“I take my time with everything…”: Boman Irani reflects on his journey from actor to director with ‘The Mehta Boys’

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 29 (ANI): Boman Irani, the acclaimed actor and now debut director, has opened up about his journey in bringing his upcoming movie ‘The Mehta Boys’ to life.

In an interview with ANI, Boman Irani shared the inspiration behind the movie, his personal journey in filmmaking, and the complex dynamics between fathers and sons that the film explores.

Reflecting on how the project came to life, Boman Irani said, “Sujoy Ghosh came to my house a few years ago with 2-4 ideas, asking if I would be interested in working on these films with him. He shared 3-4 ideas, and then he told me one particular idea in a one-liner: ‘There is a lot of conflict between a father and son who have to spend 48 hours together. What will happen?’ I really liked it, and I told him I wanted to direct this movie. Sujoy said, ‘Okay, this project is now yours.'”

When asked about his choice of the film’s subject, the ‘3 Idiots’ actor explained, “Everyone asked me what interested me about this project. I ask them the same question–what made you like it? And for the same reasons, I liked it too. The relatability of the topic moved me, and when something moves you, that’s the film you must make.”

Boman also revealed that the script took eight years to complete. “I kept learning and writing. It took time to write, and I wrote it bit by bit. This is a subject where you can’t hurry; you have to figure out how to keep the audience engaged for two hours. So, you have to stick to a theme. Every scene must be meaningful. You sometimes feel like cutting lines, but then you wonder why you cut them… you want to put them back in. So, in this script, no line is wasted–every word serves a purpose,” said Irani in an interview with ANI.

Regarding his slow yet steady career trajectory in Indian cinema, he shared, “It took me some time. I take my time with everything. I became an actor at 44, a scriptwriter at 55, and now at 65, I’m directing. I take my time with everything… I’m a bit slow.”

Reflecting on his opinion on the roots of father-son conflict, he said, “I don’t know when exactly the conflict starts. It feels like there’s no problem, but then you realize there is. Because you want to say something, but the other person understands it differently.”

He continued, “It happens when a child is small, and the father controls everything–where to go, what movie to watch, what to eat. But when the child grows up, gets a moustache, and wants to become a man, things change. The child no longer wants to listen to anyone, and the father doesn’t stay silent. That’s when the father’s ego gets affected.”

‘The Mehta Boys’, starring Avinash Tiwary, Shreya Chaudhry, and Puja Sarup, delves into the strained relationship between a father and son forced to spend 48 hours together.

The film highlights the turbulent journey of their relationship, offering a nuanced portrayal of father-son dynamics.

The film had its global premiere at the 15th Chicago South Asian Film Festival (CSAFF) in September 2024, where it won the Best Feature Film Award.

Boman Irani also received the Best Actor award at the International Film Festival of South Asia in Toronto in October 2024.

It later made its Asia debut at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa in November 2024 and opened the Indian Film Festival Berlin in January 2025.

Boman expressed his excitement about the film’s release in an earlier press note saying, “Bringing The Mehta Boys to life has been an immensely rewarding and fulfilling journey. As an actor, I have always been fascinated by the power of storytelling, and this project gave me the opportunity to explore a completely new creative avenue as a filmmaker. To me, the intricate bond between a parent and a child has always been intriguing – their dynamics are raw, relatable, and, most importantly, deeply human. I couldn’t have asked for a more compelling story or a better team.”

‘The Mehta Boys’ will be available on Prime Video from February 7, 2025. in Hindi, with dubs in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada and subtitles in multiple languages.

The movie is directed by Boman Irani, who has co-written it alongside Academy Award winner Alex Dinelaris and is produced by Boman Irani, Danesh Irani, Vikesh Bhutani, and Shujaat Saudagar under the banner of Irani Movietone LLP in association with Chalkboard Entertainment LLP.