Mithun Chakraborty revealed he was not invited to the Kolkata Film Festival.
Chakraborty made the remarks in Kolkata during a meeting celebrating the birth centenary of Bengali cinema legend Uttam Kumar.
The veteran actor sarcastically called himself a "very minor artiste" to explain his exclusion from the state's premier film event.
'I Am A Very Small Artiste': Mithun Chakraborty Reacts To Kolkata Film Festival Snub
Chakraborty recently underwent a successful procedure to remove a metal plate and is set to appear in Rajinikanth's Jailer 2.
Summary
Mithun Chakraborty missed the guest list. The BJP leader and Padma Bhushan recipient disclosed on Friday (August 14) that organisers left him off the invite list for the Kolkata film festival. He spoke to reporters during a meeting organised to plan the birth centenary of Bengali cinema legend Uttam Kumar.
Mithun Chakraborty on being sidelined
Chakraborty suggested he was sidelined for doing a few roles in Bengali cinema. He said that non-Bengal figures frequently receive invitations despite lacking a direct connection to the state.
"I wasn't invited to the film festival," Chakraborty said.
He contrasted the snub with an upcoming overseas visit. "I am going to Moscow now; perhaps they will invite me. They are inviting me to the Moscow Film Festival. Yet, here in Bengal, I wasn't invited."
The 76-year-old actor added sarcastically, "Main bahut chota artiste hoon, shayad isliye nahi bulaya [I am a very small artiste. Maybe that's why they didn't invite me]."
Celebrating legend Uttam Kumar
Organisers are planning a year-long tribute to Uttam Kumar. Born as Arun Kumar Chatterjee on September 3, 1926, the director, producer and actor earned the title 'Mahanayak' for his massive influence on Bengali and Hindi cinema. The industry pioneer died at age 53 on July 24, 1980.
The box-office failures of his films earned him the nickname "Flop Master General". He rose to fame with Basu Paribar in 1952.
His fortunes changed in 1953. That year, the comedy Sharey Chuattor cemented his status as a leading man and launched his legendary on-screen pairing with Suchitra Sen. His performances in Anthony Firingee and Chiriyakhana later made him the first winner of the National Film Award for Best Actor in 1967.
Mithun Chakraborty health updates
Surgeons successfully removed an implanted metal plate last Thursday, which had been inserted after a previous mishap. The actor is recovering. West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari visited him to check on his progress and subsequently posted a health update online.
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Chakraborty is set to make a cameo appearance in Rajinikanth's upcoming film Jailer 2. The movie is scheduled for release in 2027.
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