If I can make it then anyone can make it.” That is how Krishnan Iyer YamYa (MA) … Nariyal Paani Wala (Invoke Agneepath) explained his 48-year journey to success, hours after the news of him being nominated for the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.
Providing a few snatches from his hard days — “that was hardly considered hard by me” — Mumbai mega star Mithun Chakrabarty on Monday said, “when a journalist contacted me for an interview after I got my first National Award — for Mrinal Sen’s Mrigaya — I remember telling him that I would give him one if he could treat me to good food … that sums up my struggling days.”
A veteran of the famous Scottish Church College, Kolkata — where went the greats like Swami Vivekananda, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose — the Disco Dancer of the eighties got emotional saying he was running short of words. “Neither I can laugh nor cry. It is beyond my imagination,” he said dedicating his success “to my family and my fans across the world.”
The super star who too is often referred as Dada in Mumbai expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for acknowledging his success saying “he is a fantastic human being to be with … I had occasions to meet him several time and I am fortunate to be congratulated by him.” Earlier the Prime Minister wrote, “delighted that Shri Mithun Chakraborty Ji has been conferred the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award, recognising his unparalleled contributions to Indian cinema.”
Earlier Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnav said announcing Dadasaheb Phalke award for the North Kolkata boy of the 1970s, “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.”
An alumnus of Pune’s Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Chakraborty has worked predominantly in Hindi and Bengali cinema and is perhaps among very few actors who have three National Awards in his kitty for his debut film Mrigayaa, followed by Tahader Katha and Swami Vivekananda. He is also known for his other famous parallel films like Mera Rakshak, Patita etc.
However it is the main stream Mumbai blockbusters that got him the real fame like Disco Dancer with its chartbusters like Jimmy Jimmy and Yaad Aa Raha Hai, Guru, Pyar Jhukta Nahin, Agneepath, Suraksha etc that catapulted him to be the first mega star of Hidni films.
When asked as to whether he expected praises from Bengal political circles like Chief Minister Banerjee he answered in the negative saying he was not expecting such praises. “I am thankful to her that she sent me to Rajya Sabha but I came out of my own … I should not say much on things that would invite controversy.”
He however acknowledged how late President Pranab Mukherjee had lobbied for him saying, “Yes I must acknowledge that he wrote several letters for me,” adding apart from these I don’t h gave any obligations from anyone.
Even as Bengal cine fraternity like actors Prasenjit and Rituparna Sengupta saw him in a “great actor and inspiration for many people because he never stopped and went on,” Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh said, “I must congratulate Mithun da the actor and … also would request him to for once remember during his hours of success how late Pranab Mukherjee wrote several letters for him for the award.”
