When Sunil Dutt failed to recognise Boman Irani at Munna Bhai premiere
When Sunil Dutt failed to recognise Boman Irani at Munna Bhai premiere
Regardless shooting with him, asked who he was: ‘Is he some pesky fan?’
Sunil Dutt failed to recognise Boman Irani at Munna Bhai premiere despite shooting with him, asked who he was: ‘Is he some pesky fan?’
Recently in a media interaction Veteran actor Boman Irani shared his experience of sharing screen space with veteran actor Sunil Dutt, father actor Sanjay Dutt
Boman Irani had essayed the iconic role of Dr JC Asthana in Rajkumar Hirani’s directorial “Munna Bhai MBBS” released in 2003. He had shared screen space with late
actor-director Sunil Dutt, who essayed the real-life father to his son, actor Sanjay Dutt in the film.
In a recent interview, the Boman Irani opened up being struck with fear when he was on set with him. Boman also spoke about Sunil Dutt being equally nervous on facing the camera after 16 years, and not recognising Irani at the premiere night of the movie.
In the midst of the conversation with Humans Of Bombay, Boman opened about foraying into his acting career with advertisements and said, that he actually faced the camera as a character actor in ads and has done almost 200 ads before he set his foot in the film industry. He was used to cameras and knew what they looked like; knew his way around a studio; new lighting because of his photography experience. It helped him to a great extent with theatre.
Stating that he was intimidated to scream on a senior artist like Sunil Dutt in a scene in Munna Bhai MBBS, he shared, “then, he did one very experimental films before a commercial film, which was Munna Bhai. It was intimidating for him. Not because of the camera, set or anything else. It was because Sunil Dutt walks onto the set. I had to sit, scream, and yell at him? I have to scream at Dutt sahab?”
The actor went on to add that so much anger, and he is standing there with a stick, and he’s looking at his son, whom he is admonishing. Its very difficult. Then you go back to the truth of the moment. How truthful are you in that moment? The moment he was going to allow himself to be intimidated, in veering away from the moment. That happens in everything they do. Working with Dutt sahab on day one was scary. He recalls Sunil Dutt’s precious life lesson that he follows till date: ‘On Munna Bhai sets, he asked why would heb(Irani) eat alone’
Moreover, the late actor initially thought that Boman Irani was older to him, because of his bald look in the movie. “He thought he is older than him, because he (irani) was wearing that wig, and had shaved off his head. Dutt sahab tells him, ‘Doctor sahab aaiye, lines karte hain’. He wanted to rehearse and he (Irani) was petrified.
However, to his surprise, even Dutt was scared to face the camera after an acting hiatus. “He then told him something disarming and beautiful. He said softly, ‘Can he tell you something? He is very nervous and wanted to tell him, he is nervous? What do you think in going through?’ He then said that he is facing the camera after 16 years. He was justify feeling little things have changed,” Boman revealed.
He continued, “There’s great honesty and humility in that. He was willing to accept the fact that he was nervous. Boman told him that they will be fine. He was a man of grace, presence, and that beautiful face.”
Later on, at the premiere night of Munna Bhai, Sunil Dutt couldn’t recognise him because he came with his original hair, without any wig. “He didn’t recognise him (Irani) at the premiere and he felt bad that he was being distant from him. He asked another guys while pointing at him ‘Who’s this guy who is insisting on standing over here while I’m talking to you? Like he’s some buddy of mine or some pesky fan’,” he shared.
“Then the person told him that he is Boman Irani and then he recognised him and said, ‘Arey doctor sahab’. Then be hugged him and said that he should call up once in a while. That kind of made Boman feel that he belonged, it’s important. That stayed with him, the actor concluded.
News Edit KV Raman
