Mithun Chakraborty was told ‘dark-skinned actors wouldn’t survive in Bollywood’: I prayed to God to change my colour

Mithun Chakraborty earned his first National Film Award for Mrigayaa. He also won two more National Film Awards for Tahader Katha and Swami Vivekananda.

Veteran actor and politician Mithun Chakraborty has addressed the prejudice he faced regarding his skin colour during his early days in the film industry. He was honoured with the prestigious Dadasaheb 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 accolade in Indian cinema, celebrating lifetime achievements in the industry.
During his acceptance speech, Mithun shared anecdotes from his early career. The actor said, “Many told me that dark-skinned actors wouldn’t survive in Bollywood. I prayed to God, ‘Could you change my colour?’ But eventually accepted that I couldn’t alter my complexion. Instead, I focused on my dancing skills, determined to become so remarkable that audiences would overlook my skin colour. That’s how I transformed into the ‘sexy, dusky Bengali babu’.”

Mithun also candidly shared his journey through the highs and lows of the industry, particularly after winning his first National Award. “I thought I had become Al Pacino. I began to treat producers dismissively. But reality hit when a producer kicked me out of his office. That day, I realized I was not Al Pacino, and it marked the end of my delusions,” he shared.

He added that he “received nothing on a platter” and “everything I earned was through hard work”. I often questioned God for my struggles, but after receiving this award, I feel at peace and will never complain again.”

Affectionately known as Mithun Da by his fans, Mithun made his film debut in 1976 with Mrigayaa, where he captivated audiences with his versatile acting. His portrayal of a Santhal rebel earned him the National Film Award for Best Actor in his debut, and he later won two additional National Film Awards for Tahader Katha (1992) and Swami Vivekananda (1998).

Mithun is credited with several iconic dance numbers such as I Am a Disco Dancer, Jimmy Jimmy and Super Dancer. These tracks have become timeless classics, loved by generations of fans. Most recently, Mithun appeared in Vivek Agnihotri’s film The Kashmir Files.

resident Droupadi Murmu presented the prestigious award, the government’s highest recognition in the field of cinema, to Chakraborty during the 70th National Film Awards ceremony at Vigyan Bhawan here.

The cinema veteran, who was wearing an arm brace in his right hand and a green beret much like Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara, received a standing ovation from the A-list gathering as he walked to the stage along with an aid.

I used to complain a lot to god. Nothing was handed to me on a platter, I struggled a lot. I didn’t get it just like that. I used to say, ‘God, you have given me name and fame, but why so many problems.

“But today, after receiving this award, I have stopped complaining. Thank you God, you gave me everything back with interest,” the 74-year-old actor said in his acceptance speech.

Chakraborty, whose real name is Gourang Chakraborty, received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the year 2022.

He made his acting debut with Mrinal Sen’s 1976 film “Mrigayaa”, for which he won his first National Film Award for Best Actor. He earned two more National Awards for 1992’s “Tahader Katha” (best actor) and 1998’s “Swami Vivekananda” (best supporting actor).

hough people accepted him as an actor, Chakraborty said the biggest problem of his life was his “complexion”.

“People used to say ‘film industry me kaala rang nahi chalega’. Tum kya kar rahe ho idhar, tum wapis jao. (I was told there’s no place for dark-skinned actors like me in the film industry. And that I should go back.)

With Thanks Reference to:https://www.msn.com/en-in/entertainment/bollywood/was-told-there-s-no-place-for-dark-skinned-actors-mithun-after-receiving-dadasaheb-phalke-award/ar-AA1rTVjg?ocid=BingNewsSerp and https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/mithun-chakraborty-was-told-dark-skinned-actors-wouldnt-survive-in-bollywood-dadasaheb-phalke-award-national-awards-101728440517654.html