Tia's Talk with Boman Irani at M!M!M! - Toronto, - A StarBuzz Exclusive

At Masala Mehndi Masti 2010, Tia of StarBuzz got a chance to speak with, Boman Irani.

What do you think of Indian Movies in Toronto:

I am shocked at the reception of bollywood movies here and the love and adoration I receive when I come to Toronto, is overwhelming. I am very happy to say two films I was a part of were very successful here; 3 Idiots and Munnabhai MBBS.

In Indian cinema, there is a variety of films that are being made. I genuinely feel that while experimental and alternative films are being accepted in India, I would like them to be accepted the same way in Toronto. I feel like popular films are popular here. There are movies that are refining the Indian cinema, like Page 3, Khosla ka Ghosla, A Wednesday, Welcome to Sajjanpur and Fashion should also be accepted. Only then there will be a presence of the Indian film industry in Toronto. Otherwise, I’m afraid that Toronto will only see the Bollywood industry. Bollywood doesn’t represent the entire Indian film industry.

How do you think this can be achieved?

This will be achieved by finding a discerning audience, giving the audience a taste of what we are capable of doing. The problem may lie in the economics of film making. The smaller films may not be feasible to be distributed here, in this region, while when marketed in India it might have a great audience. These movies are being marketed in India because people see the potential in these films, because it’s good cinema. For example, Khosla ka Ghosla did very well on the dvd circuit here but not very well at the box office. People present here (Masala Mehndi Masti) that form the audience for our movies in Toronto should be exposed to these films.

How are you liking Masala Mehndi Masti?

This festival is exceptional. They have lots of activities happening here. The films that they are playing, the Ali brothers are performing, other and concerts that are happening show it’s a truly cultural festival and it’s great. I would be very disappointed if it became only a Bollywood centric festival. It is not which makes me happy because that’s not how we have to define our culture. Indian movies have come to become an important aspect of the Indian culture, but there still is a lot to explore. In that respect Masala Mehndi Masti is doing the right thing.

What message would you give to the youngsters of Toronto?

I gather that there are a lot of young people in Toronto who want to go to Mumbai and become actors and be part of Bollywood. It is wonderful, but at the same time the focus should be acting itself. Yes of course, you have to have the looks, a great body, have to look attractive and be in great shape, but at the same time you have to learn your craft. If a doctor has to spend x amount of time in medical school, an actor also needs to spend a certain amount of time honing and preparing your craft. Acting is turning out to be a complete science, which we are discovering with each passing day. This is important to have a longer shelf life as an actor and have a long and illustrious career in this line. All great actors with long careers have come from the theatre. If you are depending on just your features and your looks you will also be depending on your last film which will need to be a hit. For great actors like Naseeruddin Shah, Paresh Rawal and Om Puri, it doesn’t matter as much if their films are a success or not they will still be wonderful actors all their lives. So that would be my advice.

-by Tia Virdi, A StarBuzz exclusive

Pics by Ben Girn