Renowned actor Boman Irani started his career as a waiter and photographer before ascending to the heights of the Indian film industry.
One of the finest actors in Bollywood, Boman Irani is celebrated for his acting skills, versatility, and his iconic characters. Be it Dr. Viru Sahastrabuddhe aka Virus in 3 Idiots or Dr. J. Asthana in Munna Bhai M.B.B.S., he has nailed the performances and these characters are forever remembered by the audiences.
The talented actor who continues to charm millions of hearts with his outstanding performances in films over the years is actually an outsider to Bollywood and not many know about it. The actor had his Bollywood debut at the age of 41 proving that it’s never too late to start following your heart.
Although the talented actor worked as a theatre artist previously, his journey to mainstream cinema began only in 2000. Boman made his debut in Shah Rukh Khan starrer Josh in 2000. Since then he has been a favourite of everyone and worked with many big stars including Amir Khan, Akshay Kumar, Sanjay Dutt, and Shah Rukh Khan.
Boman Hirani is known for his character selection and movies. He received many awards and honours for his contribution to the world of cinema. Though Boman now is listed among the most talented and acclaimed actors in Hindi cinema there was a time when he had to work as a waiter at a restaurant and even help sell snacks in his mother’s shop.
Boman Irani worked as a waiter before making it big in Bollywood
The actor’s remarkable journey from the hospitality industry to the world of Bollywood wasn’t easy. Boman faced a lot of hardship in his earlier years but despite all the odds he decided to keep going. After his 10th standard, he made a conscious decision in choosing his career. The actor who recently spoke about his life story at Josh Talks spoke about his humble beginning.
He said, “I don’t have a bent to academia, but I went and did a waiter’s course. I said, ‘I’m not meant for this so let me go and do something that I can handle’. So, I went into a 6-month long course as a waiter and went into The Taj Mahal Hotel for a job as a waiter.” Irani had set his eyes on reaching greater heights by expressing his desire to work at the rooftop French restaurant.
However, the manager had some precious advice for Irani. He said, “To reach the top, you have to start from the bottom”. These golden words helped Irani on his unique journey. He was then sent to the basement of the hotel where he worked in room service and later as a bar waiter before finally making it to the top of the hotel as a waiter.
Boman worked in his mom’s bakery
In his talk, he later went on to reveal that when his mother met with an accident, he joined the family business and managed a bakery in Mumbai’s Grant Road area to help out the family. He worked there until he was 32. While looking after the shop and making a living out of selling snacks he got married and had kids.
He slowly realised that he needed to let his creative self out and do something else.
Irani’s passion for Photography
From the earnings he made while working at the Taj Mahal Palace, Boman Irani purchased a camera and began capturing sports events. He clicked photos of school cricket and football games and began selling them for 20 to 30 rupees. When he was 32, he shot the World Boxing Championship.
His passion and skill impressed Aspy Adajania, then president of the Olympic Boxing Association of India, who later appointed him as the official photographer.
Boman eventually created a low-budget short film that caught the attention of producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra. Convinced by his talent he was then offered the role of Dr. Asthana in the iconic film Munna Bhai M.B.B.S directed by Rajkumar Hirani which was released in the year 2003. This much-needed break marked the beginning of one of the finest actors in the country.
