He is basking in the applause and appreciation for The Mehta Boys, with which he starts out as writer, director and (co-)producer. Among the most grounded human beings in showbiz, Boman Irani, known best as an actor for Munna Bhai MBBs, 3 Idiots, Uunchai and many more, and for roles spanning every genre, exudes his normal affable warmth and no-nonsense frankness as we meet after a screening of the film’s trailer. The film is set to release on February 7 on Amazon Prime video.
Excerpts from an interview:
Your film has had an amazing response internationally, at festivals as well as with the people.
I am very proud of this film. I just want to say that any relationship needs communication. A father and son are thrown together for two days, and they have unresolved issues. No one’s a villain but they have both been wounded by each other.
Can you share some of the most gratifying reactions?
There was this young girl in Germany, a volunteer tasked with escorting me to the hotel and to the theatre. She told me that she had choked up all through the film. I asked her where she was choked up the most, and she said that it was when the brother and sister were talking on the flight. So I asked what was so emotional about that sequence, and she said, “That’s not for you to decide!”
I found that reaction so strange and beautiful. What people take away from a movie is something I cannot decide! Another friend from Chicago told me that the scene that affected him the most was an office scene with the boss. “I don’t know why, so don’t ask me!” he said. The next day, at breakfast, he confided that he had had an excellent relationship with his boss, who was like a father to him. Then he had left the job, lost touch and missed him!
What was your relationship with your father like?
My father died six months before I was born! But my mother was the one who initiated me into cinema.
And how is your relationship with your sons?
Oh, I have a wonderful relationship with my boys. They are amazing, kind, loving and family oriented. Danesh (who is later introduced to me) is one of the producers for this film. Kayoze, as you know, is an actor who is turning director with a film that also introduces Ibrahim Ali Khan.
In a nutshell, what would you say the film is about?
It is about growing up. When a young man’s moustache develops, the dynamics change! The child turns into a man, and the father wonders if he is losing his own manhood: “I am going downwards, he is coming upward!” he thinks. And then the problems start!
But any father always wants a son to overtake him.
That sounds great for people to hear! But there are endless examples of the insecurities a father faces, the competitiveness, yes, even jealousy! Yes, the male ego takes over here as well! Like I would not even let my sons defeat me in a single game of cricket! Such things do take over your life!
What made you choose this subject for your debut?
Many years ago, my filmmaker-friend Sujoy Ghosh narrated 10 story ideas to me. Of them, I liked the father-son one, but told him that I would like to direct such a film. He simply said, “It’s yours!”
Why call the film The Mehta Boys when Mehta, the character you play, has only one boy?
That’s because neither the old man nor his son have grown up! (Smiles) And after all, there is no book on how to become a good father!
What was the starting-point of your directorial dream?
I had always wanted to be a director, even as a boy. Actor to main ban gaya, aap logon ne banaa diya (You people made me an actor)! But I love directing films just as I love acting. I don’t know about my other actors, but I had a great time making this film!
Actor-director is a term in Indian cinema with illustrious predecessors like V. Shantaram, Raj Kapoor, Guru Dutt and Manoj Kumar. How challenging was it for you to do both together?
Actually, it was a good thing that I was acting too. During the prep in my office on software, every scene was pre-planned complete with camera placements, a month before we actually went on floors.
For me, the real challenge lay in the writing, other things to ho gaye (happened smoothly) because of my wonderful production team. The process was as smooth as maska (butter)!
My biggest worry was that my film should not come out as lop-sided. When you catch a theme, the execution should be correct. There should be some research about what are we talking about.
Like in one scene, my lead actor Avinash Tiwary states that his girl should not be behaving in a certain way, and in the next we see him too making a mistake. And so I am proud of the balance I have achieved. There are no heroes or villains among normal people, but we all carry wounds from loved ones and some of us, not all, figure them out. With time, we even forget our issues, but the resentment remains somewhere.
The audience, of course, will take sides. But for the writer, there is no point in taking sides. And that is the point! So my film is about humanity, kindness, also coming-of-age.
The original idea came to you years ago. Did you make any changes since?
Oh, I wrote the best possible first draft! Then I tossed it into the dustbin! (Smiles). In New York, I met the Oscar-winning screenwriter and playwright, Alexander Dinelaris, and though we could not afford him, he became my brother and my guru, and he taught me the all-important script structure. He went through the entire script and gave it tweaks here and there. Yes, the script is everything! We use the term ‘Slice of life’, but we cannot hold an audience for two hours only on relatable scenes.
During the pandemic, I had made my notes and started teaching, with an online masterclass named Spiral Bound that has since seen over 785 sessions. It is free for all, for amateurs and professionals, and is great fun. I have put in everything I have learnt as a cinephile, through books and through my work.
How was it working with Avinash Tiwary who plays your son, Shreya Chowdhri, who plays his girlfriend, and Puja Sarup, the sister.
They were absolute darlings! Look out especially for Puja, but the old man who plays the father—that’s me!—is not too bad! (Smiles) But there is one character who is there throughout the film in one form or other—the mother. She play a crucial role!
I was told you have even paid a tribute to your mother.
Yes, there is a scene in a place called the Sparkle Bar. Whenever I was leaving for work, she would always say, “Boman, sparkle today!”
(Used with permission)
