Boman Irani On Childhood Struggles, Bollywood, Acting, 3 Idiots, SRK & Dyslexia | FO370 Raj Shamani

28:27Virus. Where did the character play the inspiration? How did he play it? Did someone see the professor? What did he do? I went to Raju with the idea. Raju is very, very methodical in his writing process. I went with him and I said, I think we should shoot him ambidextrous. Okay.

28:58Raju, I was late with this idea. So that time he was quite close. I said, I'm shooting the camera. He said, I'm going to make ambidextrous. He writes on board with two hands. He's a genius. I said, why? I said, I don't have time for taking this shot.

29:25I said, Raju, let's do it. Let's start a scene like this. He's writing. Then he's writing on the board. When I explained to him, either you convince or get convinced. One of the two. He said, it's useless, it's useless. and I'll keep coming with ideas and you'll convince me and I will back off.

29:52I said, if we made him just straight up administrator and no offense to administrators, it's fine. You come up with a mere number. The college 75th, then 35th, then second I am now in the top three. Numbers. but if he is just an administrator then he is okay but he is a genius and he didn't use his genius that's his tragedy he is a genius he was able to do something and he said oh okay Raju is such a clever man that he immediately said okay got it But the other externals, we came up with a lot of, I was anti doing the role only. I don't want to do this role. Because it's not the same role. Her daughter, she's in love with my swan enemy.

30:55Number one, he's a principal of a college. He's cranky. We'll do this. I was very fond. I've always been founder of Irfan. So Irfan told him let's do it now. Then we went for retreat. We went and discussed and said we'll give him some nice quirk. We'll give him this lisp which I threw at him. So think of your professors come up. So I came up with this thing that's very interesting. is not out of the Raja. This is very nice. It's very charming. It's very nice. It's beautiful. and then the externals came later nice so you thought just ki ma as character ma extra kise daloo instead of trying to find out inspiration from different places inspiration we are picking up all around us we observe we are looking at next picture maybe I will talk to you like I am sitting I will talk to you so you will know I have borrowed from you I would love to see that whenever it happens I could retire or very peacefully after that.

32:10But you talked about then MBBSK about it. So, you were also a character. In that character, the best part was that you are funny and serious at the same time. How is that possible? How did he play it? I was very afraid that laughter therapy. There was an old picture that was a villain of South. He was killed in the last time. He saw the kill. He was laughing. I don't remember that. I said, this is looking very caricature. I said, Raju, I don't have to do anything. Raju is a master at all. Everyone understands what a man's psychology is. What is his fear? So I laughed. It just doesn't work. Raju, what is this laughter?

33:05Why is he laughing? why are you still there? So, I said, first of all, I said, I don't do this. Okay, don't do this. I said, really? So, I actually went back foot. No, I don't do it. No, if you don't feel confident, don't do it. He's playing with my psychology. So, I said, I went on the set, second day. So, I said, do one work, do two take. We'll do one take with laughter and one take without laughter without it. So okay. We will rehearse the laughter. I was in the office and I thought I was laughing all kinds of laughter. Laugh loud. Ha ha ha. Laugh like this. Even that is external. Why am I laughing?

34:00Why am I laughing and is it working? We find that out. Okay. I'm laughing because I have BP. And I'm only laughing when I have, I'm under stress. So, the thing is, he's laughing because he's crying. Oh. What have you said? He's still here. He's still serious. Serious. Because he's trying to overcome his BP. So, I ask for pills.

34:37So then it started working. Not just.

34:43That doesn't work. It is without maksad ka hasna. Because it's. So you found. Reason. Wow. And that reason. As a usually handed. Like they give you. No. No. You discover through. Always. Always. So, all the characters' reasons... There's a discussion, right? And Raju's mind is coming in. We go, we sit for hours and we talk. He's very patient in that sense. How will he do it? What do you think? You know, Raju is very funny man, by the way. You'll feel it. But he's an extremely funny person. He'll start laughing before he... But he's very serious when it comes to creating things. so you can spend a lot of time talking and he's a genius he's amazing you know I always ask this to almost everybody so in why do you think he's the biggest superstar today he's very charming for sure B is he you are born with certain gifts right which he is He uses them very well He is very self-deprecating He is very self-deprecating He is confident in his own skin Plus he is probably One of the most intelligent human beings His mind works so fast And so intelligently And his wisdom His articulation his communication is so clear, spasht.

36:36He knows how to put it across. He has a different take on everything. He's driven, very driven.

36:47He's empathetic. He thinks of others. Everybody thinks, but he'll look at everybody. He'll exchange glances with everybody.

37:00he's decided that you know we are making films but we're also here to have a good time he's not he's serious while working also he jokes also while working and then after work we must have a good time it's an experience that is how so like it's a package and and some people height looks hair I don't know what it is, but you stand on stage, you fill the stage. You come on the screen, you light up the screen. I know of such handsome looking men who don't light up the screen. I know of some most beautiful, such a beautiful girl. Something, something not quite right. Then there are some people Actors On stage they are dadas On screen they may not be And there are some people on screen Who are dadas On their performances But somehow on stage it doesn't come across as well It's one of those things That's an X factor Shah Rukh has Many X factors Not one So that's one of his The moment he comes he just feels light Absolutely no question and he's intelligent.

38:23He's smart. That's the word. And he has quick, quick solutions and say, don't worry, don't worry. We'll do this. Don't worry about it. We'll do it tomorrow. Don't worry, don't worry. We'll fix it. He's got a way of doing things. In your filmography, which character you like? Koshla, Koshla. Why do you like the character? That character was I was a part of Mumbai Parsi When I was cast for that I was convinced that This is not for me Then he was a writer of Jaydeep Sani I was a photographer I was shooting Miss India I was shooting Miss India When do you eat food? I'll go to the room and have my room service.

39:26And then we'll talk. Every day, I'll call one hour. Which picture would be good? That's the same. I didn't talk about Khosla. But it was his way of showing that he wanted me in the film.

39:53I started doing research on the character and I was very early on the location I was going to sit on the set and I will see what the picture is and the world is what the world is so the whole cast was in one room in a small room and all the cast were sleeping in the afternoon. You were sleeping with the kheer. I said, Mr. Kheer, who is it? Mr. Kheer, who is it? I was looking at the backlight, full style of kagas. I said, who is it? I said, I said, Baman. He said, he said, he didn't understand me. He said, what are you talking about? I'm in shock. He took me out in the sunlight. He said, you know, I want to tell you something.

40:52I was not very happy they were casting you. I was not happy. I thought that this is a miscast. Don't think that I'm doubting you. I don't like your acting. He's a very good actor. But I doubt you would do it. And he's probably right. He said, I'm feeling so good. and give me confidence. And then we did what we did. Both of us, yeah. So because of the journey of how it happened, it's your favorite character. Yeah. No, also I think he's a mazedar character. Mazedar character, yeah. He has a confidence in that person. The way he reads the contract. His confidence, he's like a chill, yeah.

41:41Don't disturb me while I'm reading the details of a contract. See, action is character. Action is character. You were photographer and your career was good. Then, why did he leave acting? I didn't want to do theater.

42:26He was the first celebrity I shot. Then he took me to Alec Padam Singh for audition. Why? He's making a play. I wanted to be in the play. I said, I didn't do acting. Don't say that. You want acting in the middle of the year. I know everything tells me you want to be an actor. I said, okay. I said, I got a role in three minutes. I got a lot of effort in that role. And then the other play I did, it was called I'm Not Baji Rao. Now, I don't like to speak of myself as an actor, but that is the best thing I've ever done. I'm not Baji Rao. I'm playing a 75-year-old man whose work. I was a 30-year-old.

43:18And I played a person for 75 years. I played a role. I sat on the bench with another actor. His name was Sudhir Joshi, a stage actor. Kamal's actor. He learned something from something. We sat on the bench and talked about two hours. That's the play. And that play was booked for three shows. Three shows. In a small experimental theatre.

43:52but what did he know what he said? He said something in a play. He said something in a big theater. He said something in a big theater. He said how will he be? 1200 sitters. He was meeting. He said something will happen. And the opening night was full. Now why was it full? I knew that I had played a role in 3 minutes before, and Sudhir Joshi was in Marathi Theatre. This was an English play. English and a broken Gujarati little bit here. It's not even more than 2-4 lines in Parisi Gujarati, but we were communicating English. But it was 10 years old. Ten years old. Black man.

44:42It was really something.

44:47And then I go, an actor has arrived and all that. And then you start saying, oh, I can do it. But the main thing was how we built the character. And I still use that methodology which I had read in my books, in my studies, of how to build a character. through that play. But you ever thought that my responsibilities are very much, why am I running at the new place? Yeah. But I was a photographer. They were on Saturday and Sunday. Okay. So, they were coming from there. What else? They were getting 200 rupees at night. 200 or 400 and then after the night I was super hit and then 500 rupees. So, when did the point come that I would leave photography full time?

45:31No, I would leave. No, no, no. I would have I started photography at that time. Oh. Yes. I knew a little bit. This means. I mean. I mean. I mean. I mean. I mean. And then. So, slowly, slowly, slowly. It was never. After Munna. After Munna. After Munna. I mean. The phone started ringing. Yes. Then. That thing also became. There was no end to it. Yes. You said something. I was going to stage. and you also said that I would feel under confident no stage so if I'm under confident usually the kids don't go to the shell but you don't go to the stage why don't you go to the stage but stage is usually not related that you're confident I think you're wrong there I'm asking I haven't gone to the stage because I thought that's different you're sitting here talking to bigger people you must be sitting one way after a famous people you are talking with great confidence you are asking questions you are asking you are asking you have not confidence now it is coming slowly before it is not that is happening it is happening slowly but tell me give me tips do three that you are not confident how confident how do you actually become stage stage appreciation when you get automatically I feel like I can do something in my life.

47:03So you keep going back over there. I have to listen. I have to listen to my prayers. And I go there and do it. People are clapping. It's good. We have our egos. We feel. And that brings confidence.

47:21So you are a very confident man. But you are saying no. So I have to believe you. I say, what will happen? I don't say I'm confident. I have to accept that you are telling me that you were not confident I'm still not I fake it so much I'm very strong You become an actor? No, no Acting is lying only Acting means saying a joke is competition If you're a joke you're the best liar and the best actor I can say a joke and I don't know that I'm saying a joke I'm saying a joke I believe in my life so much, as I say, acting. Nice. I am not that person. I am not that person's life. I am not that person's life.

48:10But I should believe in myself that I am in that situation. And I will say that people don't say, this is true. That is the first hallmark of good acting. Yeah. Now it makes so much sense. That's so true. And it is a noblest form of lying.

48:33True. You're actually empowering more people by lying, not harming people. So it's a noblest form of lying. It's a noblest form of lying. Even if you're playing a negative character. You're empowering people. You have to kill them. You have to kill them. You're empowering people in some way or the other. That's what cinema does. So if someone is watching this podcast and is confident. what is the advice you would give? How can you become confident? Guys, this is what they are. Look how confident they are. You tell me how you got confident. I would also ask two questions. How did you get confident?

49:12In life?

49:16Little. Okay. When I started getting appreciation for little things. I was just curious. So I say stack of proof bin gaya mere mind make failure point ka or wo proof ko bar bar dekhta ho to me confidence aane lag. It's the same thing but you got to find you got to find your place where you your nursery joe kehtae jaha pe best sunlight mile us talent ka aapka or best pouda kehtae na you get the best soil which will suit me I mean if I have a right

50:04you need the right climactic conditions and you need the right weather and the right soil and the right amount of water for a certain kind of vegetable or fruit or whatever you have to find those conditions for yourself you have to find I am happy here there is something in me that comes up strong There is something in me that comes up. That I can fly. A place where I don't fear failure. And the best part is you should welcome failure. So what? People will laugh. If I teach in class, we will talk about spiral bound. I said, I read the scene. I don't think I'm afraid. Why?

51:00I'm saying, before reading, I'm saying, I'm afraid. Why are you afraid? We don't get to learn. We don't get to impress. If you're such a great writer, you don't need to come to class. So then why are you afraid? If you're so good, don't come to class. Right? but we will teach you a new technique. You say, I don't need this chart line. It's not a chart line. It's a chart line. We will teach you so much. Rewrite it and come back. Please don't fear failure. And the fear of failure has got everything to do with our egos. I mean, people are laughing. So what? Because no, no, no. I want to be the best student in class you will be the best student in class if you learn from a mistake but you are very charismatic you I have heard from people where you have been in corporate and like certain places where you have given speeches or maybe posted certain things and I have spoken to 4-5 people that when he comes in the room he owns the room like he owns the room he is the most charismatic person you can sense it immediately that there is a presence in the room.

52:21What's the reason for the charisma? It's not a party. It's a stage. The stage is your... It's a stage. When I'm doing corporates, it's a stage. In English, you have to take the stage. You should own the stage. So you own the stage. How do you own the stage?

52:42An entry should be confident, not arrogant. should be humble yet confident. Always acknowledge a crowd.

52:55Your opening lines should always be disarming. Joke about yourself. Shah Rukh is very good at that. When I enter a party, I'm different. When I enter a stage, or even through the crowd, I'm different.

53:16and there are three things that one must understand. In life, eventually they have come to see you. You've got to be that person. They've come to see you. Yeah. Right? You have paid your dues to be there. True. Now you have to own it. You said confidence and arrogance. Confident, not arrogant. What is a thin line where you become confident and arrogant?

54:09In Hindustan, they do this. But the day you start doing it like this, you're gone. That's the difference. You don't think that you owned them. You have just made the entry. Now, you have to talk about one hour. One hour. You have got an entry. you have to keep them grabbed. You won't be arrogant. I said, I said, I've done that film. People have been giving me so much. No, no, no, no, please. So I said, man, how do you do it? You know. So your conversation has to be of a conflict. Your conversation has to be of what how you overcame a conflict. Your fears or your insufficiencies. You got to talk about that.

55:17You have to show your weak side to show a confident side. That's how you start? Yeah, you got to tell them that I was like that. And today if you see a confident guy, this is the metamorphosis. So you disarm by telling a weak side of him. And you continue saying that story. And I went over and this, I have said, I have said, I have said, I have said, I have said, I have said, What are you doing? You got to be honest. And you got to be honest. That's the main line. You got to be honest. And you should be willing to give a part of yourself. You have to be, you have a part of yourself. Not say, I did this, I did this, I did this, I did this.

56:01No, I'm not interested. We don't. We can read it on your IMDB. you have to give a part of yourself yesterday someone said about the movie it is you there is a part of me in the film it's not biographical or autobiographical but the tone of the film is me it has to be a part of you you were talking about spellbound spiralbound what is spiralbound spiralbound is script loop how to bind the script. So, when I was writing my film, my guru and my co-writer is Alex Denelaris. So, Alex told me, this scene, this scene, this scene, this structure, this scene, this scene, this scene here, here. I was taught many techniques for 10 years.

57:05I was going to New York.

57:09We were taught many things. I was writing notes. I was going to go home because I wanted to rewind the reel of the day. I was writing notes in front of him because we were writing the notes for the... I wrote notes and said all the techniques will come to my script. And they also become my co-writer. Alex is an Academy Award winning writer. I made friends and all that. Then I thought that if all I learned is in a script. But But that's not right. It can't be for one script. It has to be for more. I used to really mentor a lot of directors and writers or directors who are writing their own scripts.

58:08So I used to pick up the phone in the night between 10 and 10.30, 10.40 phone. I used to just say, you're in this scene, you're in this scene, you're in this scene. I think that... So in the pandemic, In the clinic, it was like a lot of phones came out. So can you tell me what to do with this? I can't crack it. I thought that this character is a big deal. So I would check. The other one had to explain that. I said, I'm tired, my mouth is so cold. I talked with the other one. And then I said, I'm really tired, I'm repeating myself. he said, why don't you do this? All these people you are talking to everyday.

58:55Let's do a Zoom. Okay, I had a meeting first of April 4 years ago.

59:06I talked about it for a half an hour. I asked a question. I answered. Okay. Can we bring a friend tomorrow? I said, you can bring 200 people. Or more. What? So they brought their friends. The next day 10. The next day 25. The next day 50. And so, the spiral bound. And we used to have 150 people through the pandemic. We started. Wow. And they became popular. And since the pandemic till now, we have finished 785 sessions of teaching people yes how to write so what do you teach on how to write just the movies and the scripts and screenplay okay how to create characters how to make cards how cards become scenes how scenes become sequences how to structure it from the opening image to the closing image how to how to break it into acts how to break it into sequence how to break it into scenes how to break it into lines um so you teach 785 you don't have taught them there must be other team members there is one more teacher but we either co-teach or he takes when I'm busy he takes a few classes but out of the 785 I've done the maximum of them Wow In a film In a story Tell me three moments From the writing point of view Which should happen 780 class Today I don't know But I'll try This is interesting For people To think This is a story This is a story Then this is a story Then this is a story Then this is a story Then this is a story Then this is a story That is just a story That is called plotting.

1:01:14But the plotting is a graph. So, it's an opening image. Okay. It's an opening image. It's a strong image. It's a strong image. This is an interesting opening image. After the seven pages, there's a moment that's called inciting incident. There's something that happens when our hero, your protagonist life in a life and his life is running suddenly what incident could be a death it could be a bomb it could be a pandemic it could be go and give this letter to somebody go across enemy lines and go and give letter to the status that life is happening it could be a war also it could be going to work everyday.

1:02:12It could be teaching everyday. Whatever happens with the butter. No, nothing happens. The whole butter changes. That's called the inciting incident. And that's your call to action. Now that challenge is taking the next 10 pages or 12 pages. Then it becomes a feeling that it will only do it. It will be difficult. If I haven't gone, it will be worse. So next beat That's what I have told That's what 3-4 beats That's what new journey Starts with interval Not yet 25 % mark That's what new journey That's what The challenges That's what conflict Starts with conflict So we can get Here we can We can Then all is lost.

1:03:08Tension built. Tension. Chakna chur. Kha tam. Tension. Tension is all the way here. Okay. You have incident. Then we started the new journey. Then I have to do it. This is the decision. We will have hurdles. And I will kill the hurdles. I'll kill you. I'll kill you. I'll kill you. Then something happens. Sad. Now, this man can never win. He said, how can he win? And now, 25 % of the picture is left. In all resolutions, there is a climax. Nice. The same, exact same as the Meta Voice. you have to put your money where your mouth is right you know you have said you have said few quotes and I want to quote you and ask you okay now I have two or three things now I have quoted I don't normally quote no, there are quotes quotes by Baman Irani okay, that's also what I have said okay, it's coming from my head quotes are now what's the thing work for the man in the mirror not just for the adulation.

1:04:32What do you mean by that? Why do you say it? See, there are many meanings of this thing. This is correct. If you say I will make a film that people will do well. That film will not be good.

1:04:54Baman honestly I'll just write this picture. Let me write characters.

1:05:02Let me write character's truth. Let me write your love. Don't write your love. That you will be a good thing. I'll write my email. I'll write my camera.

1:05:17Ronald or young footballer would say that open goal is my ball in my chest.

1:05:47Don't look Believe me don't look for the fame for that moment just put the ball in the goal first whether you and don't and don't have to do it spectacularly just score the goal for the team what is right for the team and then Jay Jayakar tohane wali but if you're imagining the photograph or the slow motion that's coming on Instagram you'll miss the shot I can guarantee you that while you're kicking the ball or you're thinking I'm celebrating vibration

1:06:26it's gone where or one run one run one run one run only tap and run but I think I will run and I will put my helmet in my helmet and I will and I will do this first tap and yeah and usually people imagine picture imagine and start it's called manifestation and you manifesting no no no manifestation is something else that is after you finish the work then you hope that you know it will happen it will happen that's different okay putting in the work man don't start with just because you're writing characters you're not writing yourself you're writing another person be honest to that person that you're writing one more thing you've said don't be don't ruin your success by being obnoxious by believing that you are indestructible and by thinking that the world cannot turn its back on you I think it explains itself very clean basically don't be arrogant you've seen people who are very obnoxious and are very good but they take the world to the world that happens I know obnoxious people who are very successful though this might not apply to everybody but because I believe in this it might work on me in a negative way.

1:07:52There's a lot of people who are obnoxious but they're very successful. Has it ever happened that the world has lost his face or you were in your element? No, no. Before that happened you said it and you believed. Ah, you must believe. Not that. I don't like obnoxiousness is not an attractive thing here. You have ever been obnoxious in life? For a slight moment. In my in my understanding of obnoxious maybe yeah but when I said I told her today I was very angry yeah correct that is your version of angry one day I yelled at a student in class I said sorry I'm angry what are you angry you should have to say so people are telling me I have a method of working that's my method sometimes I feel you have to be strong that's not being obnoxious that's being disciplinarian about certain things.

1:08:47But I sometimes get upset. According to my students, that's not being upset. That's my version of upset. Because your threshold is that much. When you were studying, tell me if this is true. It's true. Okay, if you were studying, it's true. Okay, let's take it. So you had, so you had such problems, ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia, right? so in sub ke baad bhi aise aapne apna brain reprogram kaise kia so that you can control your brain and use it for your power to numbers room number yad ne rhea te OTP

1:09:31punch karne pardate na to me to galati punch karta ho amesha o ultai jata hai dawn me Don 2 Don Vardhan Vardhan Tell me The locker Where it is The locker Call the number Call the number Call the number Call the number My script I know Up and down But I Call the number Call the number 2857 7. Assistant is showing you. 1, 2, 9, 5. Okay. One more detail. Because 1, 2, 9, 5 locker means he has to make the art director. It has to match. Tell me. What's the number of 3, 9, 8, 5. Sir, it's when something I can't remember the number. I cannot remember numbers. It is a disability. Something in your brain does not accept certain things.

1:10:50People should not say what are you doing? I don't remember the number. Can I ask a car number? No. Building number? I don't remember the building number. A lot of years. If you repeat it, you remember it. And especially when I'm, my mind is going, I have so many takes, every take has a different number. So Farhan said, Babaan, they do one thing. This is a good take. This is a very nice take. What number did I say? 3895. Okay. I'll call the art director 3895. So I believe one more thing. Raj I really believe that if you have Kisih cheeze mein aapko Kami hai To aapke brain mein kisih Or cheeze mein Elevated Access hoega My memory for detail is shocking Aap mujhe boolenghe

1:12:05I'll remember this day I will tell people Oh yeah, yeah We had this conversation And I was coughing in the mic And you said Let's go to the toilet And I'll tell you after 25 years Exactly Exactly

1:12:27It just happens It's a thing I have an idyllic memory. For certain things. Certain things, you know. When I see pictures on Amazon, when I see the old pictures, I say, pause the credit. I tell you, yeah, IMDP. I say, what's the name of DOP? I'll say DOP. I saw a picture before 30-40 years. I remember the name of the editor. I remember the name of the director, producer. I remember the name of the director. Because I saw this very attention. I've got a great memory for those kind of things. And freakish memory. People are scared. How did this remember? But if it comes to 30 years of DOP, then of course it's a freakish memory.

1:13:17Interesting. Yeah, it's shocking. I shock myself sometimes. But that's just a memory. You have to use it well. But how did you have like self-belief itni ye sab problems onne ke baad bhi kyunki loko thuri si problem hoti loko apna confidence, self belief kho dite ki main to kari ne sakta main stage pe chadi ya na bas appreciation okay these are the last three questions which is very one sided main logo se poochta hum one advice that you believe everybody should follow when someone doesn't behave well with you it means he is wounded you must make concession for that and one advice that you have you have absolutely hated wake up early in the morning and have small meals

1:14:13I'm that person who gives advices you say wake up and have small meals that's you you're health conscious now I've become like last one year before that you were no harm perfect thank you so much for sure it's for we are here you can do it please

1:14:36oh yeah 3 loves hello pleasure to see you sir please have a seat you know me better than I do can I ask to heat this coffee please please please what kind of coffee black or normal more black no sugar no sugar not total black too much it will be good no whatever it is, it will be good but it will be sugar. Black with little milk, almond milk or normal milk? I mean how much all of this stuff started in our country. Americans learn everything. Okay can I go to Lou and just come back? Yeah yeah of course. Go up the steps, go up the steps and then go right way. Thank you sir, thank you. Thank you so much for watching this episode.

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