Mithun Chakraborty interview: ‘I believed I was Al Pacino’

The actor talks of his early days in the industry, his disbelief at winning the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, and his disappointments in the world of politics

“I have gone through a solid struggle in my journey,” says actor Mithun Chakraborty over phone, when we reach out to him on his being conferred the Dadasaheb Phalke Award that celebrates his lifelong contributions to the world of cinema. . “I came from the streets of Kolkata. I will never forget my humble beginnings.”

When he heard he had won the award, Mithun says, he was stunned. “I keep asking myself if it is true. It is an emotion I cannot express in words.”

Mithun stepped into the world of films with Mrinal Sen’s 1976 arthouse film Mrigayaa for which he won the National Award for Best Actor. The film marked the beginning of a glorious five-decade career. The tall, dark and handsome Mithun came as a breath of fresh air to the silver screen, which was mostly ruled by conventional-looking lead actors.

If on the one hand he stunned us with his role as Ghinua in Mrigayaa, on the other he kept us in splits as Krishnan Iyer MA in Agneepath. If he made our hearts break with his lovelorn looks as Ajay Khanna in Pyaar Jhukta Nahin, he had us grooving with him to Bappi Lahiri’s tunes in Disco Dancer.

Mithin has also shared the screen with a bevy of actors from Padmini Kolhapure and Mandakini to Jayaprada, Sridevi and Madhuri Dixit. “Not only did I act opposite many heroines, but I also introduced many actresses to the silver screen, some of whom have become superstars.”

While he started his career with an art film, Mithun became one of the most sought-after commercially successful stars. The 74-year-old actor says, “When I won the National award, I started to believe I had become Al Pacino. My behaviour then is not something I am proud of. When producers turned away, I realised I had made a terrible mistake and told myself I will do an art film only after I became a star.”

It took many years for Mithun’s follow up art film, Tahader Katha, which got him his second National Award. Mithun also worked with GV Iyer on Swami Vivekananda, where he played Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, a role which garnered him his third National Award. “Working with a legend like GV Iyer was a blessing.”

Also known for acting in many Hindi remakes of South Indian films, Mithun says, “Only successful films are remade and that gives you the guarantee that it will run in Hindi too.”

Mithun, who has acted in Telugu, Bangla, Odiya and Bhojpuri films, has also worked in television as a judge on reality shows including Dance Dance Junior, Dance Bangla Dance and Saregamapa. “The biggest challenge being a judge in a reality show is to be fair. I always tell myself not to take any drastic decisions that would destroy true talent.”

About the pan-Indian film debate, Mithun says, “It is ultimately business. Pan-India means they will make the film in every language, hoping it will become a hit in some language. A producer has to get his money back so he can make another film, which in turn means so many families can benefit.”

Like most of his predecessors and peers, Mithun too ventured into politics, but was not able to leverage his fame as an actor in the political arena. “Politically, we could not form our Government in Bengal. That has been a little upsetting for me as I want to do something for the people.”

Published - October 09, 2024 11:05 am IST