From extreme Left to the Right, Mithun Chakraborty, who joined the BJP at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally in Kolkata’s Brigade Ground on Sunday, has seen it all. The former Naxalite debuted as a rustic, willowy hero of 1976 film Mrigaya, won the National Film Award for the movie and within no time dominated the Bollywood mainstream space. And yes, he had a brief stint with the ‘centrist’ Trinamool Congress too.

The actor, now 70, went on to win two more National Film Awards for Tahader Katha (1992) and Swami Vivekananda (1998). The veteran of 350 films, in several Indian languages, ‘Mithun Da’ wears several hats. He is a singer, producer, writer, social worker, entrepreneur, television presenter and a former Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament.

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Born Gourango Chakraborty, Mithun experimented with Naxalism before joining films, but returned home reportedly due to family pressure after his brother died.

In his last political outing, Mithun was associated with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s party Trinamool Congress. Banerjee had nominated him to the Rajya Sabha in 2014. Reacting to his nomination, Mithun Chakraborty had told mediapersons, “I don’t know how to react. I can never be a politician. I have always stood by the people and their rights and I am going to do the same.”

The two-time Filmfare award winner, however, quit within two years citing health issues. “He resigned from the Rajya Sabha on health grounds. We continue to share warm relationships with him and his family, and wish him speedy recovery,” TMC’s Derek O’Brien had said.

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But, a lot seems to have changed since then for the actor to have crossed over to the BJP just weeks ahead of one of the most closely-fought assembly elections in West Bengal.

From an out and out art film, Mrigaya, the actor moved on to do hugely successful commercial films, delivering hit after hit. In the 80s, Chakraborty was one of the few actors who could carry off a musical, an action film or an emotional drama and deliver a hit. His Disco Dancer caught the imagination of youngsters like never before and the song “I am Disco dancer” became the party anthem.

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He went on to make Surakksha, Wanted, Boxer, Pyar Jhukta Nahin, Dance Dance, Prem Pratigyaa, Mujrim, Don and the hugely popular Agneepath. He won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Krishnan Iyer Nariyal Paniwala in the film Agneepath.

Mithun Chakraborty is the record holder in the Limca Book of Records for 19 movie releases as lead actor in the year 1989.

He is married to actor Yogeeta Bali and has four children — three sons and a daughter.