Mithun Chakraborty On How Fame Brings Loneliness

Actor Mithun Chakraborty is the one who stole the hearts of the audience by dancing his way to our hearts in the 1980s. Chakraborty recently mentioned that at the peak of his career he found himself struggling with the reality that fame not only brought numbers of fans but is also feeling lonely.

Chakraborty started his acting journey with the film ‘Mirgayaa’ in 1976 and he won his first National Film Award for best actor. Chakraborty also performed in films such as 'Surakksha', 'Sahhas', 'Wardast', 'Wanted Boxer', 'Pyar Jhukta Nahi', 'Pyari Bhena' and many more. But it was when he did 'Disco Dancer' that he became a superstar.

Actor was busy shooting films for years. He acted in more than 100 films in the decade. At times he used to shoot four films in a day. Fans gave him a title of ‘Dancing Star’ and ‘Disco Dancer’.

The actor told PTI, "I had never imagined that I would become a superstar. But, when I did become the number one star of the country, I found that it was... Oh my God, an extremely lonely place. It is really, very, very lonely. You are all alone there. It was lonely because everybody thought I was beyond their reach, I was unattainable.”

As Chakraborty grew in his reputation it started invading his personal space. He was the most wanted star but everyone was very scared to talk to him.

Chakraborty added that, “Everyone would say that ‘Stay away from dada, he has become too big star’. His friends were also scared of him. The atmosphere goy very weird. I would wake up, go to shoot, come back and be lonely, while being the biggest star of the country, ‘Main ek bohot akela aadmi ho gaya tha’ (I had become a very lonely man).

In the 1990s Bollywood turned urban, and slowly started letting go of the 1980s masala films led by Chakraborty and the actor Jeetendra with the support of late music composer Bappi Lahiri.

According to Chakraborty, stardom is not only for a good actor but one should be a good human being as well. If the actor is not a good person, the fame will vanish.

"There is no survival without talent. Only your talent can take you ahead, if you have it, you will make it. No one in the world can stop you. A good actor, who is a bad human being, will have a short life. A bad actor, who is a bad human being, will have no life. A good actor, who is a good human being, will have a long life. The only magic to hold on to stardom for so long is that a good actor, who is also a good man, will live for long. Your superstardom will vanish in a heartbeat if you are not a good person. Karma will just wait for the right time, no one can escape that," he added.

The multiple National Award-winning actor juggled with both Bollywood and Bengali films and made his debut on the small screen by the end of the 2000s. Now he has made his digital debut with the psychological thriller series 'Bestseller'. Chakraborty works only on those projects that leave him thinking after he finished reading the script.

"It has to pinch or tickle me. Once I have read the script and if it hits me, I think I am on the right part. 'Bestseller' was one of those. My character in it is funny, unpredictable and sometimes even ruthless," he added. The actor said his shift to OTT was fueled by the need to keep up with the times. If even today he expects to play a disco dancer, he would be "foolish", Chakraborty said.

"I want to go with the time, not swim against the tide. If I think I'm still a Disco Dancer, I'll be foolish. So I have to think what kind of roles will suit me now, and the one I can do effortlessly. If OTT is the current time, then I'll have to mould myself like that," said Chakraborty.