Jun 16, 2026 7:00pm IST
Mithun Chakraborty: ‘I Have No Ambition To Die As An Actor’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Mithun Chakraborty has had the rare privilege of straddling two seemingly opposite worlds of cinema — from the art-house brilliance of Mrinal Sen to the unabashed commercial entertainers of T. L. V. Prasad. For Chakraborty, cinema is cinema. This democratic approach has taken him from three National Awards to a string of career-defining blockbusters, including “Disco Dancer,” “Pyar Jhukta Nahin” and “Dalaal.” As he celebrates his 76th birthday, Mithun Chakraborty talks about career milestones, missed opportunities and more.
On your 76th birthday today, what goes through your mind when you look back at this remarkable journey?
I’m glad to be around for so long. I’ve seen generations of actors come and go. I am grateful that my fans are still with me. Now my sons are also working in the same industry.
You are acting even today.
Thankfully, no one is offering me father’s and brother’s roles in Bollywood. For my fans, I’m still the same Mithun who started in 1976 with Mrinal Sen’s “Mrigayaa.”
Your very first film as a leading man, “Mrigayaa,” won you the National Award. Did that early acclaim change your life?
Yes, but the National Award doesn’t fill your belly. I had to do all kinds of films to keep my kitchen fires burning. But, I am proud of all my films, good, bad or ugly. I had a wife and four children to feed. At one point in my life, I moved to Ooty with my family to look after my hotel business. Bahot papad belen hain hum ne (I’ve done all kinds of things to survive). I moved to Ooty with my family in the 1980s for their sake because I didn’t want to die with the actor’s shoes on. I have no ambition to die as an actor. I wanted to secure my children’s future. They shouldn’t suffer when I’m not here.
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The films you did during your Ooty phase were often labeled as B-grade or substandard. How do you look at that criticism?
I don’t know why anyone should call them substandard. Those were also very big hits, for example, “Jallad.” How do you classify them as A-grade or B-grade? Sure, you can classify them as small-budget films. Any actor who doesn’t know the economics of filmmaking is bound to flop. You need to know your market value. If you consider yourself a big star in your head, then you’ll fall flat on your face. Just because I’m a big star in Bengal, I can’t ask for Rs 20 crore in Mumbai. I need to know my exact value. To stay in the business, I had to know the market and my own value. That’s how those films happened. If I’m still around today, it’s because I did all those films.
Few actors can claim a range that stretches from Mrinal Sen’s “Mrigayaa” to T.L.V. Prasad’s “Jallad.” How do you view the diversity of your career?
Let’s not forget that I played Ramakrishna Paramhansa, which got me my third National Award. So I’ve played everything from Disco Dancer to Jallad to God. I don’t like looking back. But when I do, I feel a sense of gratitude and happiness. I got more than I deserved. I never asked anyone for work. It just came my way.
Which other films do you consider milestones in your journey?
Mani Ratnam’s “Guru.” If things had gone differently, I would have worked with him much earlier. He had offered me a role in Iruvar, which Prashanth eventually played. I didn’t do it because I was required to cut my hair. If I had cut my hair for one film, a dozen other producers would have suffered.
Do you have any regrets about the opportunities you missed?
The past is a burden that you carry. I don’t think it helps you improve on your mistakes. The present and the future are what count. I don’t believe in living in the past. I won’t do stereotypical father’s roles. If I did any of those, my fans in Bengal would be very unhappy. Over there, they still see me as a superstar. Bengali producers would throw a fit if I did fatherly roles in Hindi. I have never demanded anything. Whatever I’ve got in life has come to me without my efforts. It’s all God’s grace. My family, especially my wife, Yogeeta Bali, has been a tremendous support.
Which films do you regard as the biggest landmarks of your career?
The three National Award-winning films. Then, of course, “Disco Dancer,” “Pyar Jhukta Nahin,” “Hum Paanch” and “Mujrim.” These gave me an actor’s status and made me very popular.
What would you like to tell your fans on your birthday?
That if Mithun Chakraborty can do it, so can you. It is okay for a common man like me to have dreams. They do come true.
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