Veteran actor and politician Mithun Chakraborty will be bestowed with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award—the government’s highest recognition in the field of cinema—this year.
Making the announcement on X on Monday, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw wrote, "Mithun Da's remarkable cinematic journey inspires generations! Honoured to announce that the Dadasaheb Phalke Selection Jury has decided to award legendary actor, Sh. Mithun Chakraborty Ji for his iconic contribution to Indian Cinema,"
The award will be presented to Chakraborty at the 70th National Film Awards ceremony on October 8, 2024, Vaishnaw said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also reshared The Union Minster’s post and wrote, “Delighted that Shri Mithun Chakraborty Ji has been conferred the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award, recognizing his unparalleled contributions to Indian cinema. He is a cultural icon, admired across generations for his versatile performances. Congratulations and best wishes to him.”
The accolade comes just months after Chakraborty was awarded the Padma Bhushan--country’s third-highest civilian honour--in January this year. The actor is a recipient of three National Awards, one of them for his debut film Mrigayaa (1976), directed by Mrinal Sen. He has also won two Filmfare awards, including one for Best Supporting Actor for the Amitabh Bachchan-headliner Agneepath.
As per reports, Chakraborty’s son Namashi Chakraborty said that his father is very happy with the news. "We all are feeling very proud. He is in Kolkata, I just spoke to him. He is a self-made superstar and a great citizen. This was long, long overdue but I am so proud that he is finally being awarded with this honour," said Namashi.
Chakraborty, whose real name is Gourang Chakraborty, is an alumnus of Pune's Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) who has predominantly worked in Hindi and Bengali cinema.
He made his acting debut with Mrinal Sen's 1976 film Mrigayaa, for which he won the National Award for Best Actor. He bagged two more National Awards for 1992's Tahader Katha (best actor) and 1998's Swami Vivekananda (best supporting actor).
Chakraborty claim to fame was his distinctive dancing style in the 1982 superhit Disco Dancer, which is widely credited for ushering in the era of disco dancing in India through chartbusters like ‘I Am A Disco Dancer’ and ‘Yaad Aa Raha Hai’.
Then followed several hits like Mujhe Insaaf Chahiye (1983), Hum Se Hai Zamana (1983), Pasand Apni Apni (1983), Kasam Paida Karne Wale Ki (1984) and Commando (1988).
Chakraborty has also served as the head judge or 'grandmaster' on the popular dance reality series Dance India Dance from 2009 to 2018.
A former Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament, Chakraborty joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the 2021 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election.
In 2023, Waheeda Rehman was named recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.