Mithun Chakraborty: 5 memorable art-house Bengali films of the legendary actor

Mithun Chakraborty is a movie miracle. The actor, known to all as Mithun Da, started his career with Mrinal Sen's art-house classic ‘Mrigayaa’ in 1976 and was a bit whimsical, not afraid of taking risks. And that is one of the reasons he did not wait for similar art-house film offers like ‘Mrigayaa’. He shifted his focus to mainstream commercial Hindi films and delivered hits one after the other. Though the ‘Disco Dancer’ actor's glorious journey mostly covers Bollywood hits, there are certain important Bengali films that eventually contributed to becoming the exceptional actor that he is. Here are five such Bengali art films that proved Mithun Chakraborty’s excellence.

‘Mrigaaya’ showed Mithun Chakraborty as a tribal young man who was the best hunters around, recognised even by the British rulers. But he was thrown to gallows after being found guilty of murdering the moneylender who kidnapped his wife. His trial and death later ignited a series of revolt among the tribal people. They stood their ground and confronted both the British and their landlords. Mithun single-handedly made the film a cult classic from or his brilliant acting and won the National Award for Best Actor for ‘Mrigayaa’. The film also won Mrinal Sen a National Award for Best Film.

In this Rituparno Ghosh directorial Mithun Chakraborty played himself as the ruling star of Bollywood Rohit Roy, whereas Konkona Sen Sharma essayed out his die-hard fan named Titli. Her admiration changes completely when she confronts him in reality. The portrayal of a complex mother-daughter relationship further enhances when Titli comes to know that her mother (Aparna Sen) was Rohit Roy’s love interest once. This film remains one of Mithun’s best performances so far. He portrayed his character with utmost conviction.

Buddhadeb Dasgupta’s ‘Tahader Katha’ revolves around Shibnath Mukherjee (Mithun Chakraborty), a freedom fighter who was once sent away to the Andaman for eight long years. Solitary confinement in Andaman’s central jail was touted to be the most harrowing punishment given by the Britishers. Tortured brutally, Shibnath’s mental condition gets deteriorated rapidly, and after Independence, he had to be kept in a mental asylum for another three years. As the film begins we see him being released into a post-independence India. However, he is far from being normal, just like his country is far from normal. This film is another classic example of Mithun Chakraborty’s versatility. While watching ‘Tahader Katha’, you couldn’t help but think why he hasn’t been used in Bengali art films more often.

‘Shukno Lanka’ tells the story of a veteran artist Chinu Nandy (Mithun Chakraborty) as we witness the twists and turns in his life, both at professional and personal front. After seeing Chiru Nandy closely, it’s hard to even think that anyone else can play this character so well. Even when Mithun Chakraborty is the main lead he remains simple-yet-respectful while speaking to others. His expressions and body language are fitted perfectly. The scene where the veteran actor breaks into an impromptu jig in a popular nightclub will bring a smile to your face. His character constantly reminds us about the importance of the title (dry red chillies) as Chinu Nandy’s presence seems similar to the chillies - ever present and always adding to the hidden flavour, but one whom you may not notice at a glance.

This is Mithun Chakraborty’s second film with Buddhadeb Dasgupta where he plays his age and suits the part. Every Bengali movie buff just has to see him in this one. Even though he has been portrayed as a shadowy figure, it’s his pain and regrets that mostly touch the viewer despite the central character being Rahul Bose. Rahul plays the character of a struggling man with memories of his powerful father. It’s true that the social drama moves at a slow pace but the characters are so nicely etched that you won’t really feel the absence of ‘events on the screen.