Dance like a man

BENGALI STAR TOTA ROY CHOWDHURY, WHO HAS BEEN MUCH APPRECIATED FOR HIS ROLE AS A KATHAK DANCER AND TEACHER IN ROCKY AUR RANI KII PREM KAHAANI CHATS WITH RUPSHA SEN

- RUPSHA SEN

Kathak looks easy, but it’s actually one of the hardest disciplines to master. You have to convey a range of emotions with minimalist fare. Now, Tota Roy Chowdhury isn’t considered a chocolate boy in the Bengali industry. He’s somewhat of a macho hero who has been a martial arts aficionado since his childhood. He’s the latest Feluda to grace the screen—the brooding detective written by Ray, known for his leaps of intuition and also for the physical dexterity he displays. So it must have been hard for Tota, whose actual name is Pushparag Roy Chowdhury, to draw in on his feminine side. He was able to do so efficiently and win the hearts of the audience. His performance lent a certain gravitas to the film. Excerpts from a tete-a-tete with the consummate actor who likes to downplay his achievements...

Fans are calling you the scene-stealer because of your elaborate dance sequence with Ranveer Singh in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani...

All the characters have been designed in such a way that they all have redemption. They all have their high points with their own scenes where they can put across their views. So for me, it’s more important that we succeed as a team under Karan sir.

That was the whole idea. So if I’m being a scene stealer it is because of the way my character was written—it was unique and people loved the way it was portrayed. As an actor, I can’t go beyond the script. Coming back to your question, no, I don’t believe I’m the scene stealer, but I’m happy that somewhere people empathise with Chondon Chatterjee.