Tota Roy Choudhury’s phone didn’t stop ringing ever since ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’ released and he is simply living the most-cherished moment of his life. While the versatile actor continues to receive accolades from one and all for his stellar act in the Karan Johar film, one particular phone call has moved him to tears. Speaking to ETimes over the phone he admits that this phone call from none other than Mahesh Bhatt will always be etched in his heart.

“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. 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,” shared an emotional Tota.
Tota’s performance in a particular scene with Ranveer Singh, where he talks about his childhood and his passion for Kathak, has garnered immense love and praise. This scene, which leads to the ‘Dola re dola‘ sequence, has been highly acclaimed by both the audience and fellow industry members. Notable figures like Abhishek Bachchan, Neha Dhupia, Ananya Panday, Javed Akhtar, Kajol, Vidya Balan, and Anurag Kashyap have all reached out to Tota to express their admiration for his performance. Anurag Kashyap also specifically highlighted the impact of the ‘Dola re dola’ sequence.

Tota adds, “Even I got a call from Kaushikda (Ganguly) and he was so happy to see the little nuances I included in the character. Srijit (Mukherji) also messaged me. Many from the Bengali industry have reached out to me saying how proud and happy they are to see my success.”
Interestingly, in a recent interview, director Karan Johar revealed that Tota’s character Chandan Chatterjee in the film has been inspired by incidents from his own childhood. He shared that it was certain experiences that he had in his growing-up years were included in this character of Chandan.
Meanwhile, ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’, starring Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt in the lead, continues to work wonders at the box office since its release on July 28.