"Though Sujoy-da tells me such comparisons are embarrassing whenever I broach the topic, fact is his style of working reminds me of Rituda during our shoots in hill area for the film. This is my second work with him after short film Ahalya which too bears Sujoy Ghosh stamp as a sensitive film maker," Tota tells IBNS but citing contractual obligations says he can't share anything about the character or the film or the story now.
"I am taking baby steps in Mumbai as an actor after making my mark in Bengali film industry. So need your support. I got roles in Bollywood because of me clinching at auditions as for every actor audition in full form is the practice in Mumbai," he says on-location of 'Taranath Tantrik', a hugely popular Bengali serial based on the literary works of 'Pather Panchali', 'Chander Pahar' writer Bibhutibhusan Bandyopadhyay and his son Taradas, here.
On 'Taranath Tantrik', being telecast on Colors Bangla, the mega on the supernatural power of a 'cult worshipper (Tantrik)', Tota says: "You never know if there is the spiritual presence of someone whom you can feel but can only reach out through a medium., you cannot explain certain incidents rationally."
"We are surrounded by sound waves But unless there is a transmitter, these waves are not recognised by you and me. The transmitter thus acts as a medium. Also there was a lot of interest among literary figures in those times about spirits and souls and if they inhabited the other world we can't see.
"From Rabinndranath Tagore to Bibhutibhusan to Tarashankar Bandyopadhyay, many had abiding interest in the paranormal and this interest was apparent in their works which we don't see in similar measure in the works of writers later on," Tota says.
Recalling there had been incidents which defied logic during the shoots of Taranath, Tota remembers how sudden rains would hamper a particular shot where a female character had to drape a red saree for a scene and a puja had to be conducted finally before the shot to propitiate the spirits and there was no rain afterwards and everything went off as planned.
"Now you may call it coincidental or supernatural," Tota, who is portraying a younger 40 plus Taranath instead of the septuagenarian in the Bibhutibhusan classis, suggests.
Tota, who is also turning up in upcoming 'Benche Thakar Gaan' by 'Cross Connection' director duo Abhijit Guha-Sudeshna Roy says the film on old age home inmates is endowed with a optimism that one can start things afresh even at a so-called ripe age.
"I essay an expatriate Bengali settling here after long stint in abroad in the film," he says.
Tota, who shares frame with Vidya Balan in Kahaani sequel, recalls he had been pitted opposite heroines from Aishwarya Rai to Vidya, from Konkona Sen Sharma to Rituparna Sengupta, says his professional approach to work and respect and regard for every co-actor, including females help him remain unscathed from gossip, rumour, controversies till this stage.
The Hitlist actor of Sandip Ray' also nurtures plans to take plunge into home direction-acting again by next year and bring the story of Taranath on big screen.
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