Tota Roy Choudhury is not bound by traditional methods of thinking and it is evident in the manner in which he talks about cinema. “I have never let success go to my head. Success will come in the course of work and so will failure. This is the life of any working actor. I have read a lot of biographies of actors and I know that this has happened to every actor. Does it make me confident? I was always confident even during my dry phase. I know where I stand at this age and that is my biggest strength. If I am good at something, I’ll try to be better at it. I realised good work is always rewarded. Now I am reaping the fruits of my long, long journey. I am getting the best of work in Bengal and in Bombay,” smiles Tota, who plays a police officer in the Friday film Chaalchitro — The Frame Fatale, directed by Pratim D. Gupta. A t2 chat with Tota.

It's great to see you and Raima Sen back again on screen in Chaalchitro — The Frame Fatale after Chokher Bali. What are your memories from that period?

I was very naive during the release of Chokher Bali. When my name was first announced as a part of Chokher Bali, I could hear the industry chatter... and it was not very encouraging. Some felt that I was not capable enough. But once the film was released, right after the first show, the same people came around and congratulated me. They told me that they had immense faith in my acting skills and knew that I would be able to pull it off. They did a 180-degree turn. I was defiant during Chokher Bali. I was very young.

Were you flooded with a lot of offers for films after Chokher Bali?

Not really. After Chokher Bali, I just sat at home for six months. That was the longest period I went without any work at that point in time. People didn’t know how to fit me in. Earlier, I was doing commercial films and I was quite successful in that genre. I was doing television too. After Chokher Bali work just dried up. Work that should have come my way didn’t. So I had no other option but to wait for things to change.

I remember meeting Karan Johar for the first time during the premiere of Chokher Bali in Mumbai. I went up to him and asked him about the film. He had liked the film and he spoke to me. He felt it was one of Rituparno Ghosh’s best films. ‘How did you like my performance?’ I asked him. ‘Which role did you play?’ was his question to me. I told him and he couldn’t believe it. In the film, I had longer hair and sported a beard. ‘I loved your performance,’ smiled Karan Johar.

And 20 years later you got to work in his film. Life came full circle!

I told him: ‘You know sir, life has a habit of making people travel a full circle.’ I reminded him that an actor had approached him 20 years ago after the premiere show of Chokher Bali. ‘That was me... and today you are offering me a role in your film. On that day, I did not have the courage nor the confidence to ask you for work.’

The year 2023 was possibly the finest year of your career.

Yes! Similar to this would be 21 years ago when Chokher Bali was released. This time it was so wide that nothing could top this. Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani played in theatres across the world. People outside India had specifically asked about me after seeing my portrayal. That has been fantastic. A lot of people wanted to see my earlier work. Karan Sir (Johar) said in an interview that I was possibly the most obedient actor that he has worked with! A lot of producers and directors woke up to me in my industry. I’ve been getting a lot of interesting offers from my industry which I wasn’t in the last 10 years.

Did you think of moving to Bombay after the success of Rocky Aur Rani...?

My family is here, in Calcutta. I want to spend a lot of time with them. The definition of success for me is different. It involves my family. I know that I am missing out on a lot of things. But I am ready for it. They told me that it would be better if I take up residence there. But it is not possible for me. My base will always be Calcutta. I can travel, do my work there and then come back home. Thankfully, I have got work from good production houses in Bombay.

Playing a police officer comes naturally to you. You played a cop in various films including Shubho Mahurat and the short film Ahalya.

I tell people that my sun sign is police! I actually wanted to be in the Indian Military Academy. But fate intervened and pushed me towards acting. Prabhat Roy liked my photograph and gave me this opportunity to play a small role in a film called Duranta Prem. Even then, in 1993, I wasn’t sure about about acting. I became a professional actor in 1995.

So you were an accidental actor?

Yes. I am a great believer in fate and destiny... and I realised that fate was pushing me towards acting. Destiny is pre-determined. You cannot escape it. I realised this was the path. I had already played cops prior to Shubho Mahurat. Rituda called me up for Shubho Mahurat. He liked my confidence. Because of the training, cops have a certain kind of straightforwardness and rigidity. They are always very fit since they are trained to handle certain situations, mentally and physically. I put myself through that training. Also, one of my best friends is a cop... so I know the workings.

What was your homework for Chaalchitro?

My homework is my director. I am a director’s actor and my duty as an actor is to fulfil my director’s vision. I try to understand his mind space, I try to understand his vision, and I do what he wants me to do. I react a lot to my great co-actors, which elevates my acting. In Chaalchitro, I play a cop... but he is not a supercop. He has his flaws, and the film goes on to show how his personal life affects his work. In the film, four cops investigate a series of murders... and it is about how their personal lives get entwined and influenced by whatever is happening in the case. The other three cops are played by Shantanu Maheshwari, Anirban Chakrabarti and Indrajeet Bose. My character is too committed to his work. He carries it back home.

Has this happened to you?

At times, I have done that... I have carried a bit of my character back home... so that I can take it forward the next day. My family comes first. In every equation of my life, it begins with my family. Work never came before my family. Ever. For my family, I am irreplaceable. My family will always take precedence.

You have been in this profession for 30 years. Doesn’t it get predictable?

It still excites me... that is because I choose my projects.

Does the process excite you?

Everything excites me... from the process, the collaboration, the on-set interactions, the release and the feedback. Sometimes I need to get into deep breathing because I cannot sleep. Because the next day I have got a big scene. I don’t need an alarm clock. I was shooting in Duars for Darjeeling Jawmjawmat and I had a big scene in the climax. A huge 20-minute one-shot scene. I couldn’t sleep that night. I set my alarm at 5am and I woke up at 4.15am and I couldn’t go back to sleep. The same thing happened for this film too. It helped to some extent since I was in Calcutta, in my periphery. It helped me to relax.

How was Raima as a co-actor?

Superb! She understands the process and she doesn’t pretend to be intellectual. And my chemistry with Anirban is better than my chemistry with any heroine. We understand each other so well. It comes so naturally.

What can the audience expect from Chaalchitro?

The best part about this film is that it is unpretentious. My director was very honest with the process and storytelling. It is a thriller with competent performances with very good technical work. Pratim has made a wholesome film. Pratim is a director who works in the Bengali language but with an international vision. He has made this film keeping in mind the Bengali diaspora and their sensibilities.