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Mithun Chakraborty has carved an enviable acting career over almost the last half a century, but his sons — Mimoh Chakraborty and Namashi Chakraborty — are still finding their feet in the film industry. For the first time, Mithun and his younger son Namashi will be seen in the same film — Vivek Agnihotri’s political drama The Bengal Files — although they won’t share screen space with each other.
“I must say, I’m not only Mithun Chakraborty’s son, but also Yogeeta Bali’s son. People usually talk about daddy, but my mom was also a very famous actor,” said Namashi.
“I don’t think us star kids take the pressure. But people have a certain perception because my dad has been a superstar in his era. Even today, he’s dominating the landscape. He’s a legend! In order to match that legacy, you don’t need just talent, but also extraordinary destiny. My father has been an actor for 48 years. You can’t compare a legend to a newcomer,” argued Namashi in the interview with Galatta India.
Namashi Chakraborty confessed that he only takes the pressure to do good, consistent work as an actor otherwise he’d be reminded and rejected repeatedly as a star kid. “I don’t think Akshaye Khanna takes the pressure either because he’s a fantastic actor. He’s not known as Vinod Khanna’s son. And there are many more — Ranbir Kapoor (son of late Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Kapoor), Alia Bhatt (daughter of filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt and actor Soni Razdan), Sunny Deol, and Bobby Deol (sons of Dharmendra). So, it all depends on how talented you are,” added Namashi.
He reasoned that his journey has been different from other star kids because he chose to get work on his own. “Whatever films I’ve gotten so far, it’s not because of someone else. But I don’t blame anyone or complain. I always wanted to get work on my own. I’m a very independent person,” claimed Namashi, adding that he had the belief that he’d get work even without invoking his last name.
“I’ve done dozens of auditions in Aaram Nagar (area in Andheri West, Mumbai) where no one had the remotest idea who I am. I was rejected so many times. I never asked to stand ahead in the queue because I’m so and so’s son. I’m just another boy trying to get work in the city. So, I’ve stood in queues for hours. I had that madness within me,” said Namashi.
Namashi Chakraborty also revealed that he’s grown up “disconnected” from Mumbai. “We shifted to Ooty in 1994, when I was just two. I wasn’t even in Mumbai for 12 years of my formative life. So, I’m not actually a Bollywood child at all. I was raised in Tamil Nadu. I came back to Mumbai in 2015 when I was just 15. I didn’t have star kids as friends in Mumbai, nor was I familiar with Mumbai. Our upbringing was quite different,” said Namashi.
Mithun Chakraborty had moved to Ooty with his family in 1994 after his films continued to tank at the box office. He started a hotel in Ooty, while continuing to appear in films. “Dad was quite disconnected too. He was running his own industry. So, when we came back to Mumbai, it was never the case that we were making calls to others. We had to start afresh,” said Namashi.
He claimed that he always wanted to be an actor, and never had a plan-B. “I didn’t want to be a part of this herd mentality of being a star. Which is why I also did theatre, stand-up comedy, and improv. So, I’ve never confined myself to one slot. But I was always into performing arts since school,” said Namashi.
Namashi Chakraborty, who made his debut with Rajkumar Santoshi’s 2023 romantic comedy Bad Boy, will be next seen as an antagonist in The Bengal Files, slated to release in cinemas on September 5. He’s also shooting for Vikram Bhatt’s jungle action adventure Viraat, slated to release in cinemas next year.
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