Boman Irani Turns 64: A Look at His Life Before Acting, and 10 Award-Winning/Nominated Movies

Boman Irani, the versatile and talented actor, celebrates his birthday today, marking another year of his life and his incredible journey in the entertainment industry. Before captivating audiences with his exceptional acting skills, Irani had a diverse and enriching background. From being a waiter and a room service staff to being a professional photographer, theatre artist and finally a bankable Bollywood actor, Irani has worn many hats in his professional career so far. On his 64th birthday, let us take a brief look at what the iconic actor did before entering and gaining fame in the Hindi film industry.

Boman Irani: Before the silver screen

Born in Mumbai on December 2, 1959, Boman Irani’s early life took a turn after graduating from Mithibai College. He briefly worked at the Taj Mahal Palace as a waiter and room service staff. Shortly after that, Irani returned to manage his mother’s bakery in Byculla, Mumbai due to her health issues.

Exploring his interests, he delved into professional photography from 1987 to 1989.

However, his passion for cinema led him to learn acting under Hansraj Sindhia’s guidance between 1981 and 1983. Influenced by British theatre, he honed different accents under the mentorship of Alyque Padamsee, introduced by Shiamak Davar.

Following the theatrical path, he began with a cameo in Roshni at Regional Theatre in Versova, later starring in plays like Family Ties and Mahatma Vs Gandhi. His standout performance in I am not Bajiraao, a play that ran for 17 years, earned him acclaim for his portrayal of Dhunjisha Batliwala.

Finally, Irani stepped into Bollywood in 2000 with the film Josh alongside Shah Rukh Khan. His noteworthy role in Ram Madhavani’s Let’s Talk (2002) garnered critical acclaim, leading to a pivotal role in Munnabhai M.B.B.S. (2003) as a medical college dean. This marked the beginning of Irani’s cinematic fame, with his portrayal of Dr. J. Asthana earned him both critical and commercial success.

10 Award-Winning/Nominated Movies

Boman Irani’s filmography is a testament to his prowess as an actor. Here are 10 movies that either won him awards or earned him well-deserved nominations:

1. Munnabhai M.B.B.S. (2003)Rajkumar Hirani’s Munnabhai M.B.B.S., also starring Sanjay Dutt and Arshad Warsi turned out to be a phenomenal film and brought Irani a nomination for Best Actor in a Comic Role at the IIFA Awards and a win for Best Comedian at the Screen Awards. The Zee Cine Awards nominated him for Best Actor in a Comic Role.
2. Main Hoon Na (2004)Continuing his success, in 2004, Irani was nominated for the Filmfare Awards for Best Comedian in Shahrukh Khan starrer and Farah Khan directorial.
3. Waqt: The Race Against Time (2005)Irani was nominated for the IIFA Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role for this Akshay Kumar, Priyanka Chopra and Amitabh Bachchan starrer.
4. Lage Raho Munnabhai (2006)A sequel to Munna Bhai M.B.B.S., this film brought Irani a nomination for Best Villain at the Filmfare Awards. He also earned nominations for Best Performance in a Negative Role at the IIFA Awards and the Global Indian Film Awards, along with Best Performance in a Negative Role nomination at the Stardust Awards.
5. Dostana (2008)Moving to the subsequent years, he secured a nomination at the Producers Guild Film Award for Best Actor in a Comic Role for this film which also had Abhishek Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra and John Abraham in lead roles.
6. 3 Idiots (2009)After this blockbuster, he triumphed at the Filmfare Awards for Best Supporting Actor in the Amir Khan starrer, also winning Best Villain at the Screen Awards and Best Performance in a Negative Role at the IIFA Awards.
7. Well Done Abba (2010)Irani won the Zee Cine Award for Best Actor in a Comic Role for this Shyam Benegal’s directorial.
8. Don 2 (2011)His performance in Don 2 earned him a nomination for Best Performance in a Negative Role at the IIFA Awards.
9. Happy New Year (2014)In this hit comedy, Irani was nominated for the Stardust Award for Best Supporting Actor. This film also starred Shahrukh Khan and Deepika Padukone in lead roles.
10. PK (2014)In this superhit comedy-drama, starring Aamir Khan, Anushka Sharma, and Sushant Singh Rajput in major roles, Irani stole the show with his role. He was nominated for the Bollywood Hungama Surfers’ Choice Movie Award for Best Comedian in the film.

As he celebrates another year of life and success, fans eagerly anticipate more incredible performances from this seasoned actor. Happy Birthday, Boman Irani!