Ilish
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Clupeiformes
Family:	Clupeidae
Subfamily:	Alosinae
Genus:	Tenualosa
Species:	T. ilisha
Binomial name
Tenualosa ilisha (F. Hamilton, 1822)

This article contains weasel words: vague phrasing that often accompanies biased or unverifiable information. Such statements should be clarified or removed. (June 2011)

Ilish (Bengali: ইলিশ Ilish Oriya: ଇଲିଶି Ilishii Sindhī: پلو مڇي Pallu Machhi Telugu: పులస Pulasa or Polasa), also spelled Elish, is a popular fish to eat among the people of the Indian sub-continent. A tropical fish, it is the most popular fish with Bengalis and Oriyas, the national fish of Bangladesh and extremely popular in parts of India such as West Bengal, Orissa, Tripura and Assam. Ilish also can be found in India's Assamese-, Bengali-, Oriya- and Telugu-speaking regions and in Pakistan's Sindh province. In Gujarat it is known as either Modenn or Palva. The fish is full of tiny bones which require trained eating/hands to handle.

Each year a large number of fish are caught in the Padma-Meghna-Jamuna delta, which flows into the Bay of Bengal. It is a sea fish but it lay eggs in large rivers. After being born the young Ilish (known as Jatka) then swim back to the sea. They are caught before they swim to the sea. Ilish is also caught from the sea. However, those caught from the sea are not considered to be as tasty as those caught from the river. The fish in coastal area of Gujarat is known as Modenn if it is female and Palva if it is young male.

As it is anadromous in nature (an uncommon phenomenon in tropical waters), the Ilish lives in the sea for most of its life, but migrates up to 1,200 km inland through rivers in the Indian sub-continent for spawning. Distances of 50–100 km are usually normal in the Bangladesh rivers.

In Bangladesh, Ilish is mainly caught in the Padma (lower Ganges), Meghna (lower Brahmaputra), and Godavari rivers. Those from the Padma are considered to be the best in taste. In India, the Rupnarayan (which has the Kolaghater Ilish), Ganges, Mahanadi,^[1]Chilka Lake^[2] and Godavari rivers are famous for their tasty breeds. Ilish is also found in the deltaic region of southern Pakistan, in the province of Sindh. Here it is commonly referred to as the Palla fish. The fish was usually found in abundant quantities in the district of Thatta. Recently, however, the lower reaches of the Indus have dried up as water is stored upstream, and the Palla cannot make its journey into the river any more.

As food[link]

Panta Ilish - a traditional platter of congee with fried Ilish slice, supplemented with dried fish (Shutki), pickles (Achar), dal, green chillies and onion - is a popular serving for the Pohela Boishakh festival.

Ilishi maachha curry with ginger mustard garlic paste in tomato seasoning in Orissa style in Oriya cuisine.

Shorshe Ilish, a dish of smoked ilish with mustard seeds, has been an important part of Bengali cuisine.

Ilish is an oily fish rich in essential fatty acids(omega 3 fatty acids). Recent experiments have shown its beneficial effects in decreasing cholesterol level in rats^[3] and insulin level.^[4]

In Bengal, ilish can be smoked, fried, steamed, baked in young plantain leaves, prepared with mustard seed paste, curd, Begun (eggplant), different condiments like jira and so on. It is said that people can cook ilish in more than 50 ways. Ilish roe is also popular as a side dish. Ilish can be cooked in very little oil since the fish itself is very oily.

In North America (where Ilish is not always readily available) the shad fish is sometimes used as a Ilish substitute, especially in Bengali cuisine. This typically occurs near the East coast of North America, where fresh shad can be fished. The substitution is possible because of the fairly similar flavour and consistency of these two fish.

Ilish in culture[link]

In many Hindu Bengali families two Ilish fishes (Joda Ilish) are bought on special auspicious days, like some pujas. It is considered auspicious to buy two Ilish fishes on the day of Saraswati Puja (The Goddess of Learning and Beauty), which takes place in the beginning of Spring and also on the day of Lakshmi Puja (The Goddess of Wealth and Prosperity) which takes place in autumn. But this custom is prevalent mainly among the Hindu Bengalis of former East Bengal (now Bangladesh) many of whom now live in West Bengal, Barak Valley (Assam) and Tripura in India after the Partition of India. Some of them give Ilish fish as an offering to the goddess Lakshmi, without which the Puja is sometimes thought to be incomplete.

In Orissa there is a popular saying that "Machha khaaiba Ilishii,chakiri kariba polisi",means eating Ilish and getting a job in Police department are of equal status.

There are also several jokes involving Bangal (those from East Bengal) and Ghotis(traditionally from West Bengal) where the Bangals love Ilish and the Ghoti love Ching-ri (Prawns).

See also[link]

• Bengali cuisine
• List of fish in Bangladesh
• Oily fish

References[link]

External links[link]

• Illish Recipe
• "Tenualosa ilisha". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=551297. Retrieved 6 June 2006. 
• Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2005). "Tenualosa ilisha" in FishBase. November 2005 version.
• Ilish
• More details
• exotic Hilsa recipes

v t e Principal commercial fishery species groups Wild Large pelagic fish Mackerel Salmon Shark Swordfish Tuna albacore bigeye Atlantic bluefin Pacific bluefin southern bluefin skipjack yellowfin Forage fish Anchovy Capelin Herring Ilish Menhaden Sardines Shad Demersal fish Catfish Cod Atlantic Pacific Flatfish flounder halibut plaice sole turbot Haddock Mullet Orange roughy Pollock Smelt-whitings Toothfish Freshwater fish Carp Sturgeon Tilapia Trout Other wild fish Eel Whitebait more... Crustaceans Crab Krill Lobster Shrimp and prawn more... Molluscs Abalone Mussels Octopus Oysters Scallops Squid more... Echinoderms Sea cucumbers Sea urchin more... Farmed Carp bighead common crucian grass silver Catfish Freshwater prawns Mussels Oysters Salmon Atlantic salmon trout coho chinook Scallops Seaweed Shrimp Tilapia Commercial fishing World fish production Fishing topics Fisheries glossary

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2009)

Tim Pigott-Smith (born 13 May 1946) is an English film and television actor.

Early life[link]

Pigott-Smith was born in Rugby, Warwickshire, the son of Margaret Muriel (née Goodman) and Harry Thomas Pigott-Smith, who was a journalist.^[1] He was educated at Wyggeston Boys' School, Leicester, King Edward VI School, Stratford-upon-Avon and Bristol University. He trained as an actor at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.

Acting career[link]

Television[link]

Notable appearances include Ronald Merrick in The Jewel in the Crown, the title role in the crime drama series The Chief (1990–1993), a recurring role in ITV drama The Vice as Ken Stott's nemesis, Vickers, Bloody Sunday and two separate adaptations of North and South. In the 1975 version he played Frederick Hale, while in 2004 he played his father Richard.

He has appeared twice in Doctor Who, in the stories The Claws of Axos (1971), and The Masque of Mandragora (1976).

His distinctive voice has made him a popular narrator. He narrated notable TV documentaries such as the Battlefield series, which examines pivotal battles of the Second World War from an operations point of view.

Film[link]

His film career has recently included the 2004 film Alexander, The Four Feathers, Gangs of New York, Johnny English, The Remains of the Day, and V for Vendetta. Tim also makes an appearance in the 2008 film Quantum of Solace.

Stage[link]

Pigott-Smith is a regular stage actor in Shakespearean and Greek roles; for instance, he played Posthumus in John Barton's 1974 production of Cymbeline for the Royal Shakespeare Company. In 2011 he took the title role in King Lear at the West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds.^[2]

Contemporary works include Enron, playing Ken Lay, for the Chichester Festival Theatre, and then London, in 2009 and Tobias in A Delicate Balance at the Almeida Theatre, London in 2011.^[3][4]

Radio[link]

He is also a noted radio actor, appearing in many productions on BBC Radio 4.

Filmography[link]

• Doctor Who The Claws of Axos (1971) (TV)
• Antony and Cleopatra (1974) (TV)
• North and South (1975)
• Aces High (1976)
• The Glittering Prizes (1976) (TV)
• Doctor Who The Masque of Mandragora (1976) (TV)
• Joseph Andrews (1977)
• The Lost Boys (1978) (TV)
• Henry IV, Part I (1979) (TV)
• School Play (1979)
• Measure for Measure (1979) (TV)
• Danger UXB (1979) TV Series
• Richard's Things (1980)
• Tis Pity She's a Whore (1980) (TV)
• Sweet William (1980)
• Hannah (1980) (TV)
• The Day Christ Died (1980) (TV)
• In Hiding (1980) (TV)
• Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years (1981) (TV)
• Escape to Victory (1981)
• Clash of the Titans (1981)
• I Remember Nelson (1982) (TV)
• The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1982) (TV)
• Fame Is the Spur (1982) (TV)
• Struggle (1983) (TV)
• The Jewel in the Crown (1984) (TV)
• A State of Emergency (1986)
• Dead Man's Folly (1986) (TV)
• The Challenge (1986)
• Life Story (1987) (TV)
• The Chief (1990–1993)
• True Adventures of Christopher Columbus (1992) (TV)
• The Remains of the Day (1993)
• The Bullion Boys (1993) (TV)
• The Vice (1999) (TV)
• The Major Years (1999)
• Innocents (2000) (TV)
• Gangs of New York (2002)
• The Four Feathers (2002)
• Spooks: The Rose Bed Memoirs (2002)
• The Inspector Lynley Mysteries: For the Sake of Elena (2002) (TV)
• Bloody Sunday (2002)
• Laissez-passer (2002)
• The Private Life of Samuel Pepys (2003) (TV)
• Pompeii: The Last Day (2003)
• Eroica (2003) (TV)
• The Day Britain Stopped (2003)
• Johnny English (2003)
• Alexander (2004)
• North & South (2004)
• London (2004)
• V for Vendetta (2006)
• Flyboys (2006)
• HolbyBlue (2007) (TV)
• Quantum of Solace (2008)
• Midsomer Murders — "Days of Misrule" (2008) (TV)
• Alice in Wonderland (2010)
• Foyle's War, Series Seven, "The Russian House" (2010) (TV)
• The Little House (2010) (TV)
• The Hour (drama series) (2011) (TV)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Tim Pigott-Smith at the Internet Movie Database

Utpal Dutt ( utpôl dôtto (help·info)) (29 March 1929 – 19 August 1993) was an Indian actor, director, and writer-playwright. He was primarily an actor in Bengali theatre, where he became a pioneering figure in Modern Indian theatre, when he founded the 'Little Theater Group' in 1947, which enacted many English, Shakespearean and Brecht plays, in a period now known as the 'Epic theater' period, before immersing itself completely in highly political and radical theatre. His plays became apt vehicle of the expression for his Marxist ideologies, visible in socio-political plays like, Kallol (1965), Manusher Adhikar, Louha Manob (1964), Tiner Toloar and Maha-Bidroha. He also acted over 100 Bengali and Hindi films in his career spanning 40 years, and remains most known for his roles in films like Mrinal Sen’s Bhuvan Shome (1969), Satyajit Ray’s Agantuk (1991), Gautam Ghose’s Padma Nadir Majhi (1993) and Hrishikesh Mukherjee's breezy comedies such as Gol Maal (1980) and Rang Birangi (1983).^[1][2][3][4]

He received National Film Award for Best Actor in 1970 and three Filmfare Best Comedian Awards. In 1990, the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance and Theatre, awarded him its highest award the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship for lifetime contribution to theatre.

Early life and education[link]

His father was Girijaranjan Dutt. Utpal Dutt was born on March 29, 1929 in Hindu kayastha faimily in Barisal. He studied initially at St. Edmunds School, and later completed his Matriculation in 1945 from St. Xavier's Collegiate School, Kolkata. In 1949, he graduated with English Literature Honours from the St. Xavier's College, Calcutta, University of Calcutta.^{[citation needed]}

Career[link]

Though he was active primarily in Bengali theatre, he started his career in English theatre. As a teenager in the 1940s, he developed his passion and craft in English theatre, which resulted in the establishment of 'The Shakespeareans', in 1947. Its first performance was a powerful production of Shakespeare's Richard III, with Dutt playing the king, this so impressed Geoffrey Kendal and Laura Kendal (parents of the actress Jennifer Kendal), who led the itinerant 'Shakespeareana Theatre Company', that they immediately hired him and he did two year-long tours with them across India and Pakistan, enacting Shakespeare's plays, first 1947–49 and later 1953–54; and was acclaimed for his passionate portrayal of Othello. After the Geofferys left India for the first time in 1949, Utpal Dutt renamed his group as 'Little Theatre Group' (LTG), and over the next three years, continued to perform and produce in plays by Ibsen, Shaw, Tagore, Gorky and Konstantin Simonov. The group later decided to exclusively stage Bengali plays, to eventually evolve into a production company as it produced several Bengali movies. He also remained an active member of Gananatya Sangha, which performed through rural areas of West Bengal.^[5]

He was also a founding member of Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA), an organization known for its leftist leaning, but left it after a couple of years, when he started his theatre group. He wrote and directed what he called "Epic Theatre", a term he borrowed from Bertolt Brecht, to bring about discussion and change in Bengal. His Brecht Society formed in 1948, was presided by Satyajit Ray. He became one of the most influential personalities in the Group Theater movement. While he accepting Brecht's belief of audience being "co-authors" of the theatre, he rejected orthodoxies of 'Epic theatre' as being impractical in India.^[6] He also remained a teacher of English at the South Point School in Kolkata.

Soon he would turn to his native Bengali producing translations of several Shakespearean tragedies and the works of Russian classicists into Bengali. Starting 1954, he wrote and directed controversial Bengali political plays, and also Maxim Gorky`s Lower Depths in Bengali in 1957. In 1959, the LTG secured the lease of Minerva Theatre, Kolkata, where most notably Angar (Coal) (1959), based on the exploitation of coal-miners was showcased. For the next decade the group staged several plays here, with him as an impresario, and still remembered as one last pioneering actor-managers of Indian theatre. He also formed groups like Arjo Opera and Bibek Yatra Samaj.^[7]

Meanwhile, his transition to films happened when while they were performing role of Othello, which famous filmmaker Madhu Bose happened to watch and gave him the lead in his film, Michael Madhusudan (1950), based on the life of the Indo-Anglian poet Michael Madhusudan Dutt. Later, he himself, wrote a play on the fragmented colonial psyche and Michael Madhusudan Dutt, and the ambivalence of swaying between "colonial" admiration and "anti-colonial" revolt. He went on to act in many Bengali films, including many films by Satyajit Ray.^[2]

Dutt was also an extremely famous comic actor in Hindi cinema, though he acted only in a handful of Hindi cinemas. He acted in the comedy movies, most notable ones being Guddi, Gol Maal, Naram Garam, Rang Birangi and Shaukeen. He received Filmfare Best Comedian Award for Golmaal, Naram Garam and Rang Birangi. In Bengali cinema, he appeared in Bhuvan Shome for which he was awarded the National Film Award for Best Actor, Ek Adhuri Kahani and Chorus, all by Mrinal Sen; Agantuk, Jana Aranya, Joy Baba Felunath and Hirak Rajar Deshe, by Satyajit Ray; Paar and Padma Nadir Majhi, by Gautam Ghose; Bombay Talkie, The Guru, and Shakespeare Wallah, by James Ivory; Jukti Takko Aar Gappo, by Ritwik Ghatak; Guddi, [(Gol Maal)], [(Kotwal Saab)] by Hrishikesh Mukherjee; Shaukeen, "[( Priyatama)]", "[(Hamari Bahu Alka)] directed by Basu Chatterjee and Amanush & "[(Anand Ashram)], "Barsat Ki Ek Raat" by Shakti Samanta.

He balanced successful parallel careers as an extremely serious theatre playwright and director in Bengal alongside doing hilariously comic roles in Hindi cinema. He is the greatest dramatist in progressive Bengali theatre of 20th century.

Dutt was also a lifelong Marxist and an active supporter of the Communist Party of India (Marxist),^[8] and his leftist "Revolutionary Theater" was a phenomenon in the contemporary Bengali theater. He staged many street dramas in favour of the Communist Party. He was jailed by the Congress government in West Bengal in 1965 and detained for several months, as the then state government feared the subversive message of his play Kallol (Sound of the Waves), based on the Royal Indian Navy Mutiny of 1946, which ran packed shows at Calcutta's Minerva Theatre, might provoke anti-government protests in West Bengal, the play turned out to be his longest-running play at the Minerva. Manusher Adhikare (Of People's Rights) in 1968, staged as documentary drama was new genre in Bengali theatre before, though it turned out to be his last production of the group at the Minerva, as they soon left the theatre. Thereafter, the group was given the name, 'People's Little Theatre' as it took on yet another new direction, his work came closer to people, and this phase played an important role in popularizing Indian street theatre, as he started performing at street-corners or `poster` plays, in open spaces without any aid or embellishment before enormous crowds. The year also marked his transition into Jatra or Yatra Pala, a Bengali folk drama form, performed largely across rural West Bengal. He started writing Jatra scripts, produced and acted in them, even formed his own Jatra troupe. His jatra political dramas, were often produced on open-air stages and symbolized his commitment to communist ideology and today form his lasting legacy.^[9]

Through the 1970s three of his plays, Barricade, Dusswapner Nagari (City of Nightmares), Ebaar Rajar Pala (Enter the King), drew crowds despite being officially banned.^{[1][7][10][11]}

He wrote Louha Manab (Iron Man), 1964 while still in jail, based on a real trial against a pro-Stalin, ex-Politburo member by supporters of Nikita Khrushchev in Moscow of 1963. First staged at Alipore Jail in 1965, by People’s Little Theatre. His stay in jail unleashed a new period of rebellious, and politically charged plays, including Tiner Toloar (The Tin Sword), partially based on Pygmalion, Dushapner Nagari (Nightmare City), Manusher Odhikare (Rights Of Man), based on the Scottsboro Boys case, protests against the racial discrimination and injustice of the Scottsborough trial of 1931, Surya-Shikar (Hunting the Sun) (1978), Maha-Bidroha (The Great Rebellion) (1989), and Laal Durgo (Red Fort) (1990) (The Red Goddess of Destruction) about the demise of Communism, set in a fictitious East European country, and Janatar Aphim (Opiate of the People), (1990) lamented on Indian political parties exploiting religion for gain.^[4] In all, he wrote twenty-two full-length plays, fifteen poster plays, nineteen Jatra scripts, acted in thousands of shows, and directed more than sixty productions., apart from writing serious studies of Shakespeare, Girish Ghosh, Stanislavsky, Brecht, and revolutionary theatre, and translating Shakespeare and Brecht.

He also directed a number of films like, Megh (1961) a psychological thriller, Ghoom Bhangar Gaan (1965), Jhar (Storm) (1979) based on the Young Bengal movement, Baisakhi Megh (1981), Maa (1983) and Inquilab Ke Baad (1984).

Dutt died in Calcutta, West Bengal on 19 August 1993.^[7]

Legacy[link]

Forty years after the staging of classic play Kallol which entails the story as the mutiny of Indian sailors against the British on the Arabian Sea, for which he was even imprisoned, was revived in 2005, as Gangabokshe Kallol, part of the state-funded 'Utpal Dutt Natyotsav' (Utpal Dutt Theatre Festival) on an off-shore stage, by the Hooghly River in Kolkata.^[12]

The Last Lear, the 2007 English film based on his play Aajker Shahjahan on an eccentric Shakespearean actor, and directed for the screen by Rituparno Ghosh, later won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in English.

Personal life[link]

In 1960, Dutt married theatre and film actress Shobha Sen. Their only daughter, Dr. Bishnupriya Dutt, is a professor of theatre history in the School of Arts and Aesthetics at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.^[13]

Awards and recognition[link]

• 1990 Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship for lifetime contribution to theatre
• National Film Award for Best Actor – Won
  1970 Bhuvan Shome – Bhuvan Shome
  

• Filmfare Best Comedian Award – Won
  1980 Gol Maal – Bhawani Shankar
  1982 Naram Garam – Bhavani Shankar
  1987 Rang Birangi – Police Inspector Dhurandhar Bhatawdekar
  
• Bengal Film Journalists' Association Award:Best Actor Award – Won
  1993 Agantuk – Manomohan Mitra
  
• Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award – Nominated
  1980 Gol Maal – Bhawani Shankar
  1986 Saaheb – Badri Prasad Sharma
  

Filmography[link]

This is an incomplete filmography of Utpal Dutt.

Plays[link]

• Mirkassim
• Tiner Talowar
• Ferari Fauj
• Boniker Rajdando
• Barricade
• Chayanat
• Kangor Karagare
• Kallol
• Aajker Shahjahan

Works[link]

• Girish Chandra Ghosh. Sahitya Akademi Publications. 1992. ISBN 81-7201-197-0. Excerpts
• The Great Rebellion, 1857 (Mahabidroha), Seagull Books, 1986. ISBN 81-7046-032-8.
• On Theatre, Seagull Books. 2009. ISBN 81-7046-251-7.
• Towards A Revolutionary Theatre. Seagull Books, 2009. ISBN 81-7046-340-8.
• On Cinema. Seagull Books, 2009. ISBN 81-7046-252-5.
• Rights Of Man (Manusher Adhikare). Seagull Books, 2009. ISBN 81-7046-331-9.
• 3 Plays. Seagull Books, 2009. ISBN 81-7046-256-8.

Further reading[link]

• Representation and class politics in the theatre of Utpal Dutt, by Himani Bannerji. Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, 1988.

References[link]

• Popular theatre: a sourcebook, Worlds of performance, by Joel Schechter. Routledge, 2003. ISBN 0-415-25830-8. Theatre As Weapon: Utpal Dutt

External links[link]

• Utpal Dutt at the Internet Movie Database
• Profile at Calcuttaweb.com

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2009)

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Mithun Chakraborty
Born	Gouranga Chakraborty 16 June 1950[1] India
Other names	Mithunda
Occupation	Actor Entrepreneur Television presenter
Years active	1976–present
Spouse	Yogeeta Bali (1979–present)
Children	Mahakshay Chakraborty Rimoh Chakraborty Namashi Chakraborty Dishani Chakraborty

Mithun Chakraborty Miṭhun Chôkroborti, born as Gouranga Chakraborty on June 16, 1950) is an Indian film actor, social activist, and entrepreneur, who has won three National Film Awards. He made his acting debut with the arthouse drama Mrigayaa (1976), for which he won his first National Film Award for Best Actor.

He gained a fan following as a dancing star and went on to establish himself as one of the most popular actors of India, particularly recognized for his role as street dancer Jimmy in the 1982 Bollywood movie Disco Dancer. He also attracted worldwide audiences, particularly in the former Soviet Union^[2] where he became a household name for his role in Disco Dancer.^[3] He later won two more National Film Awards for his performances in Bengali film Tahader Katha (1992) and Hindi film Swami Vivekananda (1998).

Chakraborty has appeared in about 400 films^[4] including Bengali, Oriya and Bhojpuri pictures. He owns the Monarch Group, which has interests in the hospitality sector^[5] and educational sector.^[6]

Early life and education[link]

Mithun Chakraborty was born in Kolkata, West Bengal, to a Bengali Hindu Brahmin family.

He was educated at the Oriental Seminary and also graduated with a degree in chemistry from the Scottish Church College in Kolkata.^[7] Later, he attended and graduated from the Film and Television Institute of India in Pune.

Mithun Chakraborty was a staunch Naxalite before entering the film industry,^{[citation needed]} but tragedy struck his family when his only brother was electrocuted and killed in a freak accident. He returned to his family and left the Naxalite fold, even though doing so posed a grave risk to his own life.^{[citation needed]} He had also undergone expert training in Martial Arts to the grade of black belt.^{[8][dubious – discuss]}

Film career[link]

1970s[link]

Mithun Chakraborty made his film debut in the 1976 Mrinal Sen-directed film Mrigaya, for which he won the coveted National Film Award for Best Actor. Then he shared the screen with Amitabh Bachchan, a small role in Do Anjaane, followed by Phool Khile Hain Gulshan Gulshan, Hamara Sansar and Amar Deep. In between, his Mera Rakshak was a success of 1978 . Mithun rose to stardom with the low budget Ravikant Nagaich directed spy film Surakshaa, released in 1979. The film was so successful, that many movies starring Mithun in the lead role were launched. The combination with director Deepak Bahry also happened for the first time in 1979 with Tarana. Another important film for Mithun in the late 70s was Prem Vivah, directed by Basu Chatterjee.

1980s[link]

Mithun had much success in Bollywood throughout the 1980s, being a part of over 110 releases. The minimum guarantee tag he earned with hit film Surakshaa continued with its sequel Wardat. His lead roles in Hum Paanch, Unees-Bees and Aadat Se Majboor made him the most bankable star of 80's. He also done lighter roles in Shaukeen, Sun Sajna and Aamne Samne, which made him a favourite among family audience. But Disco Dancer became the real blockbuster in 1982, the breakthrough role of musical drama which was a huge success and remains a cult favorite to this day. Along with Disco Dancer and other musical films such as Kasam Paida Karne Wale Ki and Dance Dance in a time where dancing was essentially a woman's forté in India, showcased him as a talented dancer. As Amitabh Bachchan moved to politics, Mithun became the numero uno of Bollywood with consistent hit films and became Bollywood' s second highest paid star after Big B.^[9] He also became India's highest tax payer in 1986.^[10] Chakraborty went on to star in a number of successful romantic and family dramas during the 1980s, such as Mujhe Insaaf Chahiye, Ghar Ek Mandir, Pyaar Jhukta Nahin, Swarag Se Sunder and Pyaar Ka Mandir. These films remain his most commercially successful films to date.^[11] He was also widely recognized as an action hero in hit films like Jagir (1984), Jaal, Dilwaala (1986), Watan Ke Rakhwale (1987), Jeete Hain Shaan Se, Waqt Ki Awaz (1988) and Guru (1989). His action movies always done good business especially in B and C class theatres. However his teaming with Amitabh Bachchan again in Ganga Jamuna Saraswati flopped, but Mithun had a good teaming with Jeetendra and Dharmendra in many successful movies of 80's. His good performances never won an Award in 1986 and 1987 as Filmfare Awards was never announced due to technical reasons. As Mithun always had higher number of releases, sometimes it affected the business of his own films as happened in 1989, where he had a record 19 films. Still his Prem Pratigyaa, Guru, Ilaaka and Mujrim were successful. Had he concentrated in spacing out his releases, the success ratio would have been higher.

1990s[link]

Mithun had 100 plus releases in this decade too, starting with Agneepath which won him the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor. Films like Shandaar, Pyar Ka Karz, Gunahon Ka Devta, Pyar Ka Devta, Pyar Hua Chori Chori, Trinetra and Mere Sajana Saath Nibhana followed. In 1992, the critically acclaimed Bengali film Tahader Katha won him his second National Film Award for Best Actor. In this period he decided to take a break from Mumbai. He shifted his entire family to Ooty and he constructed The Monarch Hotel. Mithun then decided to do movies only to be shot at Ooty and nearby locations and he provided discount rates to the film crew to stay in his hotel as well. This strategy paid off as numerous films starring Mithun was launched every week, so he shifted his focus from mainstream Hindi cinema to low-budget movies. Hit film Dalaal was released followed by other low budget hit films like Phool Aur Angaar and Ravan Raaj: A True Story. Jallad won him the Filmfare Best Villain Award and Star Screen Award Best Villain for the year 1995. His economical film production was popular as Mithun's Dream Factory.^{[12][13][14][15][16]} Even he could not do Mani Ratnam's Tamil film Iruvar as his character had to crop his hair, which would have affected 15 films he was doing, at a time. He paid more tax than anyone else in the country in the mean period for 5 continuous years, from 1995 to 1999.^[10] By this time, Chakraborty held the record for appearing in the most number of Hindi films as a hero. Once again the overdose of Mithun releases affected the business as 1998 and 1999 itself had almost 30 Mithun films like 1989. This decade proved Mithun as a businessman more than a star as low budget filmmakers were given their due by Mithun. He operates hotels in Mudhumalai and Ooty in Tamil Nadu, Darjeeling, Siliguri^[17] and Kolkata in West Bengal.^[18]

2000s[link]

Mithun's Dream Factory films still continued to hold the audiences, moreover he started doing more Bengali films as well. Chakraborty also made a comeback to the mainstream Hindi film industry in 2005 with the film Elaan. After a few supporting roles in films such as Lucky: No Time for Love (2005), he was acclaimed for his villainous role in Kalpana Lajmi's Chingari (2005). In 2007 he starred in Mani Ratnam's hit film Guru. His 2009 movie Zor Lagaa Ke...Haiya! won multiple International awards^[19] and Chal Chalein was appreciated by critics for its bold theme. Critically acclaimed Phir Kabhi with Dimple Kapadia had a very successful première through a direct to home (DTH) release in September 2009 and won as many as six awards in as many categories at the Los Angeles Reel Awards-2009. His act along with Salman Khan in Veer (2010), though a commercial failure, won him rave reviews, but Golmaal 3 (2010) and Housefull 2 (2012) became blockbusters at the box-office. He won acclaim for best performance in Golmaal 3 He is working on Enemmy with his son Mimoh Chakraborty, Sunil Shetty and Yuvika Chaudhary. He has also signed Akshay Kumar' s Khiladi 786.

Regional films[link]

Parallel to his Bollywood career, Mithun Chakraborty has also worked in Bengali, as well as in realistic or arthouse movies including Troyee, made in 1982. He appeared in director Buddhadeb Dasgupta's Tahader Katha which got him his second National Award in 1992. A third National Award followed in 1995, this time for the Best Supporting Actor, for his portrayal of Ramakrishna Paramhansa, in G V Iyer's Swami Vivekananda. Mithun, occasionally did Bengali films like Anyay Abichar, Swarna Trishna and Jiban Yuddha, but post 2000, he has concentrated more in Bengali films. He also appeared in Goutam Ghose's Gudia in 1999 as well as Rituparno Ghosh's Titli in 2002. In 2008, he collaborated again with Buddhadeb Dasgupta for Kaalpurush and later appeared in hit films Shukno Lanka, Ami Shubhash Bolchi and Target-The Final Mission. His performances in Mrigaya, Tahader Katha, Swami Vivekananda, Kalpurush and Titli won him National Film Awards and nominations. His debut Bhojpuri film Bhole Shankar is considered as the biggest Bhojpuri hit.^[20] Similarly his Oriya language film Ae Jugara Krushna Sudama was also a huge success.^[21] The latest Bengali hits for Mithun are Nobel Chor and Le Halwa Le.

Sports[link]

Mithun Chakraborty was also the co-owner of Royal Bengal Tigers, a cricket team of the now abandoned Indian Cricket League.^[22] In a football match, he even captained celebrity XI against team of ex-footballers captained by former Indian Cricket Captain Sourav Ganguly. It was a benefit match to raise charity fund.^[23]

Personal life[link]

Mithun Chakraborty is married to former Indian actress Yogeeta Bali and has four children, three sons and a daughter. The eldest son, Mimoh Chakraborty is an actor in Bollywood, who made his debut in the 2008 film Jimmy. His second son, Rimoh Chakraborty played Mithun's younger version in the film Phir Kabhi. Mithun's other two children, Namashi Chakraborty and Dishani Chakraborty, are currently studying.

Awards and Nominations[link]

• 1976 - National Film Award for Best Actor - Mrigaya
• 1996 - National Film Award for Best Actor - Tahader Katha
• 1998 - National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor - Swami Vivekananda

Filmfare Awards[link]

• 1990 - Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award - Agneepath - Won
• 1995 - Filmfare Best Villain Award - Jallaad - Won
• 2008 - Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award - Guru - Nominated

Star Screen Awards[link]

• 1995 - Star Screen Award Best Villain for Jallaad

Stardust Awards[link]

• 2007 - Stardust Award for Lifetime Achievement^[24]
• 2007 - Role Model Of The Year Award^[25]

Bengal Film Journalists' Association Awards[link]

• 1977 - BFJA Awards, Best Actor - Mrigayaa^[26]
• 1995 - BFJA Awards, Best Actor - Tahader Katha^[27]

Anandalok Awards[link]

• 1999 - Special Editor Award
• 2001 - Best Actor
• 2007 - Best Actor - Minister Fatakesto

IIFA Awards[link]

• 2011 - Best Supporting Actor Award - Golmaal 3 - Nominated ^{[28][citation needed]}

Selected filmography[link]

Books on Mithun Chakraborty[link]

References[link]