Mithun Chakraborty interview: ‘I believed I used to be Al Pacino’

Mithun Chakraborty
| Photograph Credit score: ANI

“I’ve gone via a stable battle in my journey,” says actor Mithun Chakraborty over telephone, once we attain out to him on his being conferred the Dadasaheb Phalke Award that celebrates his lifelong contributions to the world of cinema. . “I got here from the streets of Kolkata. I’ll always remember my humble beginnings.”

When he heard he had received the award, Mithun says, he was shocked. “I preserve asking myself whether it is true. It’s an emotion I can not categorical in phrases.”

Mithun stepped into the world of movies with Mrinal Sen’s 1976 arthouse movie Mrigayaa for which he received the Nationwide Award for Greatest Actor. The movie marked the start of an excellent five-decade profession. The tall, darkish and good-looking Mithun got here as a breath of recent air to the silver display screen, which was principally dominated by conventional-looking lead actors.

If on the one hand he shocked us along with his function as Ghinua in Mrigayaa, on the opposite he stored us in splits as Krishnan Iyer MA in Agneepath. If he made our hearts break along with his lovelorn seems to be as Ajay Khanna in Pyaar Jhukta Nahin, he had us grooving with him to Bappi Lahiri’s tunes in Disco Dancer.

Mithin has additionally shared the display screen with a bevy of actors from Padmini Kolhapure and Mandakini to Jayaprada, Sridevi and Madhuri Dixit. “Not solely did I act reverse many heroines, however I additionally launched many actresses to the silver display screen, a few of whom have turn out to be superstars.”

Whereas he began his profession with an artwork movie, Mithun grew to become one of the vital sought-after commercially profitable stars. The 74-year-old actor says, “After I received the Nationwide award, I began to consider I had turn out to be Al Pacino. My behaviour then isn’t one thing I’m happy with. When producers turned away, I realised I had made a horrible mistake and instructed myself I’ll do an artwork movie solely after I grew to become a star.”

It took a few years for Mithun’s observe up artwork movie, Tahader Katha, which bought him his second Nationwide Award. Mithun additionally labored with GV Iyer on Swami Vivekananda, the place he performed Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, a job which garnered him his third Nationwide Award. “Working with a legend like GV Iyer was a blessing.”

Additionally identified for performing in lots of Hindi remakes of South Indian movies, Mithun says, “Solely profitable movies are remade and that offers you the assure that it’ll run in Hindi too.”

Mithun, who has acted in Telugu, Bangla, Odiya and Bhojpuri movies, has additionally labored in tv as a decide on actuality exhibits together with Dance Dance Junior, Dance Bangla Dance and Saregamapa. “The largest problem being a decide in a actuality present is to be truthful. I all the time inform myself to not take any drastic selections that might destroy true expertise.”

In regards to the pan-Indian movie debate, Mithun says, “It’s in the end enterprise. Pan-India means they are going to make the movie in each language, hoping it’s going to turn out to be successful in some language. A producer has to get his a reimbursement so he could make one other movie, which in flip means so many households can profit.”

Like most of his predecessors and friends, Mithun too ventured into politics, however was not in a position to leverage his fame as an actor within the political enviornment. “Politically, we couldn’t type our Authorities in Bengal. That has been slightly upsetting for me as I wish to do one thing for the folks.”