My fitness regime helped me to portray Feluda's demeanour: Tota Roy Choudhury

Q. Srijit Mukherji is confident that you have been preparing to play Feluda long before you were roped in. Can you throw some light on it?

A. I have been reading Feluda from the age of seven. I was given a copy of Badshahi Angti on my seventh birthday. From that day onwards, I became a Feluda fan. Initially I used to think myself as Topshe but when I reached the age of 21-22, I started thinking very grandiosely myself as Feluda. So maybe subconsciously, thinking myself as Feluda was the cornerstone of my preparations. This is one character that I always wanted to play since the time I became a professional actor. In addition, Srijit being an ardent fan of Feluda made it easier for me to play the character.

Tota Roy Choudhury as Feluda in Feludar Goyendagiri 2: Bhuswargo Bhoyonkor | Photo courtesy: Hoichoi

Q. How challenging is it to individualise yourself and isolate your performance from the legend like Soumitra Chattopadhyay and someone like Sabyasachi Chakrabarty who have had such an impact on the audience's mind?

A. Firstly, I didn't even think of them because I knew that would be paralysis analysis. I realised that even thinking about them would scare me so badly that I won't be able to perform. So I approached my character very gingerly, that was during Chhinnamaster Abhishap and it was evident to an extent on screen. Later on, I realised that I can only be very proud of the legacy of Soumitra-babu and Sabyasachi Chakrabarty but thinking about them would do a disservice to my performance. So I just went along with my director's vision. I realised the best way was to submit to the director's vision.

Q. You are one of the most disciplined and fittest actors in the business. How did your fitness regime contribute to your performance?

A. Ah.. yoga did play a role. Ray (Satyajit Ray) himself had illustrated Feluda in such a way that he always appeared fit. He is never bent or with a potbelly. He is fit even during repose. There is a certain confidence and fitness in his demeanour. I wanted to explore and portray the physical rigidity, which comes from the character's strength, of Feluda so I had to be fit in the truest sense and not just gym-fit. So yes, fitness did help me a lot.

Tota Roy Choudhury performing yoga | Photo courtesy: Tota Roy Choudhury Instagram handle

Q. How did you react to Srijit Mukherji's announcement of quitting Feluda series?

A. With complete disbelief. We had a conversation where he wanted to quit Feluda after Bhuswargo (Feludar Goyendagiri 2: Bhuswargo Bhoyonkor). But I thought may be it's just something happens easily once one is done with four seasons. I felt he would change his mind once the season starts streaming. The fact that he announced it at the trailer launch meant he was very serious about quitting. I was flabbergasted and shocked. Having said that, I will try my best to do everything in my capability to reverse his decision.

Q. How challenging is it to hustle constantly between Kolkata, Mumbai and down south?

A. Right now, I have reduced my workload in the southern industry as I am not in a position to do many films. I cannot handle that many projects any more. I am trying my best to maybe agree to work on projects with some of my friends from the Kannada film industry. But my primary and secondary focuses are on the Bengali and Hindi film industries respectively. I don't like to work a lot because that takes away from the quality of performance.

Q. How do you see your career transforming after Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani?

A. It changed a lot. Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani brought me a lot of accolades, credentials and a lot of people have woken up to the fact that I am a dependable actor who can be relied upon and I have got many interesting offers which are in keeping with my age.

Tota Roy Choudhury (L) and Ranveer Singh (R) in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani | Photo courtesy: Tota Roy Choudhury Instagram handle

Q. Do you feel the Bollywood stamp is required for an actor to get the recognition?

A. I don't think so. An actor who is good at his/her work doesn't need any stamp from anywhere. There are plenty of regional actors, who haven't done a single project in Hindi, are so good in their craft. I want to find out about those fantastic actors who work in regional films. They don't need any stamp or appreciation or approval from elsewhere because they are so good. So I believe the primary requirement for any actor to be successful is to be good at his/her job at hand.

Q. You have featured in Kannada film Ranchi last year. Does your approach change when you work on a south Indian language which you are well read?

A. I have first-hand knowledge because I have worked in the language. But the preparation of course starts with the language and understanding every word of the dialogue. That is my primary focus when I am doing southern films because I make sure to express every word that comes out of my mouth even though someone would dub it for me. So I try out best to find out the meaning. I believe acting suffers if the language is not learnt well. So that is one of the reasons why I have reduced my southern projects because it will take me years to really understand the nuances of the speech and the language, which is an integral part of an actor to express himself.