Mithun - A Tribute to a Neglected Genius
shariqq:
I was gonna surprise you all by writing a "Bollywood Legend" article on Mithun Da. Instead, I found this article and thought of posting it as is.
The below article was written by one Vishwas Kulkarni ("a dude from NYF School") a few years ago when Mithun Da's B-grade films were at an all-time high, and Big B was struggling after ABCLtd crashed.
A lack of friends led me to a theatre in Bhayandar where the latest Mithun film was running. Gunda Raaj or something of the sort. The title though is immaterial. I love Mithun and I don‘t care which film he chooses to star in. To me he is the B-grade baadshah. Somebody who had the gall to say, ‘Screw this, let‘s give these guys worse trash than they deserve‘. So those who laugh at Mithun should stop to think.
Because here is the guy who‘s a better bet than Shahrukh Khan, Aamir and Hrithik Roshan put together. Think I‘m crazy? Read on.
A Mithun flick costs between 1.2 - 1.5 crores. A Shahrukh Khan starrer costs 8 crores to 18 crores. Shahrukh charges 2-3 crores. Mithunda comes for 70 lakhs. Baadshah bombed, Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani sunk. None of Mithun‘s films bomb ever. Believe it or not. But every Mithun flick is a hit. The whole point is that a Mithun has such a bindaas attitude that it almost makes him more star-like than Amitabh Bachchan. Amitabh tried to cover his ageing blues by upgrading himself and corportazing his charisma. The audience yawned and gave him the boot. Today, the Big B has finally had to succumb to Tollywood. Mithun on the other hand has downgraded himself only to go laughing all the way to the bank.
The formula to making a Mithun film is easy. You don‘t really need a script. An honest cop is transferred from a small village to a city where ‘mafia raaj‘ is the way of life. He tries to fix things only to see his mother choked to death and his wife raped. This cruel twist of kismet also explains why every Mithun lead actress looks like a dancer from a ladies‘ bar at Saki Naka. They wear the type of frocks that Jaya Prada wore in 1983. They wear cheap gaudy lipstick. They die. Mithun freaks out and decides to take the law in his own hand. He kills the goonda and ends the mafia raaj. In the midst of this simple plot, the usual suspects are thrown in. The town hooker and her mujra bit, the Muslim uncle to provide comic relief, the loud-mouthed widow who screams at the mafia don only to get burnt alive, the song near the same goddamn lake. All these are constants. The wonderful trick about a Mithun plot lies in the fact that it isn‘t what will happen next; but how it will happen next.
So how did Mithun manage to become the betaaj baadshah of B-grade cinema and manage to retain his self-respect. What separates Mithunda‘s aged face from Dharmendra‘s sunken cheeks? The difference is that audiences know that Dharmendra is obviously making a quick buck with a loser producer who is trying to make an entry through the sewers of Bollywood. With a Mithun flick there is no such awkwardness. It‘s a celebration of muck all the way.
When Mithun retired to the crisp chilly mornings of Ooty, he shipped with him an entire lifestyle. A hotel chain called Monarch based in South India is owned by Mithun. There are no discotheques in Hotel Monarch. Mithun is the discotheque. Producers line up every morning outside his hotel begging him to do another film. The returns from a Mithun flick are guaranteed. One doesn‘t even have to bother with releasing them in the bigger theatres of Indian metros. Most of Mithun‘s films are released in small theatres in obscure suburbs, rural theatres and mobile theatres in the even more remote areas of the country. It is as though an entire generation of cine-going audiences is unaware of the Hritik Roshans and the Sanjay Dutts of this world. Mithun is the world of cinema that they know.
And let‘s not forget a very basic fact. Mithun Chavravorty started his career with a National Award (Mrigaya). Mithun studied acting at the prestigious Film and Television Institute in Poona. I genuinely believe that hits such as Dance Dance or Disco Dancer don‘t quite match up to the campiness of his later films. It is rumoured that Mithun doesn‘t even want to act in any of these pictures. It is the producers who can‘t stop begging (unless you are TLV Prasad who happens to be a personal favourite)
The Bengali Badshaah‘s appeal also lies in the fact that he isn‘t quite the outsider to audiences. Mithun is the audience on either side of the cinema screen. In other words, every frontbencher can see himself in Mithun. And Mithun sees himself in every frontbencher. So the equation is really simple and self-satisfying. Ajay Devgan could have done better if he had recognized this core aspect of Mithun‘s appeal. Because in many ways Ajay Devgan and Mithun share the same appeal. Both symbolize the democratic nature of Bollywood. When one sees an Akshay Kumar fight for the rights of bonded labourers with a zamindaar, it‘s just not believable. But put Mithun or Ajay in the same spot and chances are it‘ll hit a chord.
And there in lies the tragedy of a Dharmendra or an Amitabh. Because with age, their image withered in the minds of audiences. One treats them shabbily. And they lose their own self-respect as well. The audience has grown old with Mithun. As Mithun ages and his skin becomes more leathery, they almost tend to respect him more. The contempt that Bollywood audiences have for filmstars ageing doesn‘t apply to Mithun. His appeal was never based on his looks. Mithun was a notion. An idea that every ordinary guy can make it to the big screen. Mithun is a celebration of ordinariness. And that is why he is my hero.
In many ways, Mithun represents a counterpoint to the glamourous snobbery of Bollywood. He shunned its rules and danced away to glory. He remained aloof from its egotistical traps. An Amitabh in sheer desperation to regain his lost popularity (and money) will host a hokey television game show. A Dharmendra will stumble drunk through the sets of a C-grade film because Subhash Ghai wont touch him with a barge pole. But Mithun wont. Mithun never went to the big guys. The big guys never came to him.
Mithun like a good middle-class gentlemen got married. Had the casual affair incidentally with the then reigning czarina of Bollywood. After reconciling with his wife, Mithun went away to Ooty. And when the Vinod Khannas and the Rishi Kapoors of this planet started running out of 30-Plus tablets, the producers lined up outside Mithunda‘s house. During his second bout, Mithun has almost embraced the sleaze of Bollywood with a Bengali intellectualism. He danced harder, he acted better, he put kaajal in his eyes, and he fought like a stud. All on the might of his wrinkled face. Mithun Chakravorty in that regard is more avant garde than a Satyajit Ray. Working within the confines of the Hindi film industry, Mithunda has managed to tweak Bollywood‘s cultural ineptitude so well, that one often wonders whether Mithun writes the scripts himself. The 1986 B Subhash superhit Dance Dance featured a young boy and girl who reach financial destitution because their sexy mother (who sings a plagiarized version of the Modern Talking single, Brother Louis titled Zubi Zubi Zubi) is held prisoner in Amrish Puri‘s haveli. Amrish Puri blows up the father, naturally. In the midst of this crisis, the sister reprimands her famished brother when he almost dies of dehydration on Madh island. She tells him that ”agar tujhe zindagi mein halwa khana hain to tujhe dance karna padega. Dance dance.” If you want halwa in life, you‘ve gotta dance. That boy grew up to become Mithun. He didn‘t have a choice. But you do. Contact your local cable operator today.
sandeep:
Awesome piece of writing... a very 'outside of the box' view, and yes, i did know that his films always do well... some cool words which really made me laugh...
"... is trying to make an entry through the sewers of Bollywood. With a Mithun flick there is no such awkwardness. It‘s a celebration of muck all the way!"
"...A Dharmendra will stumble drunk through the sets of a C-grade film because Subhash Ghai wont touch him with a barge pole. But Mithun wont. Mithun never went to the big guys. The big guys never came to him."
"...And when the Vinod Khannas and the Rishi Kapoors of this planet started running out of 30-Plus tablets, the producers lined up outside Mithunda‘s house."
sacred_promises:
wow!
an awesome well - written piece!
i loved reading it from the very start to the end, which i hardly very often do, i always skip some parts. :D
kaykay:
Mithun: A paradoxical Phenomenon
India is a very mysterious land and it is also just as varied. You have more than 100 languages and as many racial equivalents. In a land so rich it is absolutely impossible to find any chance of agreement on any single issue.
The query here is who would be crowned the best star actor in this culturally rich diversity. The names that spring to your mind are many. There is Sanjeev Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Rajesh Khanna, Kamal Hassan, Dilip Kumar and finally Mithun Chakraborty, not to exclude Uttam Kumar the predecessor king of Bengali cinema.
Now no one can deny they need to see how the racial question divides India. The northern Indians have never accepted either Bengali or Southern male stars, whatever the persona or talent. While Hema Malini,`Vyjanti Mala and Sharmila Tagore have ruled the box office, no one other than Mithun from regional cinema has ever made into the top three coveted male star positions, as far as box office is concerned never mind the artistic merits of Pyar Jukhta Nahin and Disco Dancer, they were super hits.
Mithun Chakraborty defies this so called bigotry as he was born of regional cinema and then despite his Bengali accent and looks, became one of the top most star in mainstream Bollywood without having to resort to the charity or support of Yash Chopra or Ramesh Sippy.
Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan made their super hits and all the quality movies with Sippy’s or Chopra’s. In this way Mithun is a paradox and enigma, as he was labelled a poor man’s Amitabh, despite Jaya Bachchan saying in 70s that he was more talented than Amitabh Bachchan and that is on record.
Now looking at the resume no other actor has a movie like Mrigaya-The Royal Hunt, and no one ever will have the courage either in Hollywood or Bollywood to attempt that, in fact it seems to have inspired Apocalypto, it’s a tribute to Mrinal Sen, Mithun Chakraborty and Mamta Shanker, which is unique in the world of cinema, even if you disregard the three national awards he won on the basis of his talent, rather than by influencing the jury’s like Hum Tum and Black, which has become rife today, in fact national awards have become a joke in last few years, but he and Sanjeev Kumar won them when they were genuine.
Hum Tum was a second rate version of Harry Met Sally done by a second rate Sharukh Khan copycat Saif Ali Khan, who landed a national award just as Amitabh Bachchan did in Black, a copy of Miracle Worker the great movie about Helen keller from the 60s, if anyone deserves an award in black it’s the child artist who some how managed a natural performance despite the pretentiousness which engulfed black. How this award was attained only god can answer that question or the jury.
Mithun Chakraborty has proven himself in multi-starrers like Ghulami opposite Dharmendra and Naseer Uddin Shah and in Hum Paanch too, where he was the best again. But also he has the versatility to play a romantic hero as in Prem Pratigya one of the best romantic movie on Indian screen opposite Madhuri Dixit, and that is what deserves to be called a love story, not the designer monstrosities that the Chopra’s make in the name of love.
I have yet to see Amitabh Bachchan play a romantic lead himself convincingly. In Kabhi Kabhie and Silsila all he did was frowning and brooding over lost love, in Bemisaal and Jurmana he was angry , name one love story like Aradhana or Amar Prem or Safar where any emotion of love has been ever been expressed by him convincingly in any movie.
He was the angry young man of the 70s and had comic timing and his physique suited action roles, which were very popular in the 70s and 80s, but name any great love movies and you, come up with zilch; Kabhi Kabhie belongs to Rakhee, Shashi Kapoor, Sahir and Khayyam.
There is no doubt whatever anybody says about Mithun Chakraborty’s dancing talent. He was the best and still is the best dancer Hindi screen has produced. Whether it is ethnic or disco dancing he has always been superb. Just watch him in Zeehale Muskin the song from Ghulaami or song from Disco Dancer. They are all done by him stylishly and flawlessly. Kamal Hassan can dance but Rajesh didn’t even try neither did Dilip sahib, as for Amitabh Bachchan he copied the steps from Albela and Mootilal in every movie, at least he has the grace to admit it, but look at it today, Hrithik is the best now and he can do about five steps which he repeats in every movie hilariously.
Mithun chakraborty was never cast by big movie houses he had to content himself with the so called B- grade cinema, yet he made gems like Ghulaami, Prem Pratigya, Gudia and Jallad.
His bilinguality is another asset, while no one can deny the richness of Bengali cinema and its diversity, no Hindi actor has contributed to that, but Mithun has to Hindi cinema, that’s a compliment to him and an asset for Hindi cinema.
The only other actor from India to rival him is possibly Kamal Hassan with Sadma and Ek Duje Ke Liye but his movies have never got the popular Bollywood appeal and he only appeared in a handful, unlike Mithun Chakraborty who is still working in Hindi mainstream like Elaan and Chingaari, despite Mani Ratnam and Amitabh Bachchan trying to discredit him in Guru he still managed too give the best performance in the fist half. The second half is comprehensible to only people who have no clue as to how a screenplay should be written as the journalist of Madhavan and Mithun chakraborty totally disappear in the second half which was a paradox in itself, as the script seemed to indicate the movie was a battle between the immoral industrialist Guru and the honest journalists Madhavan and Mithun Chakraborty.
To glorify Abhishek Bachchan, Amitabh Bachchan had to dub this incompetent actor very shabbily, in an awfully unrealistic speech from a stroke ridden man, Amitabh Bachchan didn’t even give any consideration to the fact that a man suffering from a stroke would be dysphasic or stutter or stammer, he went on his Baghban like sermonising while Mr Ratnam, the director has been left to be a laughing stock at the expense of the Bachchan's, I wonder what Mr Ratnam’s got to say for himself as I believe Mithun Chakraborty has raised some serious accusations about his role being ripped off, which is obvious as he and Madhavan are absent from the court scenes all together, what an idiosyncrasy and how convenient for the Bachchan’s.
I feel more sorry for people like them rather than Mithun who has a rich resume with movies like Gudia which were in competition in Cannes (not a single other stars has that merit,) and Titli which again won numerous international awards world over. While Gudia and Titli might not set the Indian box office on fire, their artistic merit like Mrigya-The Royal Hunt is unquestionable.
Finally can I inform you that in 1987 a Russian magazine voted Mithun Chakraborty as one of the sexiest men on the planet, I think the only other actor is Dharmendra who was voted so by Italians in the 70s. So much for the North Indian bigotry as to Mithun as a second rate to Amitabh Bachchan, in fact I would think Mr Bachchan should take a bow to Mr Chakraborty and learn a few things from Mrigaya, Gudia and Titli rather then keep making second rate remakes of Hollywood classics like Miracle Worker and godfather as Sarkar and Black, after all it is originality which is immortal rather then even a master fake.
I hope this is not taken as a racial or linguistic comparison. I am talking of the talent of an individual rather than creed or religion, language or age.
X.:
Kaykay, that's a very well-written article. Good work.
And welcome to the WM Forum. Please feel free to introduce yourself to your fellow members. We look forward to seeing more of you here!
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