Veteran actor Mithun Chakraborty, who is set to judge Colors' reality show 'Hunarbaaz', opened up about how difficult the lockdown due to Covid-19 was for him and his family. He claimed that the government did not support the tourism and hospitality industries, which experienced a historic low during the pandemic. He often shuddered at the thought of how daily wage workers managed to survive the Covid-19 pandemic, he said.
In an interview with The Times of India, the actor, who also owns a restaurant chain, said that at one point they couldn't sell a single cup of coffee. Chakraborty recalled, "Coronavirus ne bedaa gark kar rakha hai (Coronavirus ruined everything)." Talking about the daily waged workers, Chakraborty said “Unke baare mein soch ke rooh kaanp jaati hai…”
Because he is the 'only earning member,' the 71-year-old actor said his first thought during the pandemic was to look after his family. When things at his restaurants got worse, he told his employees to split whatever money was coming in among themselves and that he'd take care of himself.
Chakraborty's co-judges on 'Hunarbaaz' will be actress Parineeti Chopra and producer-director Karan Johar. After watching a dance performance in one of the trailers, the actor became emotional. Chakraborty recalled how he used to dance at parties in order to get some food.
Chakraborty said that he would walk to work so he could save some money. “I thought no one would cast me as a hero, hence I decided to become a villain, moreover a dancing villain. I used to walk to work so that I could save money. I used to dance in big parties because I would get food to eat,” he said, adding, “I am not lecturing you lekin ‘Bachcha apne sapno ko itna majbur kardo ke woh sharma jaaye’.”