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  Boman Irani
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There’s no other way I can start this piece apart from eulogizing him…Yes, I adulate him…but that is not because of the novelty he adds to his performances, but for the person who is much beyond that. His wittiness can leave you spellbound, his humor can bring a great guffaw from the audiences and his ebullience can leave you awestruck. In short, he is someone who will never fail to inspire you. Many story pieces had been published on Boman and reading it is no less than being a witness to a mystifying case, considering the sagacity and versatility which will never stop following him. 

Around seventy movies and still counting in such a short span of time, I can’t stop but recollect his iconic roles in Munnabhai MBBS, Khosla Ka Ghosla, 3 Idiots, Jolly LLB, Happy New Year among others…Time stops ticking for me. No wonder he is the most coveted actor in the B-town.  And we recently caught up with this great actor at Blenders Pride Reserve Collection Evenings at Mumbai, which explored the nuances of style like never before. 

Spick-and-span with his articulations, Boman Irani reveals the other side of him…or should we say, the exchangeof words only corroborates the side of him which we were acquainted with – ‘Suave and Honest.’ 

What is style according to you?

Boman Irani:Style…hmm according to me, it has a lot of definitions. Simplicity could be style; fashion could also be style at the same time depending on the situation and place. If I am going to be fashionable at home, I don’t think that is me. However, style doesn’t necessarily have to be around something that one wears. Style has got to do with ones outlook towards life. It revolves around how one perceives life and how one wishes others to perceive life. I think it is very important that people should know that you are being honest at that time. Style is also about being honest and when a person is honest, the real he or she comes into the picture. It that is stylish in the eyes of others, so be it and if it’s not then the person has to work on him or herself. 

Let me put it this way, if you had to describe your style of living which includes your choices, your approach towards lifeand your values, what it would be?

Boman:I think eventually it boils down to what the question is. If my values are not in place and I am projecting myself which is not real me, I come across as a fake. Values form an integral part of one’s style. One could be the most on the exterior of it, on a facade, the most stylist but if it’s fake, it’ pointless. I have seen so many people waste so much money on clothes when they can’t even afford it, that’s not being stylish, in fact that’s being stupid.  Clothes don’t necessarily make a man but dressing up well does as it is an extension of your personality. I know it sounds a little contradiction. To keep it simple, let me say that if one knows how to project themselves with certain amount of honesty, than that is style. So many people shop so much but then cannot even wear it. There is a popular adage, ‘You cut your suit according to your cloth’. 

Each role you played had a dash of realism, creativity and legitimacy. What has been the source of inspiration for you?

Boman:Well, that is a craft. Legitimacy is very important. We make larger than life films and that is when legitimacy becomes a tricky thing to do because it may not fit into the larger than life situation. It becomes very important to tread on a very fine line where you have to make the character believable and yes, a believable character is not necessarily exciting to watch. So you make him believable and yet exciting to watch. You take him to the top and bring him back to believability.  You establish the foundation of the character on the bedrock of believability and then you can get away with a lot of things in its interpretation. As I said, too much of believability at the same time can be very boring. So you walk on the fine line to make it believable yet interesting. My source of inspiration is the work of many great actors andthe directors who have guided actors in the past. It also comes from watching and reading what they have done to make it legendary. I can only aspire to do my daily job as best I can at this point of time but there have been people whose work ethic may have inspired me and such people may not necessarily be from the film line. For example, Mr. Narayan Murthy is hardly from this industry but his work ethic inspires me a lot. And also Mr. Ratan Tata, he may not have seen any of my films but his work ethic, simplicity and humility inspires me. You can apply that ethic to your craft. Mr. Balraj Sahani is my favourite cinema actor. He brought dignity to the larger than world of cinema. No matter what role he played, no matter how big the cinema was, how grand it was; still he brought legitimacy and he has been my greatest inspiration. 

How do you prepare yourself for these roles?

Boman:There has to be a particular methodology. First of all, I delve into the script and the story and try to understand what is the character, why is this character put in this particular story, what is his purpose in the story and why is he designed in a particular way to bring out certain aspects in the story and theme. A theme of the film is most probably what is important than just the story, as story is a way to explore a theme. I try and understand what this character is doing to explore the theme and once that is done, I only start building his processes and lifestyle. The decisions he could make in certain situations, anger levels, his ethics, his level of trust, love, hatred and honesty. I figure all of this in my head slowly and push towards the external.  

You have a long journey towards Bollywood. Were there any expectations? How would you describe your Bollywood voyage?

Boman:Well, I still am in the voyage, let me come back to the port and we will talk about it but at this point of time I am still on my voyage. There are no expectations, the only expectations I have are from myself. I do not like to settle for less in my own estimation. If somebody tells me that I dint do a good job, I will take it as a constructive criticism but that does not mean I did not work hard, it may have gone wrong. If someone tells me that I did a fantastic job but deep down in my heart if I know that it was not the best, I will rather believe myself. 

As an actor, which factor gives you the maximum kick? Working with the talented director, the script of the movie, co-actors or your role?

Boman:Well, this is a combination of all. If I have to put it in an order, the script has to come first and then follows the Director. A good script has to be in the hands of a good director. So after script and director, the role and the co-actors will come into play. If I have to make an analogy with the cricket, a good script is like a good wicket and a good director is a good captain. Good co-actors are very important as they are good strikers. 

Not only fame, you have also earned tremendous respect and many people look upto you. Do you think that adds to more responsibilities on your shoulder?

Boman:See, It’s not a bad thing when people look upto you. It’s a satisfied feeling. If somebody told me that I had made so many crores making movies and but still had no respect for me, I think that money would have no value for me. It also impacts me as an Indian. I think if you are in a position to influence people, you have to be a right influencer. So to answer you, if people are looking upto me than yes my responsibility becomes much more pointed in a sense that I can’t just be a good actor. I have to conduct myself in public as my actions will impact other people too. 

Around 70 movies and still counting, tell us one character whose ideologies were most similar to Boman’s beliefs. 

Boman:Not even one actually. Most them of were crooks. I would hate to play myself in a movie. To be honest, I think I would really find it difficult to play myself in a movie. 

How you think Bollywood industry is transforming? Do you think now is the time where content is given more recognition than ever?

Boman:Its true but we are still not there. Yes, content is getting a lot of commendation and is also getting box office returns as well which is a good sign and change in the right direction. Having said that, what I don’t see is the writers getting the recognition for their work. If you tell me about one good movie, please remind me who the writer of that movie was. People talk about the actor, the director, also music director but no one knows the name of the writer. Till date if we don’t recognize the writer’s contribution, we are not going to improve. The day one realizes the job of a writer and his contribution, the industry will surely change. 

The way ahead, one area/talent you wish to explore?

Boman:I think maybe storytelling and understanding cinema in a deeper sense. I have tried to understand cinema through acting and many other aspects but maybe storytelling is more difficult rather than acting it out.