Dancing into the hearts of millions of Indian cine goers in the chartbuster “I am a disco dancer” Mithun Chakraborty, 74, has come a long way from the bylanes of Kolkata to reach peak stardom.
Recognising Chakraborty’s contribution to Indian cinema, the Union government on Monday bestowed the Dadasaheb Phalke award upon him. The announcement was made by Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw on social media.
The veteran actor, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member, was recently awarded Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian honour.
Congratulating Chakraborty, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the actor is a “cultural icon” admired across generations. “Delighted that Shri Mithun Chakraborty Ji has been conferred the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award, recognising his unparalleled contributions to Indian cinema. He is a cultural icon, admired across generations for his versatile performances. Congratulations and best wishes to him,” the Prime Minister said in a social media post.
Vaishnaw said Chakraborty’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,” the minister said in the post. The award will be presented to Chakraborty at the 70th National Film Awards ceremony on October eight, Vaishnaw said.
Though the actor made his debut in film ‘Mrigayaa’, directed by renowned director Mrinal Sen, Chakraborty in 1976. He bagged his first National award for best actor, and tasted commercial success with his film ‘Disco Dancer.’ All the songs of the film including ‘I am a disco dancer’ and ‘Yaad aa raha’ were a huge hit in the late 1970s.
Then followed several hits like ‘Mujhe Insaaf Chahiye’, ‘Hum Se Hai Zamana’, ‘Pasand Apni Apni’, ‘Ghar Ek Mandir’, ‘Kasam Paida Karne Wale Ki’ and ‘Commando’. Chakraborty was also praised for his role in the 1990 film ‘Agneepath’, fronted by Amitabh Bachchan.
Chakraborty’s unique moves, which popularised disco dancing, and fight scenes enthralled the audience all over the country and even in Russia. He earned two more National Awards for 1992’s ‘Tahader Katha’ (best actor) and 1998’s ‘Swami Vivekananda’ (best supporting actor).
When he got the news about the award Chakraborty said his life kept replaying in his mind, including the initial struggle for food and shelter. “I am short of words. It is an occasion which reminded me of the past. I went to Mumbai from Kolkata. In Mumbai, I did not have food and would sometimes sleep in the garden...
“This kept replaying. After all this, you get this huge honour. I have no words. I can only say I dedicate this award to my family and to fans all over the world.
“You know my life has never been smooth, I did not get anything on platter, I had to fight for everything, but when the result comes like this, you forget all the pain, God has been kind,” the actor told reporters in Kolkata.
Chakraborty also praised Prime Minister Modi. “I have great respect for PM Modi, he is a fantastic man. I know him, he is a gem of a person,” he added.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah also congratulated the veteran actor. “Mithun Ji’s illustrious career spanning several decades has not only enriched our films but has also set standards of excellence in acting. All my best wishes to him,” Shah said.
The three-member jury — comprising former Dadasaheb awardee Asha Parekh, actor-politician Khushbu Sundar and filmmaker Vipul Amrutlal Shah — selected Chakraborty for the prestigious honour.
Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri, who worked with the actor on films such as ‘The Tashkent Files’ and ‘The Kashmir Files’, also wished him in a social media post.
Chakraborty, whose real name is Gourang Chakraborty, is an alumnus of Pune’s Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) who has predominantly worked in Hindi and Bengali cinema. A former Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament, Chakraborty joined the BJP ahead of the 2021 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election.
The actor also served as the head judge or ‘grandmaster’ on the popular dance reality series ‘Dance India Dance’ from 2009 to 2018. In 2023, Waheeda Rehman was named recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.
