Delhi: Veteran actor and politician Mithun Chakraborty will be honored with the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award at the upcoming 70th National Film Awards, set to take place on October 8, 2024. The announcement was made by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw via a post on X (formerly Twitter), where he praised Chakraborty’s significant contribution to Indian cinema, calling his cinematic journey an inspiration for generations.
“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. To be presented at the 70th National Film Awards ceremony on Oct 8, 2024,” the minister wrote.
Mithun Chakraborty made his Bollywood debut in 1976 with Mrinal Sen’s critically acclaimed film Mrigayaa, for which he received the National Film Award for Best Actor. He rose to nationwide fame with his performance in the 1982 blockbuster Disco Dancer, and further cemented his position with films like Kasam Paida Karne Wale Ki, Commando, and Agneepath (1990). In addition to his film career, he has gained popularity as a judge on television reality shows.
The Dadasaheb Phalke Award, instituted in 1969, is the highest honor in Indian cinema and is presented annually by the Directorate of Film Festivals. The award is named after Dadasaheb Phalke, often referred to as the father of Indian cinema, who directed India’s first feature film Raja Harishchandra in 1913. Mithun Chakraborty will be the 54th recipient of this esteemed award, joining an illustrious list of past winners that includes legends like Prithviraj Kapoor, Vinod Khanna, Lata Mangeshkar, and Waheeda Rehman, who received the award in 2021.