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National Awards 2024: Mithun Chakraborty recalls being teased as 'kaalia' for his skin color; shares how it led him to become dance icon
Mithun Chakraborty, on receiving the Dadasaheb Phalke Award at the 2024 National Awards, expressed feeling as though life has rewarded him, calling it a long-awaited honor.
Bollywood legend Mithun Chakraborty received the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award at the 70th National Film Awards, celebrated at Vigyan Bhavan and presented by President Droupadi Murmu. The 74-year-old actor reflected on his journey, recalling how he was often referred to as 'kaalia' because of his complexion. This experience inspired him to embrace dance, ultimately transforming him into a beloved dance icon in the industry.
After being honored with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award at the 70th National Film Awards, Mithun Chakraborty reflected on the challenges he faced early in his career and said, "Log bolta tha ‘yeh film industry mein yeh kaala rang nahi chalega’ toh tum kya kar rahe ho idhar tum wapas jao. Toh mein jaata tha, raate mein log ‘kaalia’ bolte the aur apmaan jitna ho sake karte the. Toh mein sochta tha mein karu kya’. Mein bhagwan ko puchta tha ‘mera rang tu change nahi kar sakta’. Par nai change kar sakta tha bhagwan.”
(People would say, ‘In this film industry, this dark complexion won't work, so what are you doing here? You should go back.’ People would call me ‘kaalia’ and insult me as much as possible. I used to wonder what I should do. I would ask God, ‘Can't you change my color?’ But God couldn't change it).
He further added, “Toh mein socha mein dance kar sakta hu. Toh mein aisa dance karu mere paero se ki log mere paero ke dekhe mere skin aur color ko na dekhe. Aur maaniye meine exactly wahi kiya. Aap meri film dekhiye, meine sab film mein paero se dance kiya, paero ko thidakne nahi diya, rukne nahi diya kahi bhi. Log mere rang ko bhul gaye aur mein bas gaya ‘s*xy, dusky Bengali babu.”
(So, I thought I could dance. I decided to dance in such a way that people would look at my feet and not at my skin and color. And believe me, that’s exactly what I did. You watch my films; I danced with my feet in all my films, never stopping or pausing them. People forgot about my color, and I became the ‘s*xy, dusky Bengali babu’).
Before receiving the prestigious award, Mithun reflected on his achievement, admitting he was still in a state of disbelief and gratitude. He felt that after all these years, it was as if fate had generously returned something valuable to him.
Mithun Chakraborty began his acting career in 1977 and quickly distinguished himself by winning a National Award for his debut film, Mrigayaa. However, it was his 1982 blockbuster Disco Dancer that catapulted him to stardom, becoming a cultural phenomenon. The film achieved remarkable success across Asia, the Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa, solidifying his status as a leading actor.
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