May 06 2008
Mithun Chakraborty aka Mithun Da - Cult figure of marginalised
Gauranga Chakraborthy aka Mithun (screen name) was born on June 16, 1950 at Berisal (today in Bangladesh), graduate from FTII. Mithun Da as he is called is a legend in his own right, a man once considered to be a strong rival to Amitabh Bachchan. He won the National Film Award for his debut film ‘Mrigaya’ directed by Mrinal Sen in 1976.
Post which he starred with petty roles in movies like ‘Do Anjaane’(1976) where lead was Amitabh and then in ‘Phool Khile Hain Gulshan Gulshan”(1977), but it was the low budget film ‘Surakshaa’(1979) directed by R.Nagaich that saw him shoot to a star status. He followed it with hits like ‘Hum Paanch’ in 1980 and with Wardaat in 1981. Films like ‘Disco Dancer’ (1982), ‘Kasam Paida Karne Wale Ki’ (1984) and ‘Dance Dance’ (1987) were musical entertainers which projected Mithun as a disco dancer par excellence and the character Jimmy was the name on everyones lips. It was around this time that he also signed romantic films like as ‘Mujhe Insaaf Chahiye’ (1983), ‘Pyaar Jhukta Nahin‘ (1985), ‘Swarg Se Sunder’ (1986), and ‘Pyaar Ka Mandir’ (1988) which were box office hits. Not just a dancer or a romantic hero, he also proved himself to be a action hero with movies like ‘Wanted‘ (1983), ‘Boxer‘ (1984), ‘Jagir‘ (1984), ‘Jaal’ (1986), ‘Watan Ke Rakhwale’ (1987) ‘Commando’ (1988), ‘Waqt Ki Awaaz’ (1988), ‘Guru’ (1989), ‘Mujrim’ (1989) and ‘Dushman‘ (1990). This was the phase wherein he was compared to Big B (angry young man image) and had tremendous fan following.
Not just commercial cinema, but also the non-mainstream cinema got him critical acclaim and he won two more National Film Awards for his role in ‘Tahader Katha’ (1993) and ‘Swami Vivekananda’ (1996). He won Best Supporting Actor FilmFare Award for his role in ‘Agneepath’ (1991) and Best Villain Filmfare Award for his role in ‘Jallad’ (1995).
He has acted with most of the top actresses of his time, but a specific mention here of his affair with Sridevi from 1986 to 1987, which was a closed chapter for the fact of his still being married to Yogita Bali. It is also rumoured that Sridevi and Mithun were married in secrecy and it was annulled later. Another fact is Mithun Chakraborthy had a strong Naxalite following in his earlier days, it was only after some tragic incidents involving his family that he decided to quit the movement. He is an expert in martial arts.
Today Mithun Da has a huge following in Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar, which is due to his shifting focus to low budget movies, as with Bollywood the results were turning negative. Later he shifted focus to set up his own chain of hotels in Ooty known as Monarch Hotels. He has been an avid football fan and started the Bengal Football Academy.
His latest performance in the much acclaimed Mani Ratnam film ‘Guru’(2007) his performance as the editor of a newpaper is laudable……and he will be belting out many more such performances. With such a vast and diverse audience he has catered to, it would not be wrong to say he is the demi-god of the Indian Cinema and a cult figure to the marginalised masses.
