Boman Irani said he wanted to cast Irrfan Khan in The Mehta Boys: ‘He was a sensitive person and a fine actor’

Boman Irani spoke about the challenges of playing multiple roles in the film—writing, directing, producing and acting. The actor-filmmaker also revealed that he once envisioned casting Irrfan Khan as Shiv Mehta in The Mehta Boys.
Actor Boman Irani makes his directorial debut with The Mehta Boys, which is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video. In a conversation with Screen, Boman discussed the challenges of playing multiple roles in the film—writing, directing, producing and acting. The actor-filmmaker also revealed that he once envisioned casting Irrfan Khan as Shiv Mehta in The Mehta Boys.
Talking about writing, directing and acting in the film, Boman said, “There is no wasted word, line or scene in the film, you can’t take your audience for granted. I just had to learn the writing in this. We also had a lot of camera rehearsals on the set; we just had to go and work.”
The actor-filmmaker shared, “Over the years, as an actor, you instinctively know when the director asks for your favourite shot – you decide at that very moment. Sometimes, people listen to the actor for emotional truth. But that is not the main issue.
The real challenge is how the story is told – is it well structured, has its moments, and is it properly portrayed. A director’s job goes far beyond just focusing on performances; it is about overseeing multiple elements to make the story come alive.”
When asked who he would have cast as Shiv Mehta if not him, Boman Irani instantly named Irrfan Khan. He said, “I was very keen on Irrfan bhai at one point of time. He was a sensitive person and a wonderful actor.
Everyone told me it would be better if I just sat in the director’s chair, but then when I realised I knew the subject inside out, I finally decided to take up the role. Also, the budget (laughs).”
The Mehta Boys is based on a ‘difficult’ father-son relationship. Boman recalled some shocking things he came across while researching for the film. “When I was researching for the film, I heard the most ridiculous statement from a son.
The father and son don’t talk anymore. The son said, ‘Did I give you permission to give birth to me?’ I can’t believe it.”