Mithun Chakraborty, rajya sabha, Mithun Chakraborty resigns rajya sabha, Mithun Chakraborty rajya sabha, tmc, latest news
Sankha Ghosh | ETimes (BOMBAY TIMES; July 26, 2022)

Despite his recent health scare, Mithun Chakraborty seems to be in top form as he prepares to shoot for the Bengali film Projapoti, directed by Avijit Sen. The film will see him reuniting with Mamata Shankar decades after Mrinal Sen’s Mrigayaa. In a conversation, he talks about being excited about doing a Bengali film again, his take on the ongoing Bollywood versus South debate and more. Excerpts:

Having spent almost five decades in the movie business, do you still feel nervous on the first day of a film shoot?
I have worked in more than 370 films now, but I still feel a bit nervous on the first day of any film shoot. Yes, I am also quite excited to do a Bengali film again. Shooting in Kolkata brings back so many memories.

You’ve had a long and prolific career. In retrospect, do you ever feel you should have taken it easy through the 80s and 90s when you were doing 30-40 films a year?
I was young back then and there were so many offers coming in. Maybe at that time, I thought it was okay to say yes to almost every film. But had I done fewer films back then, would I be able to reach this position today? Who knows? Frankly speaking, I don’t think too much about it.

What changes have you witnessed in the film industry over the years?
I think human values have been diminishing as we move forward, and I think social media has to be blamed for this. I know there are good things associated with online media, but now people use it more for negative things. Earlier we (actors) used to sit with each other and eat. Now, we just go to our vanity vans and get busy with our phones.

There’s a lot of buzz around Baap, the film you’re doing with Sanjay Dutt and Jackie Shroff…
I can’t divulge anything about the film right now. All I can say is that I am more interested in doing films that go on to become landmark ones, just like what happened with The Kashmir Files. But yes, this film will be an exciting one. People are already talking about it.

What are your thoughts on the recent Bollywood vs South debate?
Just see the films like RRR, Pushpa: The Rise - Part 01 or KGF - Chapter 2. Why do they become such big hits? Because people can relate to the story and its mass appeal. I think these films are quite similar to those larger-than-life masala films I used to in the 80s and 90s. The most important thing is you have to play to the gallery. The superstardom of South superstars like Yash, Ram Charan, Jr NTR or Allu Arjun has been used in these films with some amazing timing. That’s why people love them so much.

What’s the one change you want to see in Bollywood films going forward?
We have to learn from the previous mistakes and we have to carefully analyse what people want to see. Working on good content and at the same time choosing relatable stories will do wonders at the box office. I think Bollywood will soon come out roaring with successful films with amazing box office numbers. It’s high time we focus on mass entertainers.

Is it difficult to maintain your movie commitments with your active political career?
I will continue to work for the people. I was not well for the last one year or so and that’s why I couldn’t concentrate on my political activities. But don’t worry, I will handle both my film and political commitments. After all, we are professionals.