Mithun Chakraborty's family has given Bollywood multiple actors. His wife Yogeeta Bali Chakraborty was a renowned actress who was active in the '70s and '80s. The couple's elder son Mahaakshay (Mimoh) Chakraborty is already an actor whereas their youngest son Namashi is all set to make his debut with a film titled Bad Boy. Mimoh's wife Madalsa Sharma is famous for playing Kavya in the ongoing TV show Anupamaa. Now, in a few years, Mithun and Yogeeta's daughter Dishani Chakraborty will foray into cinema. Dishani, currently residing in the U.S., is a student of The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute.
Dishani is already a social media sensation and fans of her father are eagerly awaiting her Bollywood debut. Recently, she made her debut in theatre with the play Seminar directed by Kymberly Harris. Al Pacino saw the play and lavished praise on the team. As she continues basking praise for her work, PeepingMoon.com got in touch with Dishani to know more about her aspirations. In the exclusive interview, she revealed that being an actor was never on the cards. She was quick to add that her family supported her in every decision and played a key role in helping her choose her field.
While Dishani is still studying, she is hopeful to find the right script that inspires her. Being the daughter of renowned actors, the aspiring actress said there is a sense of pressure as she doesn't want to disappoint her father, who is a National Award winner.
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Excerpts from the interview:
Dishani, tell us something about yourself.
I was born in Kolkata and then my family moved to Coimbatore. My father owns hotels in Ooty so we lived in the South of India for a couple of years where I did half of my schooling. We then moved to Mumbai where I completed most of my education. While I was growing up in the South of India, I wasn’t inclined towards acting. Of course, I knew a lot about it because my parents are actors. But, I never wanted to be in that field. I was very finicky about what I wanted to do. I was into singing and at the same time, I was into cooking at a point; my dad cooks when he is at home. In 5th grade, when teachers asked me, I would say I want to become a chef.
What drew you towards acting?
I was drawn towards acting when I was 13 or 14. I went through that phase where I asked myself what I actually wanted to do. My dad was firm that I must complete my 12th grade before choosing a career. He said, "I'll support you into doing whatever you want to be it acting or anything out of the industry." So, I had that time to figure it out but at the same time, I saw my sibling fulfil their dreams and passion. My family influenced me in a big way as I saw my people do what they wanted to. They knew they were passionate about acting and so did I. I knew it was there in me since childhood but I went through a rebellious phase where I wanted to do something different from what everyone in my family did. Of course, that didn’t last for long.
Your family members are well-known personalities in India. Did this play a key role in your decision to choose acting as your career?
Definitely, my dad and the rest of my family members being actors took a huge key role in my decision of choosing acting as my career. I remember, my dad would often take us to his movie sets. I remember sitting in his vanity van, watching him read his lines and turning into these characters; it would be so fascinating. My dad has had a very versatile career. He has played so many characters, it always fascinated me. That’s what you get to do as an actor, you get to live under some other person's skin. That’s why I fell deeply in love with acting.
Are you majorly into theatre?
I was never actually into theatre. In fact, I had never seen a play until a couple of years ago. I was very much into Western cinema, TV shows and everything that involved being in front of the camera. But when I came to LA and joined The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute, Lee Strasberg himself had a group theatre and actors would perform plays. Later, my classmates and I got the chance to perform a play. It was a surreal experience, so different from acting in front of the camera. I feel you get away with a lot by acting in front of the camera and you can’t when you are on stage. I know how much blood, sweat and tears went behind this play (Seminar). It was 5 weeks of intense rehearsals, we spent 13 hours in college everyday rehearsing for this play. The efforts showed on stage as it got the desired recognition.
How was it growing up in a film family? Were you accustomed to both pros and cons of the Hindi film industry?
I feel very fortunate to have been born into a family of actors. The advantage is I got to know a lot about all the aspects of the film industry. My father has been in the industry for so long. For that matter my mother too; though she stopped acting years after she got married. I feel they are so insightful. Having said that, my parents did an exceptional job in keeping my brothers and me grounded. They never allowed any of this to get into our heads. As far as I can remember, my father isn’t a very social person. I can say that my father hasn’t attended many Bollywood parties, screenings, talk shows etc. He has always been like this is my job as an actor and this is what I am going to do. He never let it get into our heads by taking us out to socialise. He often said that if you are passionate, you have to work for it yourself. That’s the motto we all have lived by.
You have been staying away from your family for quite some years...
I have my elder brother Ushmey Chakraborty who lives in Los Angeles. He moved here before I did. He is a screenwriter and a director. He permanently lives here. That makes it much easier because I do have family here. Having said that, it is very difficult to live away from my parents. Probably this is the longest that I have gone without seeing my parents due to COVID-19. I haven’t seen them since the beginning of March. I never dreamt of living away from my mom especially. I never planned to shift my base to a foreign country. It was unexpected. But at the same time, it made me independent. I cook, clean and do everything by myself. It has helped me evolve as a person.
Do you aspire to work in Bollywood or Hollywood?
I’m inclined towards working in both Hollywood and Bollywood. I have grown up watching a lot of Bollywood and Hollywood movies. Coming from a film family, we would watch at least 1 movie a day. I can’t pick one over the other. I think work that really inspires me, be it Hollywood or Bollywood, I would be inclined towards that.
People have great expectations since you are the daughter of Mithun Chakraborty. Are you sensing any pressure even before your debut?
There is definitely a sense of pressure only because I don’t want to let my father down. At the same time, I feel there is an unrealistic sense of pressure because it would be unfair to compare me to my father. He has had years of experience. Not just me, it is unfair to compare any star kid to their father and I am seeing that’s happening. The only thing I can do is give my best because that is something that comes with being a daughter or son of a superstar.
Have you signed any feature film?
No, I’m still waiting for something to come the way that inspires me. I don’t want to do anything just for the heck of being out there in Bollywood. I want to do something I am passionate about.
Hollywood and Bollywood are two different zones. Which one do you like the most?
It is very hard for me to pick any one because they are so close to my heart. Both industries have inspired me to choose this as my career. It depends on how I feel. I love dramatic roles and movies a lot. That’s when I watch Hollywood films. But there are days when I feel like watching a proper desi masaledar Bollywood movie. I recently watched Mimi and I absolutely enjoyed it. It is such a great movie.
Who is your favourite Indian actress?
There are so many incredible actresses in Bollywood. I’m happy to see Bollywood creating female-centric movies. One of them is undoubtedly Alia Bhatt. I love her and the way she has grown in her career. I instantly fell in love with her after watching Highway and I make sure to watch everything she does. The second one is Anushka Sharma. I love the fact that she produces her own stuff. NH10 was one of my favourite thrillers in Bollywood.
