After playing brief roles in several Hindi and English-language films, Boman Irani got his breakthrough with 'Munna Bhai M.B.B.S.' in 2003. The rest, as they say, is history.
No matter how many films Boman Irani does, the moment you think about him, you instantly go back to Dr. Jagdish Chandra "JC" Asthana. Well, in 'Munna Bhai M.B.B.S.' - although Sanjay Dutt-Arshad Warsi were the main highlights - Irani managed to leave a mark with his performance and win over hearts. And not many know that it was his first major film role - yes, at the age of 44.
Born on December 2, 1959, Irani has had a diverse career that seems like a rollercoaster ride. He grew up in a humble family, and although he was inclined towards arts even in his childhood, was forced to take on various other jobs to make ends meet. And how he finally bagged his breakthrough role in 'Munna Bhai M.B.B.S.' is very interesting, and in fact, can be made into a Bollywood film.
Today, on the veteran actor's 65th birthday, let's learn about that in this article.
As already mentioned, Irani comes from a very humble background (his father died 6 months before he was born). After obtaining a 2-year waiter course at Mithibai College in Mumbai, he worked as a waiter at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel for some time. Thereafter, he also worked in the hotel's room service department for nearly a year with a salary of Rs 105.
Meanwhile, he also worked as a professional photographer (notably, his late father was a photographer). Soon after quitting his hotel job, he became the official photographer for the Indian Boxing Association and then for the Norwegian Boxing Team.
On the other hand, he also managed a bakery in Mumbai which was originally run by his mother.
It's worth noting that Irani didn't just step into the industry out of nowhere. Actually, he started acting (not professionally though at that time) during his school days, when he used to take part in plays and various other cultural performances. He trained under acting coach Hansraj Siddhia from 1981 to 1983 and was then mentored by actor AlyquePadamsee (who played Muhammad Ali Jinnah in the 1982 British period film 'Gandhi'). Some of his most notable theatre worksare 'Roshni' and ‘I’m not Bajirao’.
Boman Irani in ‘I’m not Bajirao’
Thereafter, he appeared in many television serials, such as 'Mahatma vs Gandhi' (where he played Gandhi) and 'Family Ties'. In 2001, he made his first major film appearance with 'Everybody Says I'm Fine!' - an English-language drama film, written and directed by Rahul Bose. He went on to make brief appearances in films like 'Let's Talk' and 'Darna Mana Hai'.
Well, what sets Irani apart is he knows how to leave a mark in a film even with a small appearance. In 2002, he appeared in Ram Madhavani's 'Let's Talk', where his performance of a troubled husband received enormous critical acclaim.
Interestingly, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, who was working on the post-production of 'Mission Kashmir' at that time, happened to see 'Let's Talk'. And no prize for guessing, he absolutely loved Irani's performance. The legendary filmmaker called him and offered him a role in his next.
Boman Irani with Sanjay Dutt in a still from Munnabhai ‘M.B.B.S.’
As Irani later shared in an interview, "I asked him which film it would be for and he said he didn’t have any at the moment but whenever he made one, I would be in it. Eight months later, I got a call. He wanted me to play the antagonist, JC Asthana, the dean of a medical college, in a film titled 'Munna Bhai M. B. B. S.', to be directed by his editor Raju. The name was weird, but after a narration, I was convinced."
So, that's how Boman Irani became Dr. Asthana. And the rest - no matter how cliched it sounds - is history.
Director Rajkumar Hirani's first choice for the role of Dr. Asthana was Amrish Puri. It was after the death of Puri that he thought of casting Irani (upon suggestion by VVC).
Irani’s first shoot for the film was with Sunil Dutt who was facing the camera after 16 years. Despite their age gap, the two became friends soon.
The film became a massive success, and it also marked the beginning of a long association between Hirani and Irani (I just realized that their last names sound so similar - maybe they were destined to work together). The latter has been part of all of the director's films: 'Lage Raho Munna Bhai', '3 Idiots', 'PK', 'Sanju', and 'Dunki'.
Happy Birthday, Mr. Boman Irani. Best Wishes For All Your Upcoming Endeavors!
