Despite not knowing the language, he is keen to do a Bengali film and even a play if the script and story fascinate him enough.
In town to inaugurate the Dumdum Film Festival, the man with funny bones Boman Irani told PTI, “If the story is great language can never be the problem.”
Boman, who feels regional cinema will rule the roost in future days, recalls how movies made by Onir and his ilk, on a shoe-string budget created waves and history.
“This proves one thing. The future of cinema is alive and kicking. This proves content rules and consider how the regional cinema is faring,” Boman said.
Told about the feat achieved by two Bengali films Apur Panchali and Meghe Dhaka Tara, based on life of unconventional film maker Ritwik Ghatak, at this year’s IFFI, Boman said, “This only affirms to what I have said. And yes the glorious tradition of Bengali cinema, which started with Satyajit Ray, will remain. There is a whole lot of new directors also,”.
Pointing out the love for good films here is manifest in the number of film festivals organized all around, Boman said, “Cinema entails good script, cinematography, dialogues, lyrics if any and music everything which is different from movies and Bengal is the place for cinebuffs.
Boman, who was amazed how works of Kim Ki-Duk and Tarantino were lined up for screening at a local film festival, said “This shows the future is secure for cinema here. And if I remain alive for another 20 years I will be back later on.”
Asked on a lighter vein how he managed to have top heroines in flicks, Boman quipped, “But they are all my on-screen daughters. Why I can even be the celluloid father to Koel one day,” he said.
To this Koel Mallick, one of the top actors of Tollywood, said “I will be too happy to share frame with an actor of Bomanji’s caliber.”
“The festival is being inaugurated on a day two important Bengali films got the IFFI honour. Bengali cinema is passing through a golden phase,” Koel said.
Boman, who co-starred Farah Khan, Shahrukh Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Sonu Sood in Happy New Year, joked “I was left roancing with Farah in the movie.”
“But on a serious note, we had immensely enjoyed the shooting.” he said.
“We had decided to rope in two representatives of Indian cinema – one a personality like Boman Irani – and two the top actor in Bengali film industry Koel Mallick,” the livewire behind the film festival, minister Bratya Basu said.
The eight-day festival, organized by Indira Social and Welfare Association, will showcase films by directors from US, Korea, Poland and others.