Namashi Chakrabortyson of veteran actor Mithun Chakraborty and yesterday actor Yogita Bali recently spoke about the moments that marked his journey in the film industry. From his father asking him to give up the comfort of a Mercedes and take a car for his first audition, to landing a role in Vivek Agnihotri’s The Bengal Files after multiple rounds of auditions, the actor shared how independence and merit have guided his career.
In a conversation with Pooja Samant, Namashi shared how he started looking for work on his own in 2016. He revealed that when he got his first call to audition for an advertisement, his father asked him to go to the audition in a car.
Mithun asked Namashi to travel in a car for the audition.
“When I started looking for work independently BombayI got an audition offer for a commercial in April 2016. I told my dad and he said, “Go audition.” But then he added: “You’re not going in the Mercedes today.” The audition is in Andheri, take an auto from here, go to the jetty and then take another auto from there. He told me: ‘My son is not going to an audition today.’ Namashi Chakraborty, a newbie, is going to audition. “Go with that attitude,” he said.
At that moment, Namashi wondered if traveling by car really mattered. His father insisted that the trip itself was part of the lesson.
“He told me that I had to start my journey from scratch and forget about the comfortable life I had lived until then. That day, for the first time in my life, I took a car and went to the Versova pier. I auditioned well, but the project did not work out. Still, that day taught me what independence really means. Even today, I travel by car when I need to go somewhere. That day, he took the baggage off my shoulders, made me understand that I am independent and that I must do everything on my own. It was “very humiliating.” At first I felt uncomfortable, but then I realized that it was for my betterment.
People’s reactions changed when they found out that he is Mithun’s son.
Namashi also talked about how people’s reactions changed once they realized he was Mithun Chakraborty’s son during the auditions.
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“The moment people found out I was Mithun Chakraborty’s son, they made me sit in an air-conditioned room, which I hated. Other kids had come for the same audition as me, just because I am someone’s son doesn’t mean I deserve something extra. I have to prove myself. I told them, ‘Please don’t treat me special. Treat me the same way you treat other actors.’ When you audition for the same role, what should matter is the talent, not the last name. If the last name matters, then the whole exercise is useless,” he said.
Rejecting the debate between insiders and outsiders, Namashi added: “I don’t believe in insiders or outsiders because in front of the camera, only talent matters, not your last name or your background.”
How Namashi Landed a Role on The Bengal Files
Talking about The Bengal Files, Namashi mentioned that while his mother mentioned his name to filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri, the role finally came to him only after proving himself in auditions.
“My father shares a stronger bond with Pallavi Joshi ma’am than Vivek sir. They have been friends for 40 years. Vivek sir has been associated with my father since The Tashkent Files. When The Bengal Files were being made, my dad didn’t even mention my name. It was my mom who casually told Vivek sir that her youngest son is also an actor. By then, my film Bad Boy with Rajkumar Santoshi sir had already released.”
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Namashi remembers being called to Vivek Agnihotri’s office. “I told him I wanted to work with him. He asked me if I would play a villain. I paused for a second and said yes. Then he said, ‘Won’t you play a hero?’ I also said yes to that. He told me that he thought I would just want to be the hero. I told him that I am open to everything.”
He explained that the role came after multiple rounds of auditions. “He auditioned me for the role of Gulam, then another character, and then again for Gulam. There were three rounds of auditions, and only then I got the role. My dad didn’t contribute and my mom didn’t get me the role either. I got the character after three auditions.”