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 var ying parts has often been overshadowed by his image of a star of mainstream movies.

Even in commercial cinema, the 74-year-old Kolkataborn 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 intergenerational 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 organizing 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 taxpayers 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.

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It started out as just another Monday for Mithun Chakraborty as he was shooting for Shriman vs Shrimati in Kolkata, when he received a call stating that Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, wanted to speak with him. “[Next thing I know], the I&B Minister congratulated me saying I have received the Dadasaheb Phalke award,” the senior actor exclaims.

Yesterday, Chakraborty was named the recipient of the prestigious award. It is a worthy addition to his illustrious 48-year career that has seen the veteran actor, 74, win three National Awards, and the Padma Bhushan earlier this year. To him, the latest achievement has yet to sink in. 

“I am sitting here dumbfounded. I cannot laugh or cry with joy; I cannot understand what I’ve done to deserve such a high honour. I was reflecting on my journey, which began in the lanes of Kolkata, then took me to Mumbai, where I lived at Five Gardens, and now here. How can somebody like me get the highest Indian award in films?”

That Chakraborty was destined to make his mark in movies was evident in his debut film, Mrinal Sen’s Mrigayaa (1976), which earned him his first National Award. “Mrinal Sen had seen me at a farewell party at the FTII [Film and Television Institute of India]. He saw my back and said, ‘That’s my Ghinua.’ He told Hrishikesh Mukherjee that he wanted this tall boy with a terrific physique for his movie. I had six-pack abs at the time,” he laughs.

What followed was a successful career in Hindi and Bengali cinema, with the actor ushering in the era of disco dancing in India with Disco Dancer (1982). He fronted several mainstream hits, including Hum Se Hai Zamaana (1983), Kasam Paida Karnewale Ki (1984) and Dance Dance (1987). “Nothing came on a platter. When I became a superstar, I had to hold on to it. That was a bigger struggle. People tell me I am a legend, but the journey was never easy.”

Mithun Chakraborty’s actor-son Mimoh said he was “overwhelmed and grateful” by the recognition accorded to the veteran actor. “I’m thankful to the government for giving him this prestigious award. It’s very well-deserved. I’m happy to say that in one year, he has been the recipient of two awards, the Padma Bhushan and now the Dadasaheb Phalke Award,” he said. Describing his father as a man of simple taste, Mimoh elaborated, “When we go to Los Angeles, we have to force him to go to a store and buy clothes. Even with iPhones, we have to tell him to upgrade. He does not believe in living life extravagantly. He believes in living life honestly and [doing] everything with utmost honesty.”  

- Oshin Fernandes