Mithun Chakraborty: Actor Mithun Chakraborty was on Tuesday conferred the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the government's highest honour in the field of cinema. President Draupadi Murmu presented the prestigious award to Chakraborty, who has acted in films like 'Mrigayaa', 'Disco Dancer' and 'Prem Pratigya', during the 70th National Film Awards ceremony at Vigyan Bhavan here. Amid thunderous applause, Mithun Chakraborty (74) said in his address, "I have come to this stage once again with your blessings. I did not get anything on a platter, I struggled a lot. But today, after receiving this award, I have stopped complaining. Thank God, you gave me everything back with interest."

What did Mithun say after receiving the award?

According to a PTI report, he also shared some tips for emerging talents across India. The actor said, "There are many talented people in our country, but they do not have money. I would like to tell them that you may not have money, but do not lose hope. Keep dreaming. Sleep but do not let your dreams sleep." Chakraborty, whose real name is Gaurang Chakraborty, has been awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the year 2022. The honour comes a few months after Chakraborty, a member of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), was awarded the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian honour.

Worked in Hindi and Bengali cinema

The actor is an alumnus of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune. Mithun has worked primarily in Hindi and Bengali cinema. Chakraborty made his film debut with Mrinal Sen's 1976 film 'Mrigaya' for which he won the National Film Award for Best Actor. He also won two more National Awards for the 1992 film 'Tahader Katha' (Best Actor) and the 1998 film 'Swami Vivekananda' (Best Supporting Actor).

'Disco Dancer' made him a superstar.

Chakraborty was selected for the prestigious honour by a three-member jury that included actress Asha Parekh, actress-leader Khushbu Sundar and filmmaker Vipul Amrutlal Shah. Mithun Chakraborty rose to fame with his distinctive dance style in the 1982 superhit film 'Disco Dancer'. He is credited with ushering in the era of disco dance in India with his extremely popular songs like 'I am a disco dancer…' and 'Yaad aa raha hai…'. The film is one of the few films of Chakraborty that earned him an international fan following.

Mithun was a superstar of the 90s

After this, he gave many hit films like 'Mujhe Insaaf Chahiye', 'Hum Se Hai Zamana', 'Pasand Apni Apni', 'Ghar Ek Mandir', 'Kasam Paida Karne Wale Ki' and 'Commando'. His performance in the film 'Agneepath' with Amitabh Bachchan in the year 1990 was also highly appreciated. Former Rajya Sabha member Chakraborty joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections. Mithun Chakraborty also served as the chief judge or 'Grandmaster' in the popular dance reality series 'Dance India Dance' from 2009 to 2018. In the year 2023, Waheeda Rehman was honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.

Who got which award?

• Best Feature Film: Aattam (Malayalam)
• Best Debut Film by Director: Pramod Kumar (Fauja, Haryanvi Film)
• Best Popular Film - Kantara
• Best Feature Film (promoting national, social and environmental values): Kutch Express
• Best Film (AVGC- Animation, Visual Effects Gaming & Comic): Brahmastra
• Best Direction: Sooraj Barjatya (Height)
• Best Actor (Lead Role): Rishab Shetty (Kantara)
• Best Actress (Lead Role): Nithya Menon (Thiruchitrambalam);
• Best Actor (Supporting Role): Pawan Raj Malhotra (Fauja, Haryanvi Film)
• Best Actress (Supporting Role): Neena Gupta (Height)
• Best Child Artist: Sripathi (Mallikapuram, Malayalam film)
• Best Singer (Male): Arijit Singh (Brahmastra)