Mithun Chakraborty charged Rs 1 lakh per day and outshone Amitabh Bachchan, says Vishek Chauhan

Mithun Chakraborty charged Rs 1 lakh per day and outshone Amitabh Bachchan, says Vishek Chauhan

Mithun Chakraborty, the "original Disco Dancer," once eclipsed Amitabh Bachchan in popularity at the grassroots, single-screen level, particularly from 1985-1990. His prolific, low-budget films kept cinemas thriving.

Speaking on the Digital Commentary podcast, Vishek Chauhan, owner of Bihar’s iconic Roopbani Cinema, recalled how Mithun’s presence revitalised the film business during the 1980s and early ’90s. “Mithun is a legend, no matter what anyone says,” Chauhan emphasized. “There was a time when he gave us two films every month. Every Mithun film opened with 100% occupancy.”

Mithun’s appeal lay in his raw energy, relatability, and his ability to connect with audiences beyond the metro cities. As Chauhan puts it, “Mithun Chakravarthy ne single screen ko sambhala hua tha jab Bollywood dheere dheere apni elitist daur me nikal gaya tha” — translating to: “Mithun Chakraborty had kept single-screen cinemas alive when Bollywood slowly drifted into its elitist phase.”

Between 1985 and 1990, his popularity was so immense that even comparisons with Amitabh Bachchan became common. “Sometimes, people would place him above Amitabh Bachchan,” Chauhan revealed. “Mithun has become so big and given so many hits, so he has seen that kind of stardom too.”

What set Mithun apart wasn’t just his stardom, but also the business model around his films. Most of his movies were shot in Ooty on tight budgets. Producer Rajeev Babbar would ensure costs stayed low while profits remained high. Chauhan explained that Mithun charged Rs 1 lakh a day, but the condition was filming had to be in Ooty — where the crew stayed at the Monarch Hotel owned by Mithun himself.

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This clever strategy not only reduced costs but ensured the films had a guaranteed distribution network through single screens in smaller cities. Mithun’s grounded persona and unconventional image helped him defy the norms of the ‘Bollywood hero’ — making him a lifeline for cinema owners in regions like Bihar during a time when other stars catered to urban tastes.

Even today, his legacy stands strong. With recent appearances in Shreeman vs Shreemati and Vivek Agnihotri’s upcoming The Bengal Files, Mithun Chakraborty remains not just a star of the past — but a symbol of mass cinema’s enduring power.