Boman Irani Says He Ditched Rehearsals to Embrace Spontaneity
The actor says working with Priyadarshan reminded him that preparation should remain flexible and allow a director to shape a performance on set.
MUMBAI, Sept 10: Actor Boman Irani says his experience working with veteran filmmaker Priyadarshan on the upcoming crime thriller Haiwaan taught him to loosen his usual rehearsal heavy approach and embrace spontaneity while performing.
The film marks the second collaboration between Irani and Priyadarshan, following their 2012 project Tezz.
Irani, known for films including Munnabhai M.B.B.S., Lage Raho Munna Bhai, Khosla Ka Ghosla, 3 Idiots, Dunki and The Mehta Boys, said he often prepares extensively for his roles. However, he believes an actor’s preparation should not become so rigid that it prevents the director from shaping the performance.
“As an actor, I often over rehearse. I do the lines while wearing my socks, shaving, etc. When you get onto the floor, you have Mr. Priyadarshan telling you, ‘Just say this one time, look into the camera, and just walk off the camera’,” Irani told PTI in an interview.
He said such instructions can completely alter the preparation an actor has done beforehand, but that flexibility is an essential part of the craft.
According to Irani, an actor needs to prepare sufficiently while remaining open to adjustments based on the filmmaker’s vision.
“If you are stuck to it and you are married to a method, then you are not a good actor. You have to prepare enough for the director to tell you, ‘turn it down or up a little bit’,” he said.
Irani, who made his directorial debut with The Mehta Boys, also spoke about observing Priyadarshan’s filmmaking process and his conduct on set.
He said the veteran director’s command over visual storytelling was evident in the way he used camera movements and compositions to convey the story without relying on unnecessary complexity.
“In a movie like ‘Haiwaan’, you see the craftsmanship. There is a director at work that can actually scale with simple camera movements, simple compositions. I’m not saying simple but using the tools of the trade to tell the story,” Irani said.
While Irani admitted that he would not be able to replicate Priyadarshan’s technical style, he said he preferred to observe the filmmaker as a person and learn from his behaviour.
He particularly recalled Priyadarshan’s habit of personally bidding farewell to the cast and crew after completing the final shot of a film.
“I’ll never be able to replicate his style. I like to observe him as a human being,” Irani said, adding that the director insists on saying goodbye himself after the last shot rather than sending an assistant.
For Irani, such small gestures offer valuable lessons beyond filmmaking technique and are aspects of Priyadarshan’s personality that he can carry into his own work.
Haiwaan features Saiyami Kher, Shriya Pilgaonkar, Rajpal Yadav, Sharib Hashmi and the late veteran actor Asrani, among others.
Produced by Venkat K Narayana and Shailaja Desai Fenn, the crime thriller is scheduled for a worldwide theatrical release on September 11.
