Boman Irani awarded by Canadian government
Boman Irani, a well known name in the Indian film industry has left no stone
unturned to get recognised for his undisputable talent. From his super hit films
MUNNA BHAI MBBS, 3 IDIOTS to his latest blockbuster HOUSEFUL, Boman has made it
clear that hard work and determination is all you need to display your hidden
talent.
His sheer contribution to the industry has not only been recognised by our
reputed directors who have casted him in their movies but now his talent is
getting a worldwide recognition. His fan following has crossed all borders and
the Canadian government has come forward to felicitate the actor for his
contribution to the Bollywood Arts and Entertainment Industry.
He was honoured as the featured guest for the Masala! Mehndi! Masti! MMMovies!
on July 24th this month.
Abhishekh Mathur, Festival Director honoring Boman Irani, said, “As the largest
South Asian arts and entertainment festival of its kind, celebrating our 10th
anniversary, Masala! Mehndi! Masti! could not have wished for a more incredibly
talented artist than Boman Irani to feature in our MMMovies! Retrospective.
To be conferred a citation from the Government of Canada for his incredible work
is an incredible honor and it reflects the value that Canadians have for his
work. His presence at the festival will no doubt inspire and excite thousands.”
He further added. “The festival celebrates all artistic genres in a 3 day
festival format attracting over 100,000 visitors and is completely free, making
it accessible to one and all. Over 70 performances included other artists like
Amaan and Ayaan Ali Khan, Suzanne Dmello, Salman Ahmed, Mussarat Abbas and many
others from across the globe.”
Boman Irani Rocks Canada
at Masala! Mehndi! Masti!
Bohman with Persis Master at OZCF Ontario.
Boman Irani’s Wife Zenobia organised Surprise Birthday Bash for him
On Wednesday night, Boman Irani’s wife Zenobia, Riteish Deshmukh, Sajid Khan and
Randhir Kapoor (Boman’s colleagues in House Full)
held a surprise birthday party for Boman at a restaurant in Kalaghoda.
Boman Irani: from potato chips to tinselvilla.
Boman Irani on his life and times from potato chips to striking gold in the
movies, interviewed by Priya Pathiyan.
You’ve played practically every role under the sun.. how successful do you feel?
It’s good to be in the glow of success..but I did’nt get carried away, I don’t
think like a celeb. My family and satisfaction at work are the two most
important elements in my life.
My wife Zenobia and my sons Danesh and Kayoze are aware of my success but also
wary of attaching too much importance to its trappings. Even when we moved
house, we chose a nice quiet place in Dadar’s Parsi Colony instead of a flashy
apartment in a flashier locality.
What defined your wonder years?
I had a childhood that was full of innocence and discovery There was ease as
well as growing up pains. There was a predominantly female presence: three
sisters and my mother, plus four maternal aunts and a paternal one! My four
maasis would descend upon us quite often.
Were you a spoilt brat?
Not really In fact, till the fourth standard, I was quite an introvert. After
that, something went wrong. I became a naughty boy, I went crazy! I couldn’t sit
still or let go of any chance to tease people and have fun.
But seriously, let’s not confuse love with mollycoddling. If you’re from a
family in which security and love are in abundance, chances are that you’ll be
successful in whatever you do.
And you’ve done quite a lot of different things, haven’t you?
Ha ha! You could say that. After school at St Mary’s in Mazgaon, I took up
science at Pune’s Wadia College. I couldn’t even boil water those days. When my
mother had an accident and couldn’t run the family business anymore, I started
looking after our Golden Wafers shop at Grant Road.
So you know all about potato chips. What makes for the perfect crunch?
It’s all about the quality of potatoes and where they’re grown. Potatoes from
Shimla are very good, Nashik’s are not bad. I could go on and on about this.. I
was into the potato chips business for 20 years.
What made you to turn to still photography?
It was a hobby I took street pictures and landscapes. When I was 32 my
neighbour, Aubrey Sequeira, who ran an ad agency in Chennai, encouraged me to
turn to photography professionally .
I was in Chennai for a couple of months. I was a full-time photographer doing ad
work, portraits, celebrity shoots…
Then you moved on to acting. Does this indicate a rolling stone syndrome?
No. In fact, when I was shooting, Shiamak (Davar) had told me, “You’re an actor.
You should be acting.” He insisted that I should try out theatre. So I did stage
on weekends. My first role was that of a pimp! It was just a cameo in Alyque
Padamsee’s Roshni, but it got me rave reviews.
Every Sunday I’d come back feeling extremely thrilled. I’d be paid just Rs
700-Rs 1,000 a night but I learnt about team work.. theatre trains you for life
and cinema.
Was film acting the inevitable next step?
I’d done cameos in Josh and Everybody Says I’m Fine. Let’s Talk came about in
2002. It was a small digital video film.. an experiment. Aamir Khan, Ashutosh
Gowariker, Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Javed Akhtar had a look at it.
The film went to the Locarno film festival! Vinod Chopra had said to me, “Dates
rakhna.. next December.” That’s how Munnabhai MBBS happened. After that, it’s
been relentless.. one story narration after the other.
Has your lifestyle changed dramatically after Bollywood?
No, it hasn’t. Even when I want to travel, it’s to simple but enriching
destinations. I always encourage people to find the exotic that’s within reach.
