Darshan Kumaar reveals why he 'couldn't recognise' Mithun Chakraborty on 'The Bengal Files' set

Mumbai, Sep 1 (IANS) Actor Darshan Kumaar, who currently awaits the release of his upcoming film “The Bengal Files”, talked about working with veteran actor Mithun Chakraborty for the second time and shared that he genuinely couldn’t recognize star as he “was completely immersed in the character.”

Having earlier shared screen space with Mithun in The Kashmir Files, Darshan recollected an inspiring anecdote and said: “In The Kashmir Files, I had the privilege of doing some intense scenes with him. Many of our interactions involved heated arguments between our characters.

“All I had to do was react to his powerful delivery — and something magical would happen on screen. His presence elevates every frame he’s in.”

Talking about their latest project “The Bengal Files”, Darshan shared how Mithun went to extreme lengths for authenticity.

“Now, in The Bengal Files, he’s playing a character called ‘Mad Man’ — and what he has done for this role is beyond imagination. The first time I saw him on set, I genuinely couldn’t recognize him. He was completely immersed — walking, talking, and even thinking like the character.”

He recollected how in one scene, Mithun was “actually eating biscuits from a real dustbin, surrounded by street dogs.”

“It was shocking, yet deeply inspiring for me as an actor.”

Darshan recalls one moment in particular that left a lasting impact on him.

“His character in the film has had his tongue burned by the enemy, so he can’t speak clearly. Initially, prosthetics were used to depict this, but they weren’t working effectively. That’s when Mithun Da decided to paint his tongue black with real colour — something potentially harmful.”

The actor said: “When I asked him, ‘Da, isn’t this dangerous for your body?’, he simply smiled and said, ‘We are creating history, and I must do justice to this character.’”

He added: “That moment truly moved me. Here is a man who has delivered countless blockbusters, redefined Indian cinema in so many ways, and yet still works like it’s his very first film. His humility, dedication, and passion for cinema are unmatched.”

Tagging Mithun as an institution for acting, Darshan said: “I carry this experience with me as one of the most powerful lessons of my career. I will try my best to follow his path — to approach every role with the same fire and sincerity. Mithun Da is not just a legend — he’s an institution. I love and respect him deeply.”

--IANS

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