Mithun Chakraborty life and biography

Mithun Chakraborty is an Indian film actor, social activist, and entrepreneur, who has won three National Film Awards. He made his acting debut with the arthouse drama Mrigaya (1976), for which he won his first National Film Award for Best Actor.

He had earned a fan following as a dancing star and went on to establish himself as one of the most popular and leading actors of India, particularly recognized for his role as street dancer Jimmy in the 1982 Bollywood movie Disco Dancer. He also attracted worldwide audiences, particularly in the former Soviet Union where he became a household name for his role in Disco Dancer. He later won two more National Film Awards for his performances in Bengali film Tahader Katha (1992) and Hindi film Swami Vivekananda (1998).

Chakraborty has appeared in about 250 Hindi films, as well as a number of Bengali, Oriya and Bhojpuri pictures. He owns the Monarch Group, which has interests in the hospitality sector.

Mithun Chakraborty was born in Kolkata, West Bengal, India to a Bengali Hindu family. He was educated at the Oriental Seminary and later, graduated in chemistry from the Scottish Church College in Kolkota. He was initially associated with Naxalites in West Bengal, which he later left and joined Mumbai films. For rest of his life, his family had continuous threat from Naxalities. After that he attended and graduated from the Film and Television Institute of India in Pune.

Mithun Chakraborty was a staunch Naxalite before entering the film industry, but tragedy struck his family when his only brother got accidentally electrocuted and killed in a freak accident. He returned to his family and left the Naxalite fold, even though doing so posed a grave risk to his own life. He had also undergone expert training in Martial Arts.

Mithun Chakraborty made his film debut in the 1976 Mrinal Sen directed film Mrigaya for which he won the coveted National Film Award for Best Actor. After his debut he played some supporting roles in films such as Do Anjaane (1976) and Phool Khile Hain Gulshan Gulshan (1977) which did not gain him any recognition. However, Mera Rakshak (1978) was a hit. He shot into prominence in the late 1970s with the low budget Ravikant Nagaich directed spy film Surakshaa (1979) and the early 1980s with leading roles in hit films such as Hum Paanch (1980), Unees Bees (1981), Wardat (1981) (a sequel to Surakshaa) and Aadat Se Majboor (1982).

His breakthrough role finally came in the musical drama Disco Dancer (1982) which was a huge success and remains a cult favorite to this day. This film and other musical films such as Kasam Paida Karne Wale Ki (1984) and Dance Dance (1987) showcased him as a talented dancer.

Chakraborty starred in a number of successful romantic and family dramas during the 1980s, such as Mujhe Insaaf Chahiye (1983), Ghar Ek Mandir (1984), Pyaar Jhukta Nahin (1985), Swarg Se Sunder (1986), and Pyaar Ka Mandir (1988). These films remain his most commercially successful films to date.

He was widely recognized as an action hero in hit films like Jagir (1984), Jaal (1986), Dilwaala (1986), Watan Ke Rakhwale (1987), Waqt ki Awaz (1988). Chakraborty worked with some of the biggest actresses of his time and Bollywood in general, including Zeenat Aman, Rekha, Sridevi , Juhi Chawla and Madhuri Dixit.
Chakraborty achieved not only commercial success but also tremendous critical acclaim. His performances in Mrigaya, Tahader Katha, Swami Vivekananda, Kalpurush and Titli were widely appreciated and won him National Film Awards and nominations. He won two Filmfare awards: The Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for his performance in the 1990 film Agneepath, and the Filmfare Best Villain Award for his performance in Jallad.

In the mid-90s he took a break from Mumbai and relocated to Ooty where he set up his Own hotel business under The Monarch brand name. He operates hotels in Mudhumalai, Ooty in Tamil Nadu and Darjeeling and Kolkata in West Bengal. Mithun strategically shifted his focus from mainstream Hindi cinema to low-budget movies. Hit movies like Dalaal (1993), Phool Aur Angaar (1994) and Ravan Raaj: A True Story (1995) were made during this period. His economical film production was popular as Mithun's Dream Factory. He paid more tax than anyone else in the country in the mean period for 6 continuous years, from 1994 to 1999. Incidentally Chakraborty also hold the record of appearing in maximum number of Hindi films as Hero.

Chakraborty made a comeback to the mainstream Hindi film industry in 2005 with the film Elaan. After a few supporting roles in films such as Lucky: No Time for Love (2005), he performed in Kalpana Lajmi's Chingari (2005). In 2007 he starred in Mani Ratnam's hit film Guru. His performance was critically acclaimed for Guru. His 2009 movie Zor Lagaa Ke...Haiya! won multiple International awards and Chal Chalein was appreciated by critics for its bold theme. Critically aclaimed Phir Kabhi with Dimple Kapadia had a very successful premiere through direct to home (DTH) in September 2009 and won as many as six awards in as many categories at the Los Angeles Reel Awards-2009. Mithunda's last Hindi releases Veer, along with Salman Khan, though a commercial failure, won him rave reviews, but Golmaal 3 became a Blockbuster at the box-office. Now his delayed films like Raakh and Zindagi Tere Naam are getting ready for an early release due to Golmaal 3 ‘s huge Success. He is also doing Spaghetti 24 x 7, along with his son Mimoh Chakraborty. He is also set to appear in Housefull 2 in an action role with Akshay Kumar.

Parallel to his Bollywood career, Mithun Chakraborty has also worked in Bengali, as well as in realistic or arthouse movies including Troyee, made in 1982. He appeared in director Buddhadeb Dasgupta's Tahader Katha which got him the second National Award in 1992. A third National Award followed in 1995, this time for the Best Supporting Actor, for his portrayal of Ramakrishna Paramhansa, in G V Iyer’s Swami Vivekananda. He also appeared in Goutam Ghose's Gudia in 1999 as well as Rituparno Ghosh's Titli in 2002. In 2008, he collaborated again with Buddhadeb Dasgupta for Kaalpurush and later appeared in Shukno Lanka.
Mithun Chakraborty was also the co-owner of Royal Bengal Tigers, a cricket team of the now abandoned Indian Cricket League.

Mithun Chakraborty is married to former Indian actress Yogeeta Bali and has four children, three sons and a daughter. The eldest son, Mimoh Chakraborty is an actor in Bollywood, who made his debut in the 2008 film Jimmy. His second son, Rimoh Chakraborty played Mithun's younger version the film Phir Kabhi. And Mithun's other two children Namashi Chakraborty and Dishani Chakraborty are still into their studies.

Numerous sources claim that Mithun Chakraborty had a relationship with actress Sridevi from 1986 to 1987, and that Sridevi ended the relationship when she found out that he had not divorced his first wife, Yogeeta Bali. Mithun Chakraborty and Sridevi were believed to have been secretly married and that the union was later annulled.

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