Actor Mithun Chakraborty, known for starring in films like Mrigayaa, Surakshaa, Disco Dancer and Dance Dance will soon be conferred has been named the recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award - the government’s highest recognition in the field of cinema. In January this year, the Government of India also awarded Mithun the Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian honour.

Mithun Chakraborty recognised for his contribution to cinema

Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Ashwini Vaishnaw, made the announcement on Monday on X (formerly Twitter). He wrote, “Mithun Da’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 I&B minister also announced that the award will be presented to Mithin at the 70th National Film Awards ceremony on October 8 this year.

After news broke, Mithun spoke to ANI and said that he “never imagined that a boy from the footpath could receive such a big honour.” He added, “I can only say that I dedicate this award to my family and all my fans around the world. Where I come from, from a blind alley in Kolkata, I never imagined that a boy from the footpath could receive such a big honor.”

He also told the agency, “I'm literally dumbfounded, trust me. I can't smile, I can't cry with happiness because a man from literally nowhere, a nobody, made it. This also proves what I always tell my fans and those who aren't financially strong: if I can make it, then you can do it too.”

Mithun’s film career

Mithun, 74, made his acting debut with Mrinal Sen’s 1976 film Mrigayaa for which he won the National Film Award for Best Actor. But it’s after the 1982 film Disco Dancer, which was a major box office success in India and the Soviet Union, that he gained mainstream fame. His performance in Agneepath won him the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1990. He later went on to act in films like Kasam Paida Karne Wale Ki and Commando through the years. Mithun also had a brief political stint, becoming a Rajya Sabha MP in 2014.

Mithun also forayed to television by judging shows like Dance Dance Junior and Hunarbaaz: Desh Ki Shaan. Most recently, he starred in Vivek Agnihotri's The Kashmir Files. He will soon work alongside Debasree Roy in the Bengali film Shastri. Mithun and Jaya Prada will also work with Prabhas in his upcoming Telugu film with Hanu Raghavapudi. The film that went on floors in August is historical fiction set in the 1940s.

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