Boman Irani is the quintessential happy go lucky Parsi person in Bollywood. Not just his acting but Boman's humour is something that everyone lauds about. But as they say, behind every smile, there is a deep story hidden. Proving this statement true, Boman too has a story that isn't just deeply moving but hauntingly disturbing as well. The actor, during an interview with a social media page dedicated to human interest stories- Humans Of Bombay, shared his journey from a tough childhood to bagging plum projects in Bollywood. In the chat, Boman revealed that he faced speech and learning disabilities when he started school. Adding further, he said singing helped him gather courage.
“I lost my dad before I was born. He ran a wafer shop & after him my mom took over. My sisters had school, so my mom had to leave me at the fire temple with the priest’s wife, while she ran shop. I watched her fighting alone, for years. Soon I started school, but I had speech & learning disabilities. I remember, I had started singing to better my speech. And once at a performance, mom recorded the applause I got. It was so loud! I kept hearing it, it got my confidence back," Boman told.
Moving ahead, in order to support his family, he began working at Taj Hotels, where he got employed as a room service staff. A year later, he was promoted as the waiter there. "After college got over, I had to start contributing to the family. So I met the manager of a Taj hotel & asked for work at the rooftop restaurant. He said, ‘To reach the top, you have to start from the bottom.’ So he sent me to work in room service. Only after a year & a half did I become a waiter at that restaurant," the actor added.
Soon, after his mother met with an accident, he quit his job at Taj Hotels and started managing the shop set by his late father for 14 years. It was with his wife's support that Boman took up photography and then there was no looking back. "Soon after, my mom met with an accident, so I quit my job & sat at the shop. And before I knew it, 14 years went by -- during that time I met my wife, got married & even had kids. But throughout, something was amiss. So my wife encouraged me to explore. I loved photography & my dad was a photographer too. So I tried that & after some struggle, I started doing well. At the time, a friend got me to audition for an ad. I did & I got selected! So I decided to pursue it & in a few years I did over 180 ads & even some popular plays. I was also offered a short film. It had a low budget & was going to be shot on a handycam, but for me it was a golden opportunity," Boman said.
Boman Irani's mother
Boman Irani with his wife
" My life changed completely, when Vidhu Vinod Chopra saw a clip of the film. He got in touch & asked to meet me. When we met, he gave me a check of 2 lakhs to be in his next film. He didn't even have a film yet, but he didn't want me to become famous & not give him dates. That’s when Munnabhai MBBS happened & at 35, my dream career began. It was unexpected – but I grabbed the opportunity & didn’t let go. It’s been an amazing journey, one that did put me through some turbulence. But through all the good, the bad & the ugly, I learned to keep my hopes up & more than anything, know that it’s never too late to start over,” Boman concluded by inspiring us with his journey.
(Source: Instagram)
