recipient of Indian cinema‘s highest honour, the Dadasaheb Phalke award, by Union I&B minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on X.
Life’s been a rollercoaster for the actor who has won the National Award on three occasions. Mithun got the best actor prize for his portrayal of a wronged tribal in his first major film, Mrinal Sen’s Mrigayaa (1977) and again for his celluloid interpretation of a disillusioned freedom fighter in Buddadev Dasgupta’s Tahader Katha (1992). A third award as the best supporting actor came for his part of Sri Ramkrishna Paramhans in GV Iyer’s Swami Vivekananda (1995). The profundity that Mithun brought to these varying parts has often been overshadowed by his image of a star of mainstream movies.
Even in commercial cinema, the 74-year-old Kolkata-born actor has done more than often given credit for. Mithun toiled for 10 years in the harsh Mumbai filmdom before finding his feet and success; 1979 being his breakthrough year when Surakksha, where he played the desi Bond, Gunmaster G-9, became a box-office winner. He was the first dancing star to emerge in the video era that the non-gentry audience loved and identified with. Nobody took dancing to the street as a way of expressing joy and celebrating weddings and festivals like Mithun.
The actor also overcame colour prejudice that was subtly embedded in the choice of heroes in colour conscious 1980s Bollywood; Mithun made dusky sexy. Even today Mithun is an icon in Russia where Disco Dancer (1983) is an inter-generational hit. In Tokyo too, there’s a shrine to the Disco Dancer. Now over four and half decades in the acting business, he acted in the 2022 blockbuster, The Kashmir Files.
Over the years, the actor widened his repertoire. He has delivered hits in mature action yarns (Ghulami), romantic dramas (Pyar Jhukta Nahi) and southern-made melodramas (Ghar Ek Mandir, Swarg Se Sundar and Pyaar Ka Mandir), not to forget in comedies (Golmaal 3).
Mithun has also acted with success in low budget films such as Jallad creating a template of such movies. His dialogues like ‘Marbo ekhane lash porbe shoshane (Hit you here, and the body will land up in the crematorium)’ in the Bengali film, MLA Fatakesto, is played on YouTube to this day.
The actor has always been at the forefront of social causes. In 1986, he took the lead in organising the Calcutta version of Hope 86, a concert in aid of Bombay film industry workers. In the 1990s, he was often conferred with Rashtriya Samman for being one of the highest tax-payers in the country.
Politics has been a playful rainbow for Mithun. He has enjoyed its different colours and shades. After starting from the extreme Red, he warmed up to the gentler hues of CPM politicos in the 1980s. He became a Rajya Sabha MP via centrist Trinamool. And embraced BJP’s saffron in 2021.
“Mithun Da’s remarkable cinematic journey inspires generations!” said Vaishnaw in his post. The truth is that Mithun’s life has more drama than most films. It has been an exceptional life overall which will certainly inspire any ambitious young man or woman trying to reach for the stars.