Set to bring hilarious joke icon Santa to life onscreen, we are naturally prepared to roll in the aisles. The very gifted Boman Irani talks to Viraj Sawant about preparing for a comic role.
Angry professor Viru Sahastra buddhe from 3 IDIOTS and the sarcastic Dr Asthana from MUNNA BHAI, are among the characters that have been etched in the annals of Bollywood. The actor behind them, BomanIrani seems to have mastered the art of making his characters immortal. Unlike the Mogambos and KanchaCheenas of the villain world, Boman’s portrayals are subtle and real. You end up sympathising with them despite their greyness and love them equally. Making your audience cry and laugh in the same role isn’t a cakewalk for any actor. But Boman or Bomzie, as he is called by his friends, does it better than anyone else!
You have always spoken highly of Johnny Lever, how was it working with him on SANTA BANTA PVT LTD?
It’s always a pleasure working with Johnny bhai. On the set, you don’t need anyone – forget me or Vir (Das) or anyone else. When you have Johnny Lever on the set it’s just crazy! All the rest of us are just an audience; he is the main guy to keep you happy. In Fiji, we were shooting at a very far off place. It was pretty much deserted and we couldn’t even get phone network. So we would spend our time sitting around the tent playing or chatting with each other. Johnny bhai started doing his routine. I don’t know from where but a lot of people gathered there to see him. He would narrate his jokes and everyone would fall down laughing. He is one man who can light up any dull moment.
Last time we saw you romancing someone, it was Farah Khan. This time it is Neha Dhupia. How is it romancing on camera for you?
(Laughs) Romance is too awkward on screen. Neha is too young, which is fine and in the film it is just my fascination towards her. It’s a one-sided thing and not a two-way affair. But yes, there is a song where we are romancing a little but that’s about it.
With so many comedians in the film, was there any sort of competition on the set?
I am always clear about this – I always look at my co-actor as my non striker or I am his non-striker. It’s very important to have this bond and trust. It’s like a cricket match in real. If you score a century, the other guy has taken singles with you. You couldn’t have done the century on your own. It’s like a partnership. If you do not get along with your team well, then the sole purpose of making a film gets lost. You make a film to make the audience happy. If you yourself are not happy with your co-stars, the chemistry shows and then you cannot make others happy by that. I am very clear about this equation. I treat insecurity as a very bad term and there is no place for insecurity in my life.
You come from a theatre background and Vir Das comes from stand up. Is there a difference in your comedy skills?
Eventually you are playing two specific roles. I come from theatre and he comes from stand up but we have come together to do our specific roles. So it hardly matters where we come from. Our goal is the film.
We all know comedy isn’t an easy job. How do you prepare for your roles?
You have to understand and know the script very well. It’s not the director’s film only, it’s yours too. The director will guide you from scene to scene but you should know all of them. It’s your duty as an actor. Secondly, it is to understand the final conclusion of the film and the characters. What is their ultimate reason to be in the film and what do they want to do… Like in this film they want to solve a crime. So you prepare yourself according to the ultimate goal of your script. Your every move is dictated by the goal of the film. And then of course, the body language, the speech and everything else is a given thing. You can’t just say that I spoke Hyderabadi or Punjabi in a particular film properly, so I have worked well in the film. That’s not the only preparation that you need to do for a film.
After LAGE RAHO MUNNABHAI and KHOSLA KA GHOSLA, this will be the third time you will be playing a Sardar. Do you draw inspiration from someone?
Some of my dearest friends are Sardars. This family that’s very close to me and stays in America is a Sikh family. I talk to them almost every day. Their views on life are very beautiful. Large-hearted, they are amazing hosts. They want you to eat well, live well and entertain you in every possible way. They are very hospitable to the core. There is a certain openness about them. I just met a Sikh gentleman a few days back and we spoke as if we had known each other since quite some time! Just five minutes into our conversation, this man shared his take on love, his family issues and many other things. They don’t keep things within themselves. Generous is one word that describes them rightly. While shooting for HOUSEFUL, I visited one such Gurdwara and I saw anyone could enter. The langar there is open to everyone. You don’t have to be a Sikh to enter one. They have a great zest for life and are very stout-hearted.
