Tota Roy Chowdhury on 'Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani': 'Mahesh Bhatt said my character Chandan has been haunting him'

Tota Roy Chowdhury, who played the role of Alia Bhatt’s father in Karan Johar’s Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, has spoken about the response his character and performance has been getting post the release; and that one phone call from filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt.

He told ETimes, “I was getting so many calls from my friends, industry peers, close ones and everybody has said how my performance has moved them. And then I got the call from one and only Mahesh Bhatt. What he told me over the phone made me so emotional that I can’t express it in words. He said that he loved my performance and my character Chandan has been haunting him throughout the night.”

He added, “The way I performed the classical dance moves and the way I held my dignity amid my tears moved him. And before ending the call, what he said will always stay with me. Mahesh ji told me to keep his words in my memory. All of us go through very cold nights in our careers… And then he said ‘I hope what I said can keep you warm.’ This piece of advice left me teary-eyed. I will forever remember what he said.”

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He said, “It’s also about things I have believed personally. As a child, I was very effeminate and I used to dance in my own room to Hindi songs. My father used to watch and clap. Every time his friends came, he would say Karan ‘Woh dance dikhao sabko (show them the move).’” “No one told me there was anything wrong at that time. So I grew up thinking (that) this is fine. Much later when you go to college you realise when you carry that through and do those moves, and people look at you and laugh.”

He added, “There are terms used and it’s still in my heart because I grew up with that feeling that I was laughed at for my body language or way of being. Somewhere Tota’s character is borrowed from my childhood.