Tota Roy Chowdhury

In the film industry, a fixed weekend is almost unheard of. For all you know, our weekends could even start on a Monday. Whatever the day though, I make it a point to take at least one day off from shooting. And my thumb rule for that day: relax!

Getting up early is a habit that has been inculcated in me from an early age. So I always wake up to the world at 6.30am. And on my day off, I lounge around with a cup of hot coffee and pore over all the four newspapers to which we subscribe. Then after a quick snack comprising a banana and a few almonds, I work out for an hour or so at my home gym. Usually during the week, it’s a quick one-hour workout, but on a weekend, I decrease the pace of my exercises, so it stretches on for a bit longer. That’s the best part of a holiday — everything is in slow motion, as there’s no hurry to make it for a shoot.

Gym-time is followed by a sumptuous yet healthy breakfast — atta rotis, cottage cheese, subzi, and eggs. Then I curl up on my favourite part of the sofa and dive into a good book. I love reading and it could be anything from absolute fiction to biographies or adventure travelogues — anything with drama! Currently Dan Brown’s Digital Fortress is keeping me hooked. Lunch is home-made and a bit sinful by my standards. I feast on mutton and even a couple of delicious Bengali sweets. There’s no better way to cap all that eating than by a quick nap.

Later in the evening, movies occupy my time. Sometimes I watch DVDs at home or even go to Inox at City Centre to catch the latest film. But I choose my movies according the director, others’ recommendations, and the actor — in that order. I also love spending my evenings on a holiday with my family. Throw in a sandwich from Subway and a cup of coffee, and I’m a happy man!

Photograph by Pabitra Das