Shabana Azmi: My mother Shaukat Kaifi gave Mithun Chakraborty confidence

Mithun Chakraborty fought hard in Mumbai to build his ground as an actor. It was the film Disco Dancer in 1982 that established him as a star.

Shabana Azmi recently talked about how her mother Shaukat Kaifi helped Mithun in those days. Her parents frequently helped aspiring actors in Mumbai.

According to Shabana Azmi, Mithun used to feel shaky for his dark complexion. His teeth setting was also not good. He was conscious while smiling. Mithun closed his mouth while he smiled. Shaukat helped the actor to overcome his inferiority complex.

In fact, some days back Mithun talked about his hard life in Mumbai. He said, “The hardship I went through was huge, and I do not want anyone to face this. Everyone has to struggle, but I faced rejection for a long time due to my skin colour. I slept with an empty stomach and cried. That is why I do not want my biopic. This will not inspire anyone, rather will mentally hurt them and destroy their dreams.”

Shabana Azmi’s parents lived in Janaki Kutir. Shabana said, “Different people who struggled for work in Mumbai used to come to our place. Our parents always encouraged them. Many friends in my college (Film and Television Institute of India) did not have places to stay and they stayed at our house. Many people like Zarina Wahab and Kanwaljit Singh were the guests at our place.”