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ENTERTAINMENT EYE                                                   OCTOBER 18, 2024       |  The Indian Eye 40



                                              DADASAHEB PHALKE AWARD


                “Never give up on your dreams”:



          Mithun Chakraborty reflects on his




               journey after receiving top award





        Mithun Chakraborty made his film debut in 1976 with ‘Mrigayaa’, where he captivated audiences with his versatile acting



        OUR BUREAU
        New Delhi
              eteran actor and politician
              Mithun Chakraborty was hon-
        Voured with the prestigious Da-
        dasaheb  Phalke  Award  at  the  70th
        National Film Awards ceremony
        held  at  Vigyan  Bhawan  on  Tuesday.
        The award, presented by President
        Droupadi Murmu, is the highest ac-
        colade in Indian cinema, celebrating
        lifetime achievements in the industry.
            The legendary actor was met with
        a standing ovation from attendees, in-
        cluding dignitaries and fellow artists.
            During his acceptance speech,
        Mithun  reflected  on  his  journey  in
        the  film  industry,  sharing  poignant
        anecdotes from his early career. “My
        God, my Respected President, my Re-
        spect Minister, and all the best people
        on the dais, I have been on this stage
        three  times.  After  receiving  my  first
        National Award, I was overwhelmed
        by the praise, and it distracted my fo-
        cus,” he recalled.
            He humorously recounted a
        conversation with a producer after a
        screening of his debut film ‘Mrigayaa’.  President Droupadi Murmu presents the Dadasaheb Phalke Award to veteran actor Mithun Chakraborty, at the 70th National Film Awards, at
            “After finishing the film, I asked                       Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi on Tuesday (ANI Photo/Shrikant Singh)
        a senior colleague how he felt about
        it. He complimented my acting but
        cheekily remarked on my attire, saying   The actor addressed the preju-  remarked, “I received nothing on   His portrayal of a Santhal rebel
        he could only imagine how I’d look  dice he faced regarding his skin co-  a platter; everything I earned was   earned him the National Film Award
        with clothes on. It struck me later that I  lour, revealing, “Many told me that  through hard work. I often questioned   for Best Actor in his debut, and he lat-
        was bare in the film,” Mithun recalled,  dark-skinned  actors wouldn’t survive  God for my struggles, but after receiv-  er won two additional National Film
        sparking laughter  in the audience.  in Bollywood. I prayed to God, Could  ing this award, I feel at peace and will   Awards for  ‘Tahader  Katha’  (1992)
            Mithun also candidly shared his  you  change  my  colour?  But  eventu-  never complain again.”   and ‘Swami Vivekananda’ (1998).
        journey through the highs and lows of  ally accepted that I couldn’t alter my   In an inspiring conclusion to his   Beyond acting, Mithun has made
        the industry, particularly after winning  complexion. Instead, I focused on my  speech, Mithun encouraged aspiring   a significant impact in the music indus-
        his  first  National  Award.  “I  thought  dancing skills, determined to become  actors: “Never stop dreaming. Re-  try with iconic dance numbers like ‘I
        I had become Al Pacino. I began to  so remarkable that audiences would  member, when you go to sleep, don’t   Am a Disco Dancer’, ‘Jimmy Jimmy’,
        treat producers dismissively. But re-  overlook my skin colour. That’s how  let your dreams sleep. If I can do it, so   and ‘Super Dancer’. These tracks
        ality hit when a producer kicked me  I transformed into the ‘sexy, dusky  can you.”                   have become timeless classics, loved
        out of his office. That day, I realized I  Bengali babu,’” he stated, earning ap-  Affectionately known as ‘Mithun   by generations of fans. Most recent-
        was not Al Pacino, and it marked the  plause from the audience, including  Da’ by his fans, Mithun Chakraborty   ly, Mithun Chakraborty appeared in
        end of my delusions,” he shared, em-  Union Minister for  Information  and  made  his  film  debut  in  1976  with   Vivek Agnihotri’s critically acclaimed
        phasizing the lessons learned from his  Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw.  ‘Mrigayaa’, where he captivated audi-  film ‘The Kashmir Files’, further solid-
        experiences.                          Reflecting on his career, Mithun  ences with his versatile acting.  ifying his legacy in Indian cinema.


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