WHO IS MITHUN CHAKRABORTY?

Mithun Chakraborty

A former Rajya Sabha member, Mithun Chakraborty is an Indian actor-turned-politician. In 2021, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) days ahead of the West Bengal Assembly polls.

Mithun Chakraborty's early life

Born as Gourango Chakraborty in Kolkata in 1950, he graduated with BSc in Chemistry from Scottish Church College and later attended the Film and Television Institute of India in Pune.

Films and accolades

Mithun Chakraborty has acted in over 350 films, including Bengali, Hindi, Odia, Bhojpuri, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Punjabi. Chakraborty made his debut with Mrinal Sen's Mrigayaa in 1976 for which he won a National Award. Later, he received two more of the same prestigious award in 1992 and 1998.

Chakraborty holds a record for most released films in the year 1989 with 19 movies.

From 1976 to 1990, the actor was part of over 200 movies. In 1982, Chakraborty established himself as a dancing phenomenon with his most popular role in the movie Disco Dancer. Over the next decade, he again made over 100 movies.

In the television industry, he also developed the concept of dance competition with Dance India Dance, a show that airs on Zee TV, which became India's largest dance-based reality show.

Meanwhile, he paid more taxes than anyone else in India from 1995 to 1999, which proved him more of a businessman than a movie star.

Mithun Chakraborty's political journey

The 70-year-old actor joined politics and became an MP after he was nominated by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the West Bengal Assembly elections in 2014. Though his term was till 2020, he left Rajya Sabha in 2016. According to Anandabazar Patrika news in 2016, he left the MP seat as his name was getting dragged into various chit fund scams, following which he started distancing from Banerjee's Trinamool Congress party.

On March 7, 2021, Chakraborty joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Kailash Vijayvargiya at the Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata.

The West Bengal Assembly polls will be held in eight phases from March 27 to April 29. Due to the election-related threat, the veteran actor has been accorded ''Y+'' VIP security cover by the central government.

LATEST NEWS UPDATES ON MITHUN CHAKRABORTY

Bengal polls: BJP leader Mithun Chakraborty's roadshow disallowed in Behala
The BJP was denied permission to hold a roadshow of Bollywood superstar Mithun Chakraborty, who had recently joined the saffron ...| April 08, 2021, Thursday
WB: Mithun Chakraborty campaigns for BJP's Chatterjee in Hugli-Chuchura
Actor-turned-politician and BJP leader Mithun Chakraborty campaigned for party candidate Locket Chatterjee who is contesting the ...| April 02, 2021, Friday
WB Assembly polls: Mithun Chakraborty to participate in PM's Brigade rally
The participation of film star Mithun Chakraborty in Modi's brigade parade ground rally on Sunday has generated interest among ...| March 07, 2021, Sunday
WB polls: BJP's Kailash Vijayvargiya meets actor Mithun Chakraborty
BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya met actor Mithun Chakraborty in Kolkata on Saturday amid speculations that he ...| March 07, 2021, Sunday
Owing to ill-health, Mithun Chakraborty resigns from Rajya Sabha
Mithun had attended the Upper House for three days only| December 26, 2016, Monday