Actor Boman Irani, who played Dr JC Asthana in Rajkumar Hirani’s Munna Bhai MBBS (2003), recently reflected on how things were different on Munna Bhai sets. Boman also spoke about the love he received for his role as Virus in 3 Idiots, and how the OTT space offers greater creative freedom.
In a conversation with SCREEN, the actor recalled, “When I did Munna Bhai, there was a change on the first day of shoot. During lunch break, Sunil Dutt sahab looked around and asked where the food was. He was told, ‘Aapke van mein pahuch gaya.’ There were no vanity vans earlier. He said that why would he eat alone in the van.”
Sunil Dutt instantly made arrangements for the entire cast and crew to sit and eat together. “He asked to bring a few beach umbrellas and two tables from production, so that everyone can sit and eat together. That was a change I felt was different at the start of my career,” the actor added.
Inspired by the late star, Boman Irani carried that culture into his directorial debut, The Mehta Boys. “We did not have van wala lunch in The Mehta Boys, thinking of what Dutt sahab said to me. Saath mein khao. Unit means one. It’s very important to understand that unity of a unit. Vo ek farak agaya hai and it’s back. Today’s generation is very professional, I feel very proud to work with them. Otherwise more or less, everything is the same,” the actor shared.
Boman recently shared a video of airport lounge staff reacting to his film 3 Idiots playing on the TV. The actor added that this might be just the second time he’s watched his own film. “I haven’t actually watched it since a past few years. I may have watched it more than once for sure, but the chef was actually telling me that he has watched it 15 times. So I said maine do baar dekha. It was so sweet what was happening at the airport,” he said.
The actor continued, “I don’t tend to watch my movies over and over again. I don’t know. I feel like ‘Raat gayi, baat gayi.’ I get to hear about Virus wherever I go and I am very proud of it. I was feeling very awkward actually. I was looking at the television and thinking, ‘Yeh toh buddhha agaya mera.’ I was then looking left and right, thinking that nobody should see me staring at myself. That would be so narcissistic. But, I find strange watching my own movies, I don’t know why.”
Boman Irani, who will next be seen in the ZEE5 film Detective Sherdil, also expressed his gratitude towards the digital medium providing several opportunities to artistes. “OTT gave me the opportunity to make the kind of film I wanted to make. The Mehta Boys is the kind of film that might not be the best choice to release at theatres in this climate. I disagree though. I think we should put everything in theatres. We respectfully put The Mehta Boys on OTT. And, I am very grateful to OTT for that. We can be a little braver about subjects, thanks to OTT,” he said.
Story continues below this ad
Boman Irani lastly spoke about his debut at Cannes, where he attended the premiere of his film Tanvi the Great. “Mera toh sab kuch late hi hota hai life mein. I felt good, it was beautiful. I have been looking at these photographs since years, socha tha ek din main bhi karunga. There should be a wish in your heart. The word manifestation is overused, but I am a believer of it,” he concluded.
