Cinema VinesPadma Bhushan‑awardee and BJP parliamentarian Mithun Chakraborty told reporters in Kolkata that he was not invited to the city’s film festival, even though he had attended a meeting celebrating the 100th birthday of Bengali cinema legend Uttam Kumar. The actor said, “I wasn’t invited to the film festival,” adding that he was about to travel to Moscow, where he has already been invited to the Moscow Film Festival. He implied that the omission in Bengal was a snub, remarking that he is a “very minor artiste” and perhaps that is why the organisers did not call him.
Chakraborty’s comments came amid preparations for a year‑long programme honouring Uttam Kumar, who is widely regarded as the “Mahanayak” of Bengali cinema. The centenary celebrations will feature a series of events that trace Kumar’s journey from his birth as Arun Kumar Chatterjee in 1926 to his death in 1980 at the age of 53. The icon’s early career was marked by a string of flops that earned him the nickname “Flop Master General,” before his breakthrough in 1952’s Basu Paribar and the 1953 hit Sharey Chuattor, which cemented his partnership with Suchitra Sen and his status as a leading star.
In addition to his film career, Kumar was the first recipient of the National Film Award for Best Actor in 1967 for his roles in Anthony Firingee and Chiriyakhana. His legacy continues to influence both Bengali and Hindi cinema.
Chakraborty, who has recently been in the news for health reasons, underwent a successful procedure last week to remove a metal plate that had been implanted after an accident. The actor is reported to be in stable condition, and West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari visited him and posted an update on social media.
He also confirmed that he will make a cameo appearance in Rajinikanth’s upcoming film Jailer 2, slated for release in 2027. Despite the snub from the Kolkata Film Festival, Chakraborty remains optimistic about future invitations, noting that the Moscow Film Festival has already extended an invitation to him.
