New Delhi/IBNS: Bollywood veteran Mithun Chakraborty recounted his days of struggle with his complexion and the prevailing racism in the film industry as well as society at large in his spontaneous, entertaining, and trademark humour-laden address when receiving the Dadasaheb Phalke Award on Tuesday from the President.

Mithun, a three-time National Award winner, received the highest award conferred in India in the field of cinema from President Droupadi Murmu at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi.

In his speech at the award ceremony, the actor recalled his struggle and inferiority complex with dark skin which he finally leveraged with his dancing skills.

"But eventually I accepted that I couldn't change my complexion. Instead, I focused on my dancing skills, determined to become so remarkable that audiences would overlook my skin colour. I wanted everyone to look at my feet, not at my face or my skin colour.  That's how I transformed into the 'sexy, dusky Bengali babu,'" he said, drawing applause from the distinguished audience comprising veteran actress Sharmila Tagore, filmmakers Mani Ratnam, Karan Johar, iconic music composer-singer AR Rahman.

Photo courtesy: PIB

Mithun recalled how his National Award in the very first film made him think he had arrived as an actor but soon with repeated failures to bag roles made him realise where he actually stood.

"I thought I had become Al Pacino. I began to act like him and put my hand in my face like him. But reality hit when a producer kicked me out of his office. That day, I realised I was no Al Pacino, and it marked the end of my illusion about myself," he shared much to the amusement of the audience at the ceremony.

The 74-year-old actor, who is currently recovering from a fracture in his hand, urged all young men and women aspiring to be actors to not give up on their dreams and continue to struggle.

"Never stop dreaming. Remember, when you go to sleep, don't let your dreams sleep. If I can do it, so can you," he said.

"I would always complain to god for all the struggles and my complexion. But I have no complaint to god now after this," the 80s dancing sensation said.

Photo courtesy: PIB

The Celluloid Journey of Mithun Chakraborty

Mithun Chakraborty (born Gouranga Chakraborty in 1950), who made his debut with maestro Mrinal Sen's Mrigayaa in 1976, was conferred India's third-highest civilian honour Padma Bhushan in January 2024.

His portrayal of a Santhal rebel in Mrinal Sen's film earned him the national accolade.

Chakraborty gained significant popularity in the 1980s with his role in Disco Dancer (1982), a film that became a major success both in India and internationally, establishing him as a dancing sensation.

He became a household name with his iconic role in Disco Dancer, a film that not only showcased his exceptional dancing skills but also popularized disco music in Indian cinema. He also won popularity with his spy thriller movies like Surakksha and its sequel Wardat with the 007 like Gunmaster G-9 alias Gopinath character played by him.

Mithun Chakraborty in Disco Dancer /Photo courtesy: Screenshot grab

His performance in Agneepath also won him the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1990.

Later, he won two more National Film Awards for his roles in Tahader Katha (1992) and Swami Vivekananda (1998).

Over his extensive career, Chakraborty has acted in more than 350 films across various Indian languages, including Hindi, Bengali, Odia, Bhojpuri, and Telugu.

He is known for his diverse performances, ranging from action to drama and comedy, and has won several awards, including three National Film Awards for Best Actor.

He graduated with B.Sc. in Chemistry from Scottish Church College in Kolkata and then attended and graduated from the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune. He had joined the ultra-left Naxalite movement before entering films but left the fold later.

Married to model-actress Helena Luke in 1979 for only four months, he got hitched to actress Yogeeta Bali later. Chakraborty and Yogeeta have four children- Mimoh Chakraborty, Ushmey Chakraborty, Namashi Chakraborty, and an adopted daughter Dishani Chakraborty.