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Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Bollywood superstar, worth Rs 400 crore, once slept on footpaths, was disrespected for his skin colour. Today, he owns over 16 bungalows
Mithun Chakraborty , widely celebrated as Bollywood 's Disco Dancer , has lived a life filled with dramatic turns, embracing triumphs and hardships with equal spirit. Born as Gouranga Chakraborty on July 16, 1950, he grew up in a modest lower middle-class household in Bengal. From the earliest years, financial challenges defined much of his family's life. Despite such limitations, he managed to study at Kolkata's respected Scottish Church College, showing resilience and ambition that would later become central to his persona. Connection to the Naxalite Movement During the volatile political climate of the 1960s, the young Chakraborty found himself influenced by revolutionary ideas. Drawn into the Naxalite movement , he actively participated in it for a period. According to the actor himself, as shared in an interview with journalist Ali Peter John, his association was so strong that many in Kolkata recognized his close ties with Charu Mazumdar, the radical leader of the Naxalites. However, a personal tragedy changed his course. After his brother suffered a severe accident, he made the decision to distance himself from extremist politics. Even though he left the movement long before entering films, the label of being a former Naxalite continued to shadow him. He recalled that whether he was at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune or later in Mumbai, people often judged him through that lens. The Turning Point After Tragedy The death of his brother left Mithun devastated, leading him to vanish from public view for some time. His reemergence came with a renewed sense of direction when he gained admission into FTII, India's premier film institute, where he trained professionally in acting. This opportunity gave him the tools to transform his passion into a career. Days at FTII and Early Struggles Life at FTII was a mix of learning and tough experiences. Actor Shakti Kapoor, who was a junior to Mithun at the institute, once recounted on the Timeout with Ankit podcast that Mithun was notorious for ragging newcomers. Kapoor remembered being teased so harshly—his hair was cut, he was locked in a room, and forced to swim numerous laps—that he cried. Despite such incidents, Chakraborty left a mark as a strong presence on campus. Struggling for Survival in Mumbai After completing his training, Mithun set out for Mumbai with dreams of making it big in Hindi cinema. The journey was far from easy. Before receiving his first break, he endured extreme poverty. He has spoken on the reality show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li'l Champs about the nights when he slept hungry, wept silently, and even spent days on the city's footpaths without knowing where the next meal would come from. These hardships reflected the depth of his struggle, a reality far removed from the glamour of the industry he aspired to join. A Remarkable Debut with Mrinal Sen Mithun's perseverance eventually paid off when he made his debut with Mrigayaa, directed by acclaimed filmmaker Mrinal Sen. The film not only introduced him to Bollywood but also earned him the National Award for Best Actor. For many actors, such an honor comes after years of work, but Mithun achieved it in his very first film. Yet, this early recognition came with its own challenges. In an interview with India Today, he admitted that the success inflated his ego. Feeling like he was the next Al Pacino, his arrogance cost him work, as producers quickly dismissed him for his attitude. This period taught him humility and reminded him that raw talent needed discipline and grounding. Facing Bias in the Industry Alongside his personal missteps, Mithun also encountered prejudice because of his darker complexion. The actor revealed that he lost out on significant projects simply because of his skin tone. He has openly spoken about the disrespect he endured, noting how the industry often sidelined him. Nevertheless, his resilience and ability to connect with ordinary people transformed him into what he proudly called the 'common man's hero.' His rise showed that a superstar could emerge from modest roots and still represent millions who saw themselves in him. The Rags-to-Riches Transformation Despite constant hurdles, Mithun kept working in smaller projects and low-budget films until he eventually carved out his place in mainstream cinema. His persona as a dancing sensation and relatable hero won hearts across India, especially during the late 1970s and 1980s. Movies like Disco Dancer cemented his popularity, and he became a cultural icon whose journey mirrored the aspirations of the masses. His success was not just about fame but about rewriting the possibilities for actors who did not fit the conventional image of stardom. Wealth and Lifestyle in the Later Years As his career flourished, Mithun also built an enviable fortune. According to a report from , his net worth is estimated at around Rs 400 crore. Over the years, he has invested in numerous luxurious properties across India. These include lavish homes in Madh Island and Ooty, along with an expansive farmhouse near Mumbai. Additionally, he owns a large number of bungalows and cottages—sixteen in Masinagudi and eighteen in Mysore—reflecting the grandeur he achieved after years of hardship.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Meet the actor who slept on the footpath, got thrown out of film even after National Award win, was helped by Zeenat Aman and went on to work in over 350 films
Mithun Chakraborty , the star who danced his way into history with iconic hits like 'Disco Dancer', 'Dance Dance', 'Pyar Jhukta Nahin', 'Kasam Paida Karne Wale Ki' and 'Commando', has lived one of the most dramatic journeys in Bollywood. From being shamed for his skin colour and thrown out of films even after winning a National Award , to sleeping on footpaths during his struggling days, his rise was anything but easy. Mithun's early days Mithun was born on 16 July 1950, as Gouranga Chakraborty. He studied at Kolkata's Scottish Church College. Coming from a lower middle-class family, he faced financial struggles right from the start. Later, he cracked admission into the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), one of the country's most prestigious film schools, where he trained to be a professional actor. Sleeping on footpaths to survive His road to films was far from easy. Before his debut, Mithun went through years of hardship in Mumbai. He often slept hungry and even spent nights on footpaths. Recalling those dark days on the reality show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li'l Champs, Mithun had said, 'I have seen days when I had to sleep with an empty stomach, and I used to cry myself to sleep. In fact, there were days when I had to think about what my next meal will be, and where I will go to sleep. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Your Finger Shape Says a Lot About Your Personality, Read Now Tips and Tricks Undo I have also slept on the footpath for a lot of days.' Why Mithun does not want a biopic Despite his success, Mithun never wants his life to be made into a film. He explained, 'And that's the only reason I don't want my biopic to be ever made! My story will never inspire anyone, it will break them down (mentally) and discourage people from achieving their dreams. I don't want that to happen! If I can do it, anyone else can do it. I have fought a lot to prove myself in this industry. I am not legendary because I have given hit movies, I am a legend because I have surpassed all the pains and struggles of my life. ' Winning a National Award but losing work Mithun made his big screen debut with Mrinal Sen's 'Mrigayaa'. The film not only marked his entry into Bollywood but also won him the National Award for Best Actor. While most actors wait years for such recognition, Mithun achieved it with his first film. But instead of helping his career, the award created unexpected problems. He recalled in an interview with India Today, 'After Mrigayaa, I got my first National Award. As it happens, I started acting like Al Pacino . It felt like I was the greatest actor. My attitude changed, so the producer saw this and said, 'get out.' Then I realised my mistake.' Shamed for skin colour in Bollywood If pride slowed him down, prejudice nearly broke him. Mithun was constantly reminded of his complexion. In an interview with Radio Nasha, he shared, 'I was always called out for my skin colour. I have been disrespected for a lot of years because of my skin colour.' He used dance as a way to shift the focus, 'I thought that if I danced with my legs, nobody would see my colour and that happened. My dance made people forget my colour. Nobody imagined a hero with my colour. I used to feel very bad and I used to cry.' Becoming the common man's superstar For millions of fans, Mithun became proof that even someone with nothing could make it big. He said, 'Looking at me, people's expectations increased and they thought that even my son can become an actor despite living in a chawl or village. I became a common man's hero. It was a very big thing for me to become a superstar of a common man.' Zeenat Aman breaks the industry jinx Just when he was being pushed aside, help came from one of Bollywood's leading ladies. Zeenat Aman, who was at the peak of her career, agreed to star opposite him in Brij Sadanah's 'Taqdeer'. It proved to be a turning point. As Mithun shared on Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, 'It was Zeenat ji who broke the jinx. Zeenat ji had the status of the number 1 heroine of that time, so following her footsteps, every other actress started saying yes to the films that I worked in. With Taqdeer's release, I became an A-category actor.' From 'Surakshaa' to 'Disco Dancer' fame Three years after 'Mrigayaa', Mithun hit another milestone with the 1979 spy thriller 'Surakshaa'. This film laid the foundation for his superstardom in the '80s. The success was followed by blockbusters like 'Disco Dancer', 'Dance Dance', 'Pyar Jhukta Nahin', 'Kasam Paida Karne Wale Ki', and many more'. His unique moves and on-screen charm made him the king of dance films and one of the biggest stars of that decade. Beyond commercial hits, Mithun proved himself as a serious actor too. As reported by IMDb, he went on to star in over 350 films across multiple languages. He went on to win two more National Awards for 'Tahader Katha' in 1992 and 'Swami Vivekananda' in 1998. Decades later, his contribution to Indian cinema was celebrated once again when he was honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award at the 70th National Film Awards in 2024. "Get the latest updates on Times of India, including reviews of the movie Coolie and War 2 ."
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Shamed for skin colour, Bollywood actor was thrown out of a film after winning National Award; Zeenat Aman saved him, went on to do 350 films
Bollywood's 'Disco Dancer' Mithun Chakraborty has seen life in all its forms and embraced its best and worst surprises with open arms, and lived every moment fully. Mithun, in the truest sense, is a self-made superstar who came from a lower middle-class family in Bengal, struggled his way to the top in Mumbai, and went on to become one of the most loved actors of the Hindi film industry in the late '70s and '80s. Let's take a look at Mithun's early life and how he forged his way to stardom. Mithun was born on July 16, 1950. His original name was Gouranga Chakraborty. He studied at Kolkata's prestigious Scottish Church College. Born into a lower-middle-class family in Bengal, Mithun faced financial constraints from the very beginning of his life. During the political unrest of the 1960s, the actor was drawn toward the Naxalite movement and even joined the movement. However, he decided to walk away from radical groups after his brother met with an accident. Though Mithun had distanced himself from the movement years before joining the film industry, the tag never left him and he continued to be viewed through that lens for a long time. After his brother's death, Mithun disappeared for a while, only to re-emerge after cracking admission into India's most prestigious film school, the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), where he trained as a professional actor. Shakti Kapoor, who was Mithun's junior at the institute, once shared an incident from their FTII days when Mithun ragged him so much that he cried. On the Timeout with Ankit podcast, Shakti recalled how Mithun cut his hair and locked him in a room at night. He shared, 'He entered college as a hero. Let's cut his hair.' They grabbed a pair of scissors and cut my hair. I was looking like a monkey. I started crying, touched their feet. They took me to the swimming pool and told me to do 40 laps. I started crying and then they gave me a break.' Mithun made his Bollywood debut with Mrigayaa, directed by acclaimed filmmaker Mrinal Sen. But before this break, he faced years of intense struggle. From sleeping on an empty stomach to spending nights on footpaths, Mithun's journey is a true rags-to-riches story. He once recalled his hardships on the singing reality show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li'l Champs. He said, 'I have seen days when I had to sleep with an empty stomach, and I used to cry myself to sleep. In fact, there were days when I had to think about what my next meal will be, and where I will go to sleep. I have also slept on the footpath for a lot of days.' 'And that's the only reason I don't want my biopic to be ever made! My story will never inspire anyone, it will break them down (mentally) and discourage people from achieving their dreams. I don't want that to happen! If I can do it, anyone else can do it. I have fought a lot to prove myself in this industry. I am not legendary because I have given hit movies, I am a legend because I have surpassed all the pains and struggles of my life,' he added. While most actors work for years before receiving their first National Award, Mithun bagged the honour for his very first film, Mrigayaa. But this success made him overconfident, which eventually harmed his career. In an interview with India Today, he recalled, 'After Mrigayaa, I got my first National Award. Jo hota hai, I started acting like Al Pacino. Aisa lag raha tha that I am the greatest actor. As it happens, I started acting like Al Pacino. It felt like I was the greatest actor. My attitude changed, so the producer saw this and said, 'get out.' Then I realised my mistake.' Apart from his own mistakes, Mithun also faced severe discrimination because of his skin colour, which pushed him into doing small roles or leads in low-budget films. The actor once recalled losing projects because of his complexion. He said, 'I was always called out for my skin colour. I have been disrespected for a lot of years because of my skin colour…' While fans remember Mithun as the king of dance moves, not many know that he honed his dancing skills to divert attention from his appearance. Mithun developed a unique style that won over audiences and redefined stardom. In an interview with Radio Nasha, Mithun said, 'I thought that if I danced with my legs, nobody would see my colour and that happened. My dance made people forget my colour. Nobody imagined a hero with my colour. I used to feel very bad and I used to cry.' He added, 'Looking at me, people's expectations increased and they thought that even my son can become an actor despite living in a chawl or village. I became a common man's hero. It was a very big thing for me to become a superstar of a common man.' In an old interaction, Mithun also revealed how many A-listers refused to work with him in the early days of his career because of his looks. He said, 'Nobody wanted to work with me because I am not an acceptable hero. Working with me would not get them fame and that's why nobody wanted to work with me.' Despite proving himself, Mithun struggled to be counted among the A-list actors. However, at this crucial stage, Zeenat Aman, an A-lister at that time, came to Mithun's rescue. She readily agreed to star opposite him in filmmaker Brij Sadanah's Taqdeer, officially introducing Mithun as a fellow A-list Bollywood hero. 'It was Zeenat ji who broke the jinx. Zeenat ji had the status of the number 1 heroine of that time, so following her footsteps, every other actress started saying yes to the films that I worked in. With Taqdeer's release, I became an A-category actor,' he shared on Sa Re Ga Ma Pa. Three years after the release of Mrigayaa (1976), Mithun saw another breakthrough with the 1979 spy thriller Surakshaa. The film laid the foundation for his superstardom in the '80s, which was further cemented by blockbusters like Disco Dancer, Dance Dance, Pyar Jhukta Nahin, Kasam Paida Karne Wale Ki, and Commando. Over the years, he went on to bag two more National Awards for Tahader Katha (1992) and Swami Vivekananda (1998). Most recently, he was honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award at the 70th National Film Awards in 2024.
Indian Express
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Jackie Shroff recalls Dev Anand replaced him with Mithun Chakraborty as 2nd lead in debut film, made him ‘third villain': ‘Main Shakti Kapoor ka chamcha ban gaya'
Jackie Shroff made his memorable debut with Subhash Ghai's 1983 romantic action film Hero, but not too many know that his first-ever onscreen appearance was in an uncredited role as a henchman in Dev Anand's 1982 action film Swami Dada. In fact, he was initially offered to play the second lead to Dev Anand by the legendary actor himself, who was also the director of the film. 'It so happened that he offered me the second lead. I couldn't believe my eyes, my ears that Dev sahab was sitting in front of me,' said Shroff, adding, 'His son, Sunil, was also there. He told me, 'He's (his father) is offering a film. I said, 'Wow!' I went home and told my mother I was getting the second lead. The whole society went like, 'Woohoo, Jaggu hero!'' On Kunickaa Sadanand's podcast, Shroff continued, 'After 15 days, Dev sahab called and asked me to visit him. When I went there, he told me, 'Mithun is here. So I'm going to give that role to Mithun. Because he's a better dance. I've seen you dance, you're good but he's better. Plus, he's senior.'' Dev gave the role he initially offered to Shroff to Mithun Chakraborty, who had in fact won a National Award for his 1976 debut film, Mrinal Sen's period action drama Mrigayaa. 'The dates you brought to me, for that, I'll give you a role in the villain's den,' Dev Anand told Shroff. 'And villain's den mein Shakti Kapoor ka chamcha ban gaya main (I became Shakti Kapoor's henchman in the villain's den). My demotion happened in 15 days, from the second lead to the third villain. I went back home and told my mother I got a villain's role (laughs),' recalled Shroff. Shroff went on to do the role because of his fondness for Dev Anand. 'So mom said, 'Whatever it is son, just do it.' I liked him. My mom knew I used to love him and all his songs. So I got the role and I did it with all my heart. I played a typical tough guy. I didn't feel dejected. I was just happy I got Dev sahab's film,' added Shroff. Also Read — Jackie Shroff feels producers should sign stars only if they come with reasonable entourage costs: 'Baad mein kyu rota hai' Shroff, who used to live inside a chawl in Mumbai, met Dev Anand through his son Suniel, with whom he'd done acting classes following his modelling days. A year after Swami Dada, Subhash Ghai offered Jackie the lead role opposite Meenakshi Sesdhadri in Hero. 'The film didn't work for the first three weeks. Then Subhash Ghai called me and said, 'Go back to modelling. I don't think your film is going to work.' But in the fourth week, Hero picked up and there was no looking back,' recalled Shroff.
India.com
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- India.com
Meet Bollywood's biggest flop hero, 180 out of 270 films were disaster, lives in Rs 45 crore house, still called a superstar, his net worth is Rs…, his name is…
Meet Bollywood's biggest flop hero, 180 out of 270 films were disaster, lives in Rs 45 crore house, still called a superstar, his net worth is Rs…, his name is… This actor is known to give 33 back to back flops, gave a total of 180 flops out of 270 film. Today he is one of the biggest heroes of Bollywood. He is... By Shawn Dass Advertisement Bollywood actor and famous 'Disco Dancer' Mithun Chakraborty has worked in films for over four decades. Even today, Mithun Chakraborty is active and working in films and on the small screen. Mithun has given many hits as well as many flops in his film career. If you look at the filmography, the number of flops will be more. Mithun has worked in more than 250 films in his film career and has given more than 30 back to back flop films. Despite this, there is no dearth of projects and money in Mithun's bag. Mithun got National Award for his debut film Mithun has given 180 super flops out of 270 films, which includes 33 back to back films. Despite this, Mithun is called a superstar. Mithun is an actor as well as a politician. Mithun did 19 consecutive films in the year 1989. This record of Mithun is intact till date. Mithun made his Bollywood debut with the film 'Mrigayaa'. With this film, the actor got a place in Bollywood along with the National Award. After the success of the film 'Disco Dancer', Mithun's name was on the lips of big stars. Advertisement === Stardom collapsed in the 90s The 80s were Mithun Da's era, but in the 90s, back to back flop films put a big stain on Mithun Chakraborty's stardom. According to a report, Mithun holds the record of giving the most flop films in Bollywood. After Mithun, actor Jitendra holds the record of giving flop films. Mithun did not lose courage even after giving so many flop films. Mithun has also given more than 50 hit films in his film career. This includes 9 blockbusters and 9 superhit films. Mithun has done films ranging from big to small budgets. Mithun Chakraborty's net worth According to reports, Mithun has earned a lot of money by doing so many films. According to the information given in the election affidavit, the actor's assets are estimated to be Rs 101 crore. Mithun's car collection includes many cars including Innova, Mercedes Benz E Class, Mercedes, Fortuner, Volkswagen. Advertisement ===
