I Don’t Look Down Upon Commercial Masala Films Because They Have Given Me All That I Have Today – boman Irani

Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; October 12, 2019)
He was one of the front-runners in the ‘supporting actor’ category in the early 2000s. But he gradually reduced his outings on screen and decided to pursue his childhood dream and make more time for personal milestones. Boman Irani, at the cusp of becoming a director himself, spoke to BT about his upcoming film Made In China, what he seeks in cinema today and becoming a student of the medium at the age of 60. Excerpts:
After being a part of almost every big project in the mid-2000s, you became so selective with your movies that now, we see you only in one or two films a year. Why?
I had been working non-stop for 15 years, and time flew! Why am I not in every second film? Well, because I have a problem with that. I needed a breather for myself and my family. It was okay to be caught up with work when the kids were in college, but with my grandson’s arrival, I realised that I was cut-off from everything happening in my family. I was missing out on many important things, and so, I decided to take it easy. My grandson became a great excuse to take some time off. The second reason to slow down was my childhood desire to make a movie.
So, is that childhood dream finally coming true?
Yes, I realised that I needed a good script, which is very hard to find. So, I wrote something, which I thought was a nice story. It travelled to a few tables, but didn’t make the cut. That’s when I realised that I need to become a student again. It’s foolish to think that if you can write, you are a writer. It’s like saying that if you can fill petrol in a car, you’re an engineer. To be a writer, you have to know the craft. I studied acting by reading books and attending workshops for years. Unfortunately, I couldn’t go to an institute. Creativity goes hand-in-hand with science; in fact, it comes after science. It’s taken me some time to understand the craft of writing films. I travelled to the US, spent time with my mentor and attended workshops there. I know that in the next decade, I can do 60 or even 100 more films, but what after that? Learning something new can keep the excitement levels high. At my age, I am happy to make my debut once again, this time as a filmmaker, who is also a grand daddy.
Now that you are about to make your foray into direction, is there anything you fear?
I do feel a little scared; I don’t know how my film will turn out and how many people will see it, but I’m happy about learning a new craft. I have my fingers crossed.
In the middle of fine-tuning your directorial debut, you also decided to take up the part of a sexologist in Made In China. It seems Dr Mahinder Watsa was an inspiration behind the role…
(Smiles) I wanted to play this character in a matter-of-fact manner. For every part of human anatomy, there’s a specialised branch of medicine. Then why not sex? Sexology is about psychology and science — how it can affect personal equations, family structures and even lead to misconceptions and angst in people. We’ve tried to explain some of these things in a manner that people can understand. Having said that, the film is not about sex. It’s about the journey of a businessman, who wants to impress his wife and family. My character helps him do that.
Recently, while talking to us, writer-turned-director Tushar Hiranandani, who wrote films like Masti (2004), said that your film is a dignified sex comedy. How do you react to that?
I agree with him. While there are a few double entendre jokes in the film, we’ve approached the subject with old-world wisdom. Talking about sex or related problems should not be a taboo.
Over the last few years, the number of films using sex as a storytelling trope has shot up. Why do you think there’s a sudden surge in the demand and supply of such content, especially in mainstream cinema?
The number shot up after Vicky Donor (2012) succeeded. Why do we have this surge now more than ever before? The film will also answer this question. Like I said, it’s common sense to seek medical help whenever you need it. People are okay to go under the scalpel for a wrinkle, but not to a doctor for sex-related problems. It affects the mind, self-esteem and can lead to so much negativity. The film in parts talks about dealing with it. We’ve used humour to address the issue. Films like this have entertainment value with a take-away, and it need not be about sex alone. Every sensible film has a layer beneath the surface. To me, the Hollywood film Rocky (1976) is about a guy who realises that if he can add some spark to a shy girl’s life, he will be happy. 3 Idiots was not simply about education, and every character in that film serviced an underlying message or a thought for the audience.
Today, the way the audience consumes content has changed a lot. Do you think that has compelled filmmakers to push the envelope?
Now, we are judging our films in the first 10 minutes. People send out tweets! What the hell, ya! Watching films used to be such a joy at one time. I remember going to theatres and enjoying my time there. People used to watch three films in a day without really judging the content. Today, the audience has become far too knowledgeable and judgemental about films. They say, ‘First half kharaab tha! Maloom kyun?’ I mean, they have solutions for it also??? Everyone has become an expert. That is why it’s important to learn enough before you say things. In fact, when I launched my company, instead of hosting a party, I invited writers and flew in an Academy Award-winning writer for a workshop. There’s a need for all of us to structure our films well. Even with grand scales, our films often go nowhere. We need to get that right; otherwise no budget, scale or special effects can save it. People who think that a commercial, masala film doesn’t need a structure, need to watch what Manmohan Desai, Yash Chopra and Hrishikesh Mukherjee made. They knew the art of creating a structure for even the most commercial films. We need to sit back and learn a few lessons.
After working in about 93 films, have your parameters for choosing projects changed?
No, I still think that a film must tell you something more than the obvious, it should identify with people. A film like Ben-Hur (1959) has so many themes within that one story. The underlying idea is about fighting oppression by putting your differences aside. It took people from different races to fight it. As a Jew, Ben-Hur rode a chariot rode which had Arab horses. See the message there? While this is one kind of cinema that I seek, I also like to work in films that are designed for people who seek full-on entertainment — which is the reason I will take up something like Total Dhamaal. I don’t look down upon commercial masala films because they have given me all that I have today. I am not a prude. I love commercial cinema as much as I love any other kind of cinema. As an actor, I also look for films that remain with me and ask me questions. I like it when a director tells me upfront about the kind of film he’s making. Inder Kumar for instance, was clear about the space Total Dhamaal came from. I don’t like filmmakers who come to me and pretend that they’re offering me a deep-rooted, heavy, dramatic film. People have tried giving me that churan. Often, I can see through that.
You are one of the best supporting actors in Bollywood and these days, Hindi films are increasingly relying on supporting actors to shoulder a film’s narrative. At such a time, shouldn’t you be focusing more on acting?
I can, but I don’t know if I should. I am very happy that actors are getting lots of work these days, but my reasons to do less work are very clear. It’s not necessary to do every single film. In the last few years, I learnt a great craft. If the movie I’m making doesn’t work, I will be back to doing every second film, like I did years ago. Who knows?