Superstar Mithun Chakraborty was the first actor in Hindi cinema whose film entered the Rs 100-crore club. He asserted his dominance right from the start by winning a National Award for his debut film. However, it was the 1982 release Disco Dancer that brought him widespread fame.

During the 1980s, when the quality of films began to decline, Mithun Chakraborty did not give up. He continued to work consistently as an actor even during difficult times. In fact, he was so prolific that he once held a Guinness World Record for the highest number of film releases in a single year.

In a recent interview with RVCJ Movies, Mithun Chakraborty’s son, Namashi Chakraborty, revealed that his father acted as the lead in 249 films, and in 1989 alone, 19 of his films were released. When asked how Mithun Chakraborty managed to do this, Namashi Chakraborty explained that at the time, films were often produced by independent filmmakers and the filmmaking process was far simpler.

He said, “That was a time when stars had very little free time. Today’s stars have a lot more time on their hands. Back then, anyone could approach a star and make a film. Now, the industry is corporatised, and agencies usually represent stars. In those days, actors had the freedom to do whatever they liked.”

Namashi Chakraborty also recalled that in 1993, his father and other actors received a notice from CINTAA (the Cine & TV Artistes Association), instructing them not to work on more than 40 films simultaneously. At that point, Mithun Chakraborty was involved in 41 films, 35 of which featured him as the lead. He added that Govinda and Rahul Roy received similar letters. Govinda was among the biggest stars of the 1990s, and Rahul Roy had shot to fame after the success of Aashiqui in 1990.

Namashi Chakraborty shared that during those years, his father hardly had any free time due to his packed shooting schedule. He admitted that he barely got to know his father until he was 10 years old because Mithun Chakraborty was rarely home. “I’m not surprised by those numbers”, he said, “because I barely spent any time with my father.

He used to leave early in the morning for shoots, and by the time he returned, I’d be asleep. So, I didn’t really know who he was. I’ve watched him work tirelessly for decades – and he’s still going strong.” Namashi Chakraborty added.

Mithun Chakraborty was last seen in Vivek Agnihotri’s The Bengal Files. In 2024, he was honoured with the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award.