In Rajkumar Hirani's Films, I Can Spread My Wings and Develop a Character: Boman Irani

During the promotion spree of Rajkumar Hirani’s film Saala Khadoos in 2016, Bollywood actor Boman Irani regarded the filmmaker as his own life’s Saala Khadoos aka that person who pushes one to achieve greater heights in life.

In Hirani’s upcoming biopic based on Sanjay Dutt’s life, the thespian will feature in a cameo and without divulging much about the character, Irani said that despite being a special appearance, he’s proud of the part. “It’s a very small role, it’s a special appearance and I’m very proud to be a part of that family because I do believe that whatever Raju does, he does it well. Let it be said that it’s a character that may have been part of Sanjay Dutt’s life," he said while speaking to News18.com.

Irani further shared how this film came about. “Raju calls up one day and says you aren’t in my film and what I’m going to do. I’ll put a clipping of Munnabhai MBBS in the background. I want you in the film. And I tell him he can do whatever he wants. I’ve never missed a film of his. And then, he calls up and asks me to do a one-day role and I said okay, done."

The actor, who has collaborated with Hirani in films like Munna Bhai MBBS, PK, 3 Idiots and Lage Raho Munnabhai, feels that Hirani’s films tick off all the points in his pre-requisite checklist for signing a film. “In Raju’s films, I have a combination of all three points. I like to work with him, he’s a friend, I know him and he knows me well from the start of my career. The films have entertainment and at the same time, there’s something that is said. And I’m in a place where I can spread my wings and develop a character."

On being asked about the most important factors that drive him towards a character, Irani listed them under three categories- an interesting character, a substantial storyline - be it entertaining or hard-hitting - and if the team includes people he likes and gets along with. “I look at the script and sometimes it may not be important how big my role is but if I find the film interesting, the role becomes interesting by default. Sometimes when I get a great character and realize that the film isn’t up to much– I’d rather go for a much better film," he says.

The actor believes that he’s also a performer besides being an actor and hence, the main reason behind doing commercial films is the joy of entertainment. “There are some films which appeal to a certain kind of audience, which is great and I’ve no issue with that. The primary reason to do a film is it should entertain, audiences should be happy and they should go home with a smile on their face. Because if I just wait for every film that we consider meaningful and hard-hitting, we aren’t going to get roles like them every day. Apart from being an actor I’m also an entertainer, so I opt for either entertainment or something that’s hard-hitting," says Irani.