But some stars make their way out only to stage a surprise comeback. That’s what Chakraborty did, when he recreated his magic in Guru last year with a powerful performance as an uncompromising newspaper editor. Now he promises his fans a lot more. “I have nearly 10-12 films on the floors,” says Chakraborty, naming Don Muthu Swami (that releases in June), Chandni Chowk To China, Luck with Sanjay Dutt, C Company, Phir Kabhi (opposite Dimple Kapadia) and Zindagi Tere Naam (opposite his former co-star Ranjeeta).

His second innings is not going to be just offbeat roles, like the one in Guru, for the actor. “I have not become selective about banners but about my roles. I’m playing characters that excite me even if they are hardcore masala movies,” says Chakraborty, who has shaken a leg for a promotional video of Don.

In Chandni, he will be seen doing daredevil stunts with Akshay Kumar. “It isn’t that I danced or did an action sequence after a long time. I’m in regular touch with them through Bengali films,” he says.

Chakraborty’s honeymoon with the Hindi box office ended with super-hit movies like Agneepath (where he played the lead along with Bachchan) in early ‘90s, after which he ended up as the badshah of B-grade films. However, the actor who gave hits like Suraksha, Disco Dancer, Dance Dance and Pyaar Ka Mandir, continues to be a phenomenon in Bengali commercial films—he is the industry’s top-grosser. “It’s all about luck. That’s all what matters in the film industry,” says Chakraborty.

However, Chakraborty’s journey to stardom is a story of sheer determination and struggle—hailing from a lower middleclass family in Kolkata, he made it big in Hindi movies out of nowhere. “Films are not everything in my life. For a brief period, I got bored and stopped acting,” he says. During this time, he ventured into hotels and resorts in Ooty, and made odd appearances in offbeat movies by Goutam Ghosh and Rituparno Ghosh. “I had to look after my children,” says Chakraborty, married to actor Yogita Bali.

Things are also looking up on the personal front, as son Mimoh makes his debut in Jimmy this week. “Mimoh is 25 times better than me,” says the proud father. “But he has to fight his own battle.”