Jackie Shroff may be a rare sight on the big screen these days, but his presence on social media remains as lively as ever. Reviving old friendships and memories from a bygone era is something of a habit for the veteran actor, and this time he won over his admirers by honouring two remarkable figures on the same day. On one hand he wished the industry's celebrated ‘Disco Dancer’ Mithun Chakraborty a happy birthday in his own distinctive style, and on the other he remembered Indian music legend Hemant Kumar on his birth anniversary, sending fans straight into nostalgia.
A Simple Message in Memory of Hemant Kumar
Jackie posted a striking photograph of Hemant Kumar on his Instagram. Playing in the background of the image was the evergreen melody ‘Ye Raat Ye Chandni’ from the 1952 superhit film ‘Jaal’, the same film that featured Dev Anand and Geeta Bali in the lead roles. Alongside the post, Jackie wrote in plain, understated words that he was remembering Hemant Kumar ji on his birth anniversary.
Hemant Kumar belonged to that select group of artists of his time who were equally recognised for both Bengali and Hindi songs. His exceptional singing earned him the National Award on two occasions. So magical was his voice that people came to call him the ‘Voice of God’. In 1989, after returning from a show in Dhaka, he fell ill and passed away following a heart attack.
A Heart-Filled Gift for Mithun Da
Along with paying tribute to Hemant Kumar, Jackie also made Mithun Chakraborty's birthday special. He put together a fine video collage blending old and new pictures of Mithun Da, with the actor's most famous track ‘I Am A Disco Dancer’ playing in the background. While sharing the video, Jackie placed nothing but a single red heart emoji in the caption, a gesture that speaks volumes about the deep bond and mutual respect between the two.
Five Decades and Nearly 350 Films
Mithun Chakraborty has turned a full 76 years old today, and his Bollywood career stretches well beyond 50 years. Over this long journey he has acted in around 350 films. His acting debut came in 1976 with the film ‘Mrigaya’, and remarkably, he won the Best Actor National Award for his very first film.
What followed was an unbroken run of success. Through films such as ‘Agneepath’, ‘Pati Patni Aur Tawaif’, ‘Gunahon Ka Devta’, ‘Roti Ki Keemat’, ‘Trinetra’, ‘Shatranj’, ‘Tadipaar’, ‘Jung’, ‘Kalia’, ‘Dadagiri’, ‘Guru’, ‘Housefull 2’ and ‘The Kashmir Files’, he ruled the hearts of audiences for a long time. Most recently he appeared in ‘The Bengal Files’, directed by Vivek Agnihotri, a film based on some true and grim events from history.
