I proposed my wife on Ashtami: Tota Roy Choudhury

In TOI’s Puja star trek, Tota Roy Choudhury talks about dhunuchi naach, bhog and labda, cooking kosha mangsho and adda, adda and more adda
Favourite Puja
I look forward to Durga Puja every year. Like a child, I start counting the days as soon as work starts on our para pandal. To pinpoint one particular puja is next to impossible. But there are a few pujas in North and South Kolkata that are a must-watch for me.We — that’s a team of 50 people — start pandal hopping around 3am in the morning and come back by 7am.My all-time favourite Puja? It’s the one in my para — Kankurgachi CIT Boro Park Sarbojonin. I’ve been associated with it since childhood.
Festive Routine
All through the year, I lead a disciplined life, which is why I take it a bit easy during the four Puja days. Though I set aside two hours for exercise daily, apart from that it’s just adda and eating out. All my cousins who stay abroad come to Kolkata during Puja, so it’s a kind of get-together for us. My school friends, whom I hardly get to meet the whole year, organize an adda session on Nabami and it’s great fun ! And I actively participate in all the puja rituals in my para. Be it Sandhipuja, ashtamir anjali, dhunuchi naach, sandhya arati, I am involved in everything. And nothing beats playing the dhaak.
Tuck Talk
Bhoger payesh is my all time favourite. The smell of bhog makes me hungry. I just love to have pujor bhog with labda and chutney. My diet goes for a complete toss — I munch on everything from double egg roll with lots of sauce to phuchka, fish fry and roadside fried rice-chilli chicken. My wife Sharmili, is an excellent cook and on Nabami she makes chicken biriyani and mutton chap at home and all my cousins look forward to that menu. On Dashami, I cook kosha mansho and we have it with luchi.
Dress Code
On Ahstami and Dashami, it has to be dhoti and punjabi. But on other days, it’s either kurta-pyjama or jeans and kurta. From Sashthi to Dashami, I wear new clothes in the morning and at night.
Best Puja Memory
I proposed to Sharmili, now my wife, on Ashtami and that Puja will always be special to me! I still remember that I took her on a boatride and popped the question in the middle of the river. One of my school friends, who hailed from a small town, used to have puja at home. I had once gone to see their barir puja and that memory is still very special. What a lovely puja, devoid of anything pompous! Those Pujas have a spirit, pran achhe barir pujo te.