Veteran actor Mithun Chakraborty has been chosen as the recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke award, India ‘s highest honor in the film industry.

India’s Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Railways and Electronics and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, announced the news.

The award is bestowed for a lifetime of contributions to Indian cinema and is named after Phalke, director of “Raja Harischandra” (1913), India’s first full-length feature film, who is widely regarded as the father of Indian cinema.

Chakraborty, 74, has appeared in over 350 films across multiple Indian languages during his nearly five-decade career. He rose to prominence with his debut in “Mrigayaa” (1976), which earned him his first Indian National Film Award for Best Actor. The actor gained widespread recognition for his role in “Disco Dancer” (1982), a film that also found success beyond Indian shores across Asia, the erstwhile Soviet Union, eastern Europe, the Middle East, Turkey and Africa.

Throughout his career, Chakraborty has garnered three acting awards at Indian National Film Awards. Besides “Mrigayaa,” he won best actor for “Tahader Katha” (1992) and best supporting actor for “Swami Vivekananda” (1998). Additionally, he received a Filmfare Award for best supporting actor for his role in “Agneepath” (1990).

His extensive filmography encompasses action, drama, and comedy genres across the Hindi, Bengali, Odia, Bhojpuri, and Telugu-language film industries.

Beyond his film career, Chakraborty has been active in charitable endeavors focused on education, healthcare, and supporting underprivileged communities. He has also served as a member of parliament.

This honor follows Chakraborty's receipt of the Padma Bhushan award for his contributions to Indian cinema.

The Dadasaheb Phalke Award selection committee, which included industry figures Asha Parekh, Khushbu Sundar and Vipul Amrutlal Shah, selected Chakraborty for the prestigious honor. The award will be presented at the 70th National Film Awards ceremony, scheduled for October 8th.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted : “Delighted that Shri Mithun Chakraborty Ji has been conferred the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award, recognizing his unparalleled contributions to Indian cinema. He is a cultural icon, admired across generations for his versatile performances. Congratulations and best wishes to him.”

Past recipients of the Dadasaheb Phalke award include filmmakers Satyajit Ray, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Mrinal Sen, Shyam Benegal and Tapan Sinha, actors Soumitra Chatterjee, Waheeda Rehman, Amitabh Bachchan, Dilip Kumar, Rajkumar, Sivaji Ganesan, Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Shashi Kapoor, Asha Parekh and Rajinikanth, and musicians Manna Dey, Bhupen Hazarika, Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhonsle.