Mithun Chakraborty to be honoured with Dadasaheb Phalke Award: A glimpse into his journey from 'rags to riches'

Indian actor Mithun Chakraborty will be honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award at the 70th National Film Awards ceremony which will be held on October 8, 2024. The Selection Jury has decided to felicitate the legendary actor for his iconic contribution to Indian cinema. The announcement has elated his admirers and social media is getting flooded with congratulatory messages. 

The journey of Gouranga Chakraborty to Disco Dancer Mithun is no less than a Bollywood drama. His story has emotion, failure, struggle, and sweet success. Moreover, the twists in his real-life journey also have the filmy trademark.

From being a ‘footpather’ to becoming the most celebrated actor and country's top taxpayer sounds like a movie plot. Mithun's story of overcoming poverty to become a Bollywood superstar is quite inspiring. Let's delve into the cinematic turns and twists of his life and know his journey from rags to riches.

Also Read | Mithun Chakraborty to be Honoured with Dadasaheb Phalke Award

Early life

Mithun was born into a Bengali Hindu family in Calcutta (now Kolkata).  After earning his B.Sc. degree, we went on to join the Naxalite movement for a brief period. After this, he joined the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune. 

However, when he first came to the tinsel town, after graduating from FTII, he used to sleep on the streets, footpaths, water tanks, Five Gardens and even infront of hostels. With no filmy connections, this first-generation actor didn't know anyone in Mumbai and didn't have a place to live. He survived on street food. 

He also had taken a membership at the Matunga Gymkhana Club so that he could take showers. 

The tall and lanky performer had gone through his fair share of struggle.

During an interview with etc in 2010, Mithun talked about his struggles, saying that 'he came from the footpath.' He also revealed how sleeping on water tanks shielded him from the glare of guards.

In earlier interviews, Mithun Da revealed that his situation was so tough that he struggled with suicidal thoughts.

A few media reports also claimed that Mithun Da would dance at weddings to get a one-time meal. He couldn't even go back to his hometown due to his political background. 

Mithun's Breakthrough

Mithun got his break in Mrinal Sen's Mrigayaa in 1976. His impeccable performance as a young tribal named Ghinua earned him a National Award. Though Mithun Da had managed some brand recall by working in a few Bengali films, his journey to carve a place in the Hindi film industry was an arduous one. He went on to work in a few other films. His popularity grew with films like Suraksha (1979) and Tarana (1979). However, he rose to fame with 1982's Disco Dancer. 

Career skyrocketed with Disco Dancer

His career skyrocketed with the release of Disco Dancer and became a star nationwide and in Russia. The movie turned out to be a superhit and his portrayal as Jimmy earned him a lot of praise. Apart from the roaring hit, 'I Am A Disco Dancer,' songs like 'Yaad Aa Raha Hai,' and 'Jimmy Jimmy' became chartbusters and had fans swooning over Mithun. Disco Dancer changed his life and in 1986, he went on to become the country's highest taxpayer. 

Related Story: Mithun Chakraborty: Country's Top Taxpayer in 80s Awarded Top National Honour

In 1991, he bagged a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor for his stellar performance in Agneepath as Krishnan Iyer Nariyal Paniwala. The movie starred Amitabh Bachchan in the lead. Following that, he won two more National Film Awards for his performance in the 1992 film 'Tahader Katha' and the 1998 film 'Swami Vivekananda'.

'370 films old' Mithun

Mithun is over '370 films old' and has worked in Bengali, Hindi, Odia, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Bhojpuri and Punjabi films.

Mithun was known as an actor who could effortlessly do both, dance and fight. In the era of superstars like Rajesh Khanna, Amitabh Bachchan, Jeetendra, and Rishi Kapoor, Mithun was a class apart. He was also known as 'The poor man's Amitabh'. 

He achieved stardom with his versatility. Even though he shared screen space with the biggies, he held a place of his own. Apart from ruling the silver screen, he also managed to rule the television as the judge of reality shows.

Versatility in real life

In real life, he plays many roles, including actor, producer, hotelier, cricket team owner, philanthropist and animal lover. Even in his 70s, Mithun Chakraborty remains unstoppable. His never-give-up attitude keeps him motivated and strengthened.