Kolkata: Padma Bhushan awardee Mithun Chakraborty has addressed his absence from the upcoming Kolkata Film Festival, despite attending a meeting related to the birth centenary celebrations of Bengali cinema legend Uttam Kumar.
Speaking to reporters in Kolkata on Friday, Mithun appeared to take a subtle dig at the festival organisers.
“I wasn’t invited to the film festival. I am going to Moscow now; perhaps they will invite me. They are inviting me to the Moscow Film Festival. Yet, here in Bengal, I wasn’t invited,” Mithun told reporters.
The actor hinted that he may have been overlooked despite his contribution to Bengali cinema, while noting that people with little connection to Bengal are often invited to such events.
“Main bahut chota artiste hoon, shayad isliye nahi bulaya (I am a very minor artiste. Maybe that’s why they didn’t invite me),” he added.
The comments come amid preparations for a year-long celebration marking the birth centenary of Uttam Kumar.
Fondly known as the ‘Mahanayak’, the legendary actor was a towering figure in Bengali cinema and also starred in several successful Hindi films.
Meanwhile, Mithun recently underwent a procedure to remove a metal plate that had been implanted following an earlier incident. The procedure was successful, according to sources.
West Bengal BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari also visited the veteran actor at a private hospital in Kolkata, where he underwent the procedure.
In a social media post, Adhikari wrote, “Distinguished film actor and BJP central committee member Mithun Chakraborty has been admitted to a private hospital in Kolkata due to health issues. I visited the hospital today to see him. I spoke with him and enquired about his health condition. I pray to the Almighty God for his speedy recovery.”
This marked Adhikari’s second visit to Chakraborty during his hospitalisation. The BJP leader had previously visited the actor in 2024, following his orthopaedic surgery on his hand.
