Boman Irani was a shy, dyslexic kid, who didn’t talk till the 7th grade and growing up was never easy for him. He had a speech defect and lisp, till the 10th grade. His father died three months before Boman Imran was born.
During his schooling days, he would watch movies frequently at the Alexander Cinema daily after school hours. His mother encouraged him to watch the movies, to observe their cinematography and art.
According to a reliable source, he dropped out of school to support his family. He became a waiter at the Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai for two years. One day, unfortunately, his mother met with an accident. Following that, he alone took over his family business- selling chips in a small shop on Grant Road, South Mumbai till he was 32 years.
While working at the Taj, with the tips that he received, Irani bought a camera. He developed an interest in photography and he started learning it step by step. He took sports pictures regarding school cricket and football matches and sold them for twenty to thirty rupees, which he enjoyed till after marriage.
Finally, his intensity, tenacity, hard work, grit and determination towards his passion paid off when he became the official photographer for the world cup of boxing in India. He then grew from strength to strength and went on to have a glorious career in photography.
Boman Irani started his acting career in theatre and moved to films in 2000. Irani shot into prominence for his role in the 2003 comedy Munna Bhai M.B.B.S.. He then appeared in Lage Raho Munna Bhai for which he received many IIFA award nominations.
In 3 Idiots opposite Aamir Khan, he earned a Filmfare Award and a Star Screen Award for Best Actor in a Villainous Role. Acting had always been a passion for Irani during school and college days. He trained under an acting coach named Hansraj Siddhia from 1981 to 1983 and followed some professional acting techniques.
Today, Boman Irani is a popular Indian film actor, voice artist and photographer. He has thrived in comic and villain roles in Bollywood films like Munna Bhai M.B.B.S., Don, 3 Idiots, Happy New Year and Dilwale.