If I can make it, we can all make it: Mithun Chakraborty on getting Phalke Award

“You should have dedication and motivation. You should have the resilience to face difficult situations and keep doing your work. I can be an example,” said Chakraborty, a Padma Bhushan awardee. “Let’s not give up hope. If I can make it, we can all make it,” he said.

Minister for Information & Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw on Monday announced on X that Chakraborty would be conferred with the award at the 70th National Film Awards ceremony on October 8, 2024.

“Mithun Da’s remarkable cinematic journey inspires generations! Honoured to announce that the Dadasaheb Phalke Selection Jury has decided to award legendary actor, Sh. Mithun Chakraborty Ji for his iconic contribution to Indian Cinema,” Vaishnaw wrote.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to X to congratulate the actor: “Delighted that Shri Mithun Chakraborty Ji has been conferred the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award, recognizing his unparalleled contributions to Indian cinema. He is a cultural icon, admired across generations for his versatile performances. Congratulations and best wishes to him.”

Chakraborty has won the National Film Award for Best Actor thrice.

Born as Gouranga Chakraborty in erstwhile Calcutta in 1950, the rise and rise of the superstar, fondly called “Mithun da”, is a journey that has inspired many.

Considered to be one of the finest Indian actors, Chakraborty broke out with his Hindi film debut, Mrinal Sen-directed Mrigayaa in 1976, for which he won the National Film Award for Best Actor.

A graduate from Pune’s Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), he acted in several Hindi and Bengali movies, including Nadi Theke Sagare (1978), Mera Rakshak (1978) Surakshaa (1979) and Kasturi (1980). He also starred in Khwaja Ahmad Abbas’ The Naxalites (1980), which was screened at Cannes Film Festival.

He broke into the collective consciousness of the nation as a dancing superstar in 1982-hit Disco Dancer, which established him as one of the sought-after dancers of Indian film cinema.

Simultaneously, he also became popular as a romantic and action hero. The romantic drama Pyar Jhukta Nahin (1985) was a major success. So was JP Dutta directed action-drama Ghulami (1985).

Playing the supporting role of a Tamil coconut vendor Krishnan Iyer MA in Amitabh Bachchan-starrer Agneepath (1990), he earned much appreciation for his performance.

Soon after, he won another National Film Award for Best Actor for his performance in Buddhadev Dasgupta-directed Bengali film, Tahader Katha (1992). in which Chakraborty played a disillusioned freedom fighter.

In 1996, he won the National Award for Best Supporting Actor for essaying the role of Ramakrishna in Swami Vivekananda.

Though in the 90s and later years, he acted in several massy entertainers, such as Dalaal (1993), Cheetah (1994), Chandaal (1998) and Aaag Hi Aag (1999), both in Hindi and Bengali movies, he kept making appearances in some blockbusters too.

He acted in Rohit Shetty’s successful comedy franchise Golmaal 3 (2010), Housefull 2 (2012), and OMG – Oh My God! (2012).

He also acted in art-house films such as Rituporno Ghosh-directed Titli (2002) and Kaalpurush (2008) in the same period.

In recent years, he has emerged as a popular television personality and reality show judge. The actor has been the judge on Dance India Dance from 2009 to 2018 and host of Dadagiri Unlimited (2010) and Hunarbaaz: Desh Ki Shaan (2022), among others.

Apart from his exploits in cinema and television, Mithun is also active in the political sphere. After an earlier stint with Trinamool Congress that saw him nominated to Rajya Sabha between 2014 and 2016, the veteran actor moved to the BJP.

With Inputs from Alaka Sahani, Mumbai