‘A film that speaks to the way I understand cinema’: Boman Irani on directing ‘The Mehta Boys’

Boman Irani has spoken of himself as a 10-year-old child, walking around with his father Rollei, pretending to shoot a film. With The Mehta Boys, the veteran actor completes that childhood dream.

The Mehta Boys, which will be premiered on Prime Video on February 7, marks 65-year-old Irani’s debut as a screenwriter and director. The intimate drama about a father-son relationship stars Irani as the septuagenarian Mehta, with Avinash Tiwary playing his son Amay. The film also stars Shreya Chaudhry and Puja Sarup. In an interview, Irani discussed his journey since his first film Let’s Talk and his experiences making The Mehta Boys.

You have years of acting experience, but it takes a different talent to become a screenwriter and director. What did you do to reskill?

You think you know, because you spend so many years giving suggestions to scenes. Sometimes, I have written scenes, and you may say I have the chops to write a lovely scene. But do you know how to structure a film? No. Do you know how to use motifs in a film, or make sure there’s character revelation to conflict? Of course not.

Writing one scene doesn’t mean anything. You have to learn and train. It takes years to understand what even a single prop can do...

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