Mithun Chakraborty, the legendary actor and recent recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, recently opened up about the struggles he faced before achieving stardom. In an interview with NDTV, Mithun candidly discussed the challenges of his early career, revealing that many female actors initially hesitated to work with him. However, Zeenat Aman stood by his side during this difficult period.
After winning a National Award for his debut film, Mithun experienced a major lull in his career. He shared, “Bohot rukawatein bhi thi (There were many obstacles). I was going ahead in life at a great speed, so obstacles were inevitable.” He recounted how female actors were advised against working with him, but he remained determined. “I didn’t want to bow down to that lull. I had decided that if I had to lose, then at least I’ll battle it out. I’ll not just give up.”
One pivotal figure in his comeback was Zeenat Aman. Mithun recalled, “Zeenat Aman helped me a lot. She was working on a film with Brij (Sadanah, the director of Taqdeer) and he had decided ‘Mithun hi mera hero hai (Mithun is my hero).’ He told her, ‘There is this boy, I think he is very good,’ and Zeenat ji said, ‘He is a very handsome-looking boy. He dances well. I will work with him.’” Zeenat’s decision to work with Mithun broke the cycle, and soon after, other leading heroines began signing films with him again. “I am forever grateful to Zeenat ji,” Mithun said.
Despite his talent, Mithun also faced discrimination because of his dark skin tone, with some filmmakers rejecting him for being “too dark.” But he defied the odds, eventually becoming one of Bollywood’s most beloved stars, with his breakthrough role in Disco Dancer cementing his place in Hindi cinema. His journey, marked by resilience and perseverance, saw him rise from sleeping outside hotels and in public parks to becoming a Bollywood icon.
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