MUMBAI, Apr 14: Veteran actor Mithun Chakraborty on Friday said it is unfair to draw comparisons between him and son Namashi, who is set to make his acting debut with “Bad Boy”.
The movie, scheduled to hit the theatres on April 28, is directed by veteran filmmaker Rajkumar Santoshi and produced by Inbox Pictures.
“I have worked for 45 years, while he is a newcomer. Do not compare him with me. You see his work and then judge him. He will look small when you do a comparison with me,” the 72-year-old actor told reporters here at a promotional event of “Bad Boy”.
Chakraborty said he had only one piece of advice for his son as he started his acting journey — to be a good human being first.
“There is no advice (for today’s stars). I advised my son that he should first become a good human being because then only one can become a good actor,” he said.
In “Bad Boy”, Chakraborty will be seen shaking leg with Namoshi and leading lady Amrin Qureshi in the song ‘Janabe Ali’.
Namoshi said he was overjoyed to be dancing alongside his father, who became a household name in the 1980s with his trendsetting dance moves in movies such as “Disco Dancer”, “Dance Dance” and “Kasam Paida Karne Wale Ki”.
“To share screen space and dance with him, I was overwhelmed. I put in a lot of energy. It is a dream come true and I am fortunate it happened in my first film,” he added.
With age, Chakraborty said he has slowed down in terms of work and would only like to do films that excite him.
“If someone tells me to do the dance that I did in ‘Disco Dancer’, I won’t be able to do it. With time you have to change and move on. I have slowed down a bit. Whatever I do now, I have to keep in mind the love and fame that I have received all these years, I have to respect that.
“So, I do a film that tickles me. I did films like ‘Tashkent Files’ and ‘Kashmir Files’. I also did one Bengali film ‘Projapoti’, which has been running in theatres since 100 days. All I ask for is love,” Chakraborty added.
As an actor nothing much has changed for Chakraborty but the veteran believes there is less bonding between artists today.
“I was sincere back then and even now. Today, the money that you get after becoming a star is something that we would get after doing four films. Money plays a big game.
“There is a lot of professionalism today but there’s less of a bond (between actors)… Earlier, we would hug each other and have lunch together. But today, there is a distance because of professionalism,” Chakraborty said.
The actor also opened up about the struggles he faced in the film industry where he was treated differently till he became a hero.
“In my professional life, I have worked as a junior artist, did one scene in ‘Do Anjaane’ and then I did ‘Mrigayaa’, in which I played a hero of a different kind.
“When I did one scene, no one knew me or even offered me food. But I never took those things to heart. When I became a hero, people would bring food for me. It is not an easy journey in the industry, you have to fight and stand for yourself,” Chakraborty said.
“Bad Boy” also features Johnny Lever, Rajpal Yadav, Rajesh Sharma, Saswata Chatterjee and Darshan Jariwala in pivotal roles. (PTI)
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