The family stories we once avoided are now being told honestly: Mithun Chakraborty

Striking an emotional chord through its relatable father son bond, Projapati 2 sees Mithun Chakraborty once again embody a screen father many can relate to. Indian cinema’s original Disco Dancer, he has evolved from a pop culture phenomenon whose lightning footwork and flamboyance made him a global star, from packed Indian theatres to audiences in Russia, to an actor who now gravitates towards stories that feel personal and honest. With decades of work, three National Awards, a Dadasaheb Phalke honour, a Padma Bhushan and countless reinventions behind him, the neon has softened into nuance without dulling his instinct to move with the times. Today, the man who once made the nation groove speaks to CT about familial relationships, generational change and emotional truth, proving that while disco made him iconic, storytelling has made him timeless.From Projapati to Projapati 2, how has your portrayal of a father figure evolved, especially given the shift in setting and context?I would not say it is very different, but the father and son relationship has certainly evolved with time. Projapati 2 is an entertaining film, but by the end it takes a deeply emotional turn. When I first heard the script of Projapati, I was immediately excited and agreed to do it. I am an actor who believes in moving with the times. I do not expect myself to dance like Disco Dancer anymore. With age and experience, I have evolved, and I now consciously choose stories that feel right for me at this stage of my life.Your on-screen chemistry with Dev has consistently resonated with audiences. Having worked together over multiple films, how have you seen him evolve over the years, both as an actor and as a person?To me, Dev is like a child. He used to come to Bombay with his father and sit with us on set, watching how shoots happened. I have literally seen him grow up. He is like a son to me, and that real-life bond reflects on screen. Even something as simple as a hug carries emotion because it mirrors our relationship off screen. Also, the story itself is very nuanced and focused on the father-son bond, which naturally brings out our raw emotions and chemistry.Do you think Projapati helped bring audiences back to watching family dramas in theatres?We made the film believing that the audience would respond to it, and at least I expected that reaction. It is a film filled with family emotions and everyday situations that people can relate to. What we hoped for is exactly what happened. Even today, I believe there is a strong audience that will come to theatres if the story is good and emotionally honest.Themes of homecoming, belonging and generational bonds run through Projapati 2. What aspects of the story felt most relatable to you personally?There are many relatable layers in the story. It is entertaining, but also deeply emotional. A father wants his son to succeed in life. The son moves to London for work. The father wants him to get married. These are very real, middle-class Bengali family dynamics. Then there is the journey of a father and son starting something together, a restaurant, and gradually the son realising the extent of sacrifice his father has made for him. That realisation is at the heart of the film. The context may differ from family to family, but the emotions are universal and resonate with almost every household.Having witnessed several shifts in Indian cinema over the decades, how do you feel the idea of the family drama has changed today?Family dramas have definitely changed. Earlier, there were films like Shontaan, but today filmmakers are willing to show stories we were once hesitant to put on screen. Projapati 2 reflects that shift as well. These situations have always existed in our homes and society, but we were afraid to talk about them openly. Today, producers, directors and actors are no longer scared. These stories have been part of our lives for generations, and they deserve to be told honestly on screen.