Veteran Indian actor and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Mithun Chakraborty has been appointed as the cultural advisor to the West Bengal government, carrying the rank and status of a cabinet minister.
The appointment was formalised through an official notification issued by the state’s Information and Cultural Affairs Department, coming into force immediately. The decision was announced by West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on the day Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked 25 years as head of government.
This move places one of Indian cinema’s most recognizable figures into a key advisory position. Chakraborty’s screen career spans more than five decades, during which he has performed in over 350 films across Hindi, Bengali, Odia, Bhojpuri, and Telugu languages.
His breakthrough performance arrived with his film debut in Mrigayaa (1976), which earned him his first National Film Award for Best Actor. He subsequently rose to household stardom following the blockbuster Disco Dancer. His extensive filmography includes hit features such as Surakshaa, Pyar Jhukta Nahin, Phool Aur Angaar, Tahader Katha (noted in official records as Tahadeer katha), Golmaal 3, and The Kashmir Files.
Chakraborty formally entered political life in 2014 upon joining Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC), subsequently representing the party as a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha. He resigned from his parliamentary seat in late 2016, temporarily stepping back from active political engagement.
He staged a high-profile political return in March 2021 by joining the BJP ahead of the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections, serving as an active campaigner in the state since.
