Veteran actor Mithun Chakraborty once spoke about how the Hindi film industry wanted its heroes to be fair-skinned. In an interview with Headlines Today in 2010, the actor had shared that he and Amitabh Bachchan had "changed the trend". He had also said that the industry didn't have a problem with the "Punjabi accent" of actors. Mithun celebrated his 74th birthday on Sunday. 

Mithun on Bollywood's treatment towards its actors

Mithun had said, "People talk about the Bengali accent and the south Indian accent, but they don't seem to have any problem with a hero who has a Punjabi accent. Heroes were supposed to be fair at that time. That was my biggest problem. I thought I'd only manage to be a villain, perhaps a dancing villain. But Amitabh and I managed to change the trend. Now people call me the sexy, dusky Bengali babu."

Mithun's career

Fondly called 'Mithun Da' by his fans, the actor made his debut in films with Mrigayaa in 1976. Since then, he has been entertaining audiences with his versatile acting skills. Mithun's portrayal of a Santhal rebel earned him the National Film Award for Best Actor in his first film. Later, he won two more National Film Awards for his roles in Tahader Katha (1992) and Swami Vivekananda (1998).

Mithun created a name for himself by featuring in chartbuster dance tracks, including I Am a Disco Dancer (Disco Dancer), Jimmy Jimmy (Disco Dancer) and Super Dancer (Dance Dance). Most recently, he was seen in Vivek Agnihotri's movie The Kashmir Files.

Mithun awarded with Padma Bhushan

Earlier this year, he was conferred with the prestigious Padma Bhushan award for his outstanding contributions to Indian cinema. Speaking to news agency ANI, he had then said, “I am very happy. I have never asked for anything for myself from anyone in my life. I am very happy because when someone receives so much respect and honour... it's the happiest moment.”

He had added, "When I received the call informing me that I was being awarded the Padma Bhushan, I was silent for a minute because I hadn't expected it... because it's a big thing. But I didn't expect it. I am happy. Thank you to everyone on the committee who selected me."