Following the positive response to his portrayal of Himel Majumder in Khakee: The Bengal Chapter, Mimoh Chakraborty is eager to explore more versatile and meaningful characters. However, his journey in showbiz has been far from easy. Soon after his debut with Jimmy (2008), he was written off by many. What kept him going was the unrelenting spirit he witnessed at home, that of his father, the legendary Mithun Chakraborty.

Mimoh shares, “My father’s legacy speaks volumes that words can barely do justice to. However, there’s one thing he told me that has stayed with me. He said, ‘Mimoh, you know my struggles. If I didn’t give up in those conditions back then, what right do you have to give up now?’ His struggles were far worse than mine. He had nothing, sometimes not even one proper meal a day. He would have lunch but wouldn’t know where dinner was coming from. Still, he never gave up.”

Recalling one such story, the actor adds, “He told me how he used to walk three to four kilometres every morning to Talwalkar’s gym in Pali Hill. He didn’t have money or a membership, so he struck a deal with the watchman. He would clean the bathrooms in exchange for a chance to work out. That’s how determined he was to build a physique good enough to become a villain in Bollywood, but destiny had other plans for him, and he became a hero.”

The actor also credits Salman Khan for being a constant source of encouragement. He says, “Bhai has always been close to our family and has helped me with many projects, even though some didn’t take off. He is always just one phone call away. Even Shah Rukh Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham, and Arjun Rampal have given me great advice and supported me in their own way. These are acts of kindness I will never forget.”

“I can’t forget my struggles just because I’m getting praise today. I’ll never forget that younger version of me. He cried alone but never gave up on this version of me, so I won’t give up on him. I’ll always be grateful to that boy,” says Mimoh Chakraborty.

For someone who once entered Bollywood with the weight of great expectations, Mimoh Chakraborty’s journey has been anything but conventional. The actor, who debuted with Jimmy (2008) at 24 and hoped to follow in the footsteps of his legendary father, Mithun Chakraborty, was met with harsh criticism and brutal rejection. But years later, the Mimoh we meet today is far more composed and grounded.

His portrayal of Himel Majumder in Khakee: The Bengal Chapter marked a turning point, earning him praise. Reflecting on the contrast between that performance and the shaky beginnings of his career, he says, “I’m still a student. If I were to meet Mimoh from 2008, I’d tell him the same thing I tell myself today: you have a lot to learn. I feel more responsible now because people liked what I did in Khakee. It’s not a victory, it’s the victory lap. At 41, I believe I’m entering my prime and feel like I’m finally part of the race. Everything happens in its own time and place.”

He vividly remembers being written off early in his career. “Nobody likes being told they’re not good enough. Back then, it shook me. In my head, I believed I was good because we all see ourselves as the hero of our own story. But when that illusion breaks, you realize it’s not about you. That’s when bitterness slowly starts to turn into something better. It’s taken years, but I’m in a better place now,” says Mimoh, who will soon be seen in Haunted 3D: Ghosts Of The Past.

There was a time when Mithun Chakraborty reached out to people to put in a word for his son, but the response was silence. Mimoh laughs as he recalls, “I’m like the poster boy for anti-nepotism. My father reached out, but nobody responded. Not because they had anything against him, but because it didn’t matter to them. This is a professional industry. Nobody owes you anything. Opportunities come when someone believes in you. Neeraj Pandey and Vikram Bhatt believed in me and offered me Khakee and Haunted 2 after auditions. My father never even spoke to Neeraj sir. It’s not about favours. It’s about belief. That belief from a filmmaker changes everything.”

Having made his debut with the expectations that come from being Mithun Chakraborty’s son, does he still feel the weight of his surname? “The responsibility will always be there. But I don’t obsess over it. My father’s legacy is unique — not just in cinema, but in his humanity. I can’t replicate that, and I’d be foolish to try. I need to set an example for Mimoh, not for Mithun Chakraborty’s son. That’s my identity. Being his son is an honour, but Mimoh should define who I am,” he concludes.