Mithun Threatens Ekta Kapoor

Mithun Threatens Ekta Kapoor

Mithun Chakbraborty is far from defeated by his son's tame debut and his own non-starter Don Muthuswamy that opened this week. Everyone's favourite 'Disco Dancer' and 'Gun Master G-9' from the 1970s Mithun Chakraborty is back in action. This is one of the busiest phases in the 70s' superstar's career.

And one of the roles he's doing requires him to threaten Ekta Kapoor! "That's right," laughs Mithun-da. “I've a seriously funny

role in Ekta Kapoor's C Kkompany. I play this small-time don called Dattu Satellite who has a fascination for TV artistes. I even go and warn Ekta Kapoor against torturing her TV artistes. I'm having so much fun with varied characters. I enjoyed playing a funny gangster in Don Muthuswamy. Imagine a Bengali playing a South Indian don! I've played a South Indian before in Agneepath."

It was a very emotional journey down memory lane for Mithun-da when he met up with his steadiest and most adored co-star Ranjita Kakur in Pune some time ago. Says the emotional actor, “I met Robby in Pune very recently. She lives there now. Together we visited the Pune Film Institute where my whole journey as an actor began. I went to touch and kiss the number on the room where I stayed. It was a very emotional journey."

Mithun-da gets sentimental about all his co-stars. "I was friendly with all my co-stars. I've worked with all of them from Rekha to Shabana to Zeenat to Parveen. I even worked with Sharmila Tagoreji in a Bengali film directed by Uttam Kumar where she had a double role with me and Uttam-da."

Filmmakers are today willing to write roles especially for Mithun-da. "I've just finished Phir Kabhi with Dimple Kapadia and Rati Agnihotri produced by Culture Company and UTV. It's a very different love story about a happily married man whose first love returns after his wife dies. His grand- daughter plays Cupid. My character keeps talking to his dead wife. I've done a lot of films with Dimple. She's a pal. And she's given a great performance."

Mithun-da is partial about his co-stars. "Robby (Ranjeeta) and Padmini Kolhapure were my very favourite co-stars and buddies. Padmini drifted away after she got married. But Robby and I are still buddies. You'll be surprised to see we still fight like we used to." The pair featured in overa dozen films in the 1980s. Among them, Tarana and Surakshaa were big hits. Now the 50-plus pair is coming back together. "Ashu Trikha's Zindagi Tere Naam brings me and Ranjita Kaur together after many years. It was an extremely nostalgic experience for both of us. Interestingly, there's a flashback where two youngsters who look like us will play our parts."

And Mithun-da's 'Gun-Master' days are not over. In his last release My Name Is Anthony Gonsalves he played newcomer Nikhil Dwivedi's guru. "I played a Catholic priest. But he was no ordinary priest. I didn't only preach. I also fought. In the end, I showed the protagonist my martial arts skill to fight injustice. It was a very interesting role. The director E. Niwas is a very good friend of mine. And the debutant Nikhil Dwivedi is unconventional, just like I was when I came in." As for Mimoh, "He'll fight his way to his destiny. No one can stop him."