‘Bollywood is not responsible for late or early bloomers’: Boman Irani on success, failures of actors in Indian film industry

NEW DELHI: Actor Boman Irani debuted in the film industry at the age of 44 and directed his first feature film, Mehta Boys, at 65. Widely regarded as one of the ‘late bloomers’ of the Indian film industry, the actor strongly opposed the general notion that the early or late success of Indian artists depends on the flow of opportunities in Bollywood.

In an interview, Boman Irani said that the actors are responsible for their early and late success in Bollywood. He highlighted the importance of the craft and hard work of the actor for the “late or early bloom” in the film industry.

“I don’t think Bollywood is responsible for late bloomers. Bollywood, or the Indian film industry, is not responsible for late bloomers or early bloomers. It is up to the individual to be responsible for their bloom. You make your own luck, they say, right? I just tell people who come with dreams, sure, come with dreams. But, at the same time, come with craft,” said Boman Irani.

Boman Irani is popular not just for his impeccable comic timing but also for his impressive versatility as an actor, evident in the diverse roles he has portrayed — from the authoritarian college director Virus in ‘3 Idiots’ to the shrewd businessman Kishan Khurana in ‘Khosla Ka Ghosla’.

Drawing inspiration from his life, the ‘Munna Bhai’ actor advices the young and upcoming artists to work on their craft to succeed in any field. He says that the “heartbreak” is inevitable for those artists who refuse to hone their acting skills and just focus on their “good looks” to achieve fame in the film industry.

“Work on your craft. Don’t say I want to become an actor. I tried a lot. I went to auditions, and I auditioned here and there. That you have to do. But what did you bring to the auditions? What training did you do? You went to drama school, and even if you didn’t go, what did you do in self-training? Which pictures did you watch? Which acting books did you read? Which videos did you watch? How much have you rehearsed? If you don’t rehearse, if you say, you look beautiful, I will get a job. That is, you will always be heartbroken. So, this is what I am saying, make your own luck. Don’t expect Bollywood to do anything for you,” said Boman Irani.

Irani is popularly known for his films such as ‘3 Idiots’, ‘Lage Raho Munna Bhai’, ‘Munna Bhai MBBS’, ‘Khosla Ka Ghosla’, ‘Dunki’ and many others. Meanwhile, Boman Irani will be next seen in the film ‘Detective Sherdil’ on Zee5, which stars Diljit Dosanjh, Diana Penty, Banita Sandhu, Ratna Pathak Shah and more.

Irani will play the role of a businessman who gets murdered, prompting an investigation from actor Diljit Dosanjh. The movie is set to stream from June 20. He will also be seen in the film ‘Tanvi The Great’, which is directed by Anupam Kher and stars debutant Shubhangi Dutt in the lead role. (ANI)