When Zeenat Aman helped Mithun Chakraborty break his 'B-grade' label

Mithun Chakraborty is set to receive the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for his incrededible contribution in Indian cinema. However, in the late 70s and 80s, many actresses refused to work with him, calling him a ‘chota star’ and a ‘B-grade’ actor. However, Bollywood diva Zeenat Aman changed this perception by working with him in the film 'Taqdeer'.
During an appearance on the singing reality show in 2023, Mithun said, “Kitni ladai ek insaan lad sakta hai? They thought I was a ‘chota star’.‘Yeh kabhi kya hero banega? Who will make him a hero?’ Kya kya bolte the mere baare main. I don’t even want to say it, phir dard hota hai.”
He added, “There was a time when I thought I wouldn’t transition from B-grade films to A-grade films. There were times when the actresses walked out even after the film was announced. There was pressure and other actors were insecure that I would make it big someday. So they may have warned those heroines, ‘Iske saath kaam karogi toh humare saath kaam nahi kar sakti.'”
However, this scenario got changed when Zeenat agreed to act with Mithun in the film 'Taqdeer'. Mithun further added that Zeenat once said, “What a good-looking man he is! I will do the film with him.”
“It was Zeenat ji who broke the jinx. Zeenat ji had the status of the number-one heroine of that time, so following her footsteps, every other actress started saying yes to the films that I worked in. With Taqdeer’s release, I became an A-category actor. I will forever be grateful to Zeenat ji for helping me attain that. Zeenat ji, if you are listening to me, I offer my pranaam to you,” the actor said.
Mithun started acting in 1977 with 'Mrigayaa' and won a National Award for his debut. He became famous after the 1982 film 'Disco Dancer'. Recently, he received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, just months after being honoured with the Padma Bhushan.