5 Award-winning performances of Mithun Chakraborty

Veteran actor Mithun Chakraborty being bestowed with the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award is a testament to his enduring impact on Indian cinema. With a career spanning over four decades, Mithun has captivated audiences with his versatility, charisma, and dedication to his craft, across languages. As we honor his contributions, let's revisit five of his most iconic and award-winning performances that showcase his remarkable range and talent.

‘Mrigaya’

Director Mrinal Sen’s period action drama ‘Mrigayaa’ brought Mithun his first National Film Award for Best Actor in 1977. Based on Bhagbati Charan Panigrahi’s Odia short story ‘Shikar’, ‘Mrigayaa’ marked the acting debut of Mithun in 1976. He starred alongside Mamata Shankar, who also made her cinematic debuts through the film. ‘Mrigayaa’ is set in the 1930s, describing a tale of a tribal community in Odisha, who face a challenging time because of wild animals who spoil their crop, and moneylenders.

‘Tahader Katha’

In 1993, Mithun won his second Nation Film Award for Best Actor for the 1992 Bengali movie, titled ‘Tahader Katha’. Directed by Budhhadeb Dasgupta, it is based on Kamal Kumar Majumdar’s short story of the same name. The movie was also declared at theBest Feature Film in Bengali at the National Film Awards, and starred Mithun as Shibnath, a freedom fighter in India’s independence movement. It also featured actors Anashua Majumdar, Dipankar De, Subrata Nandy, Deboshri Bhattacharya, and Ashok Mukherjee.

'Swami Vivekananda'

In 1998, GV Iyer directed a biographical film on the life of Swami Vivekanada, with Sarvadaman D Banerjee starring in the titular role and Mithun playing Ramakrishna’s character. Although the film largely received negative reviews from the critics, Mithun’s performance was hugely appreciated by all. He was also awarded his third National Film Award in 1999 for the movie under the Best Supporting Actor.

‘Agneepath’:

One of Mithun’s most iconic roles is that of Krishnan Iyer in Mukul Anand’s 1990 film ‘Agneepath’, led by Amitabh Bachchan. Produced by Yash Johar, the action crime movie won Mithun his first Filmfare Award in 1991 for Best Supporting Actor. Also starring Danny Denzongpa as Kancha Cheena, the cult classic movie is remembered for its iconic dialogues, but mostly for the performances by its star cast.

‘Jallad’:

In 1995, Mithun starred in a dual role of a father and son in director TLV Prasad’s ‘Jallad’. He played both a villain and a hero in the movie as the father and the son, respectively. A remake of Tamil film titled ‘Amaithi Padai,’ it was also the Bollywood debut of Rambha. ‘Jallad’ brought many accolades to Mithun, including a Filmfare Award, for Best Actor in a Negative Role.