Mithun Chakraborty spoke about the hardships he faced during the coronavirus pandemic. He said that he had to look after his family, being the sole bread-winner, and also take care of the people working for him.

Actor Mithun Chakraborty, who is set to judge the reality show Hunarbaaz on Colors, opened up about the difficult times he and his family faced during the coronavirus-induced lockdown. The actor, who also owns a chain of restaurants, said in an interview to The Times of India that, at one point, they weren’t able to sell a single cup of coffee. “Coronavirus ne bedaa gark kar rakha hai (Coronavirus ruined it all),” recalled Mithun.

He said that the government did not support the tourism and hospitality industry, which hit an all-time low during the pandemic. He said that he would often shudder at the thought of how daily wage workers have managed to survive the Covid-19 pandemic. “Unke baare mein soch ke rooh kaanp jaati hai…” Mithun said

The 71-year-old actor said that during the pandemic, his first thought was to look after his family because he is the ‘only earning member’. When things went from bad to worse with his restaurants, he asked the staff to divide whatever money was coming in among themselves, and said that he’d take care of himself.

Hunarbaaz will also feature Parineeti Chopra and Karan Johar as Mithun’s co-judges. In one of the promos, the actor got emotional after watching a dance performance. Mithun recalled a time when he would dance at parties so he could get some food to eat.

Mithun 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’.”

Hunarbaaz will premiere on Colors TV on Saturday at 9 pm.