Making a pitch

Boman Irani returns to television with UTV Bloomberg’s business reality show Pitch. His earlier outing with Sahara Filmy’s movie-based quiz show Bollywood Ka Boss did not get eyeballs. Sohini Sen talks to the actor on his second TV coming, and other things.

You are making a comeback on television with UTV Bloomberg’s Pitch. Your last endeavour on the small screen did not go down well with the audience. What do you have to say about that?
If my first film had flopped, then would you expect me to stop acting? The show that I had done before was of a different genre and on a different channel. There is nothing in common between the two of them. That was to check your “film quotient” and this is to test if you have it in you to become a successful entrepreneur.

 

Pitch is a terrific idea. With the right kind of opportunity, people of this country can do wonders. And the show is merely giving them that. I can relate to it because at the time that I was approached for this, my son was starting out as an entrepreneur himself. I might have passed it up had it come to me at any other time.

Before venturing into movies, you were active on the theatre circuit. Do you miss the stage? Are you still doing plays?
I am very much in touch with theatre and will always be. Until three years ago, I was acting on stage regularly but now I cannot because of time constraints. But that’s okay. Let me play out this chapter of my life. Let the audience enjoy my work. When they get bored, I’ll try something new.

You worked at the Taj Mahal Hotel, helped your family business and dabbled with photography as well. How has the journey been so far?
Everything must have an expression. I might want to make a movie tomorrow. Theatre is the drama, cinema is the technique. There is a journey which has to cultivate somewhere — I just hope this cultivates somewhere I like. I am not planning anything now. There is a subconscious which plans and I am not even aware of that subconscious. Many people tell me ‘you are successful now’. I disagree. I was successful when I was running a shop. You don’t have to be famous to be successful. In a theatre, if 500 people clap for you, that is success. Parameters change.

Is there any film that you wish you were a part of?
Why do I need to be in an iconic movie in the first place? I would never say, I absolutely have to do this movie. The theme, the story and the way they expand it is more important to me. Movies should be able to reach out to the audience and touch them somehow. There has to be something to resonate.

What are your forthcoming projects?
Game is complete. I am also working on Farhan Akhtar’s Don 2. We will start filming for Mirch, Bullet Train and then, next year, Dostana 2. Hopefully, I’ll have more work to show you all.

With Parsi New Year around the corner, what’s your plan?
I'll do what all Parsis have been doing for the past 400 years. Go to the fire temple, have lunch, have a beer, go for a Parsi play and follow it up with dinner.