‘Chota artist hoon, isliye nahi bulaya’: Mithun Chakraborty reacts to Kolkata Film Festival snub

Padma Bhushan awardee and BJP leader Mithun Chakraborty has claimed that he was not invited to a film festival in Kolkata, despite attending a programme marking the birth centenary of Bengali cinema legend Uttam Kumar.

Speaking to reporters in Kolkata on Friday, Chakraborty said, “I wasn’t invited to the film festival.” He contrasted the omission with his upcoming visit to Moscow, where he said he had been invited to the Moscow Film Festival.

“I am going to Moscow now; perhaps they will invite me. They are inviting me to the Moscow Film Festival. Yet, here in Bengal, I wasn’t invited,” the actor said.

The Disco Dancer star appeared to sarcastically suggest that he may have been overlooked because he was considered a “minor artist” due to having acted in relatively few Bengali films. He also questioned the frequent invitations extended to people he said had no direct connection with Bengal.

“Main bahut chota artiste hoon, shayad isliye nahi bulaya,” he said.

Uttam Kumar centenary celebrations

Chakraborty’s remarks came as West Bengal prepares year-long programmes to mark the 100th birth anniversary of Uttam Kumar, widely regarded as the “Mahanayak” of Bengali cinema.

Born Arun Kumar Chatterjee on September 3, 1926, Uttam Kumar was an actor, director and producer who became one of the most influential figures in Bengali cinema. He also appeared successfully in Hindi films.

After a series of early box-office failures that earned him the nickname “Flop Master General”, Uttam Kumar found success with Basu Paribar in 1952. Sharey Chuattor a year later established him as a major star and began his celebrated screen partnership with Suchitra Sen.

In 1967, he became the first recipient of the National Film Award for Best Actor for his performances in Anthony Firingee and Chiriyakhana. He died on July 24, 1980, aged 53.

Mithun’s recent health update

The actor recently underwent a procedure to remove a metal plate that had been implanted following an earlier incident. The procedure was reported to be successful, with Chakraborty in stable condition.

He is also set to make a cameo appearance in Rajinikanth-starrer Jailer 2, which is scheduled for release in 2027.