Behind the Mask

Boman Irani is comfortable both behind the camera and in front of it. His day job is that of a photographer 8212; he has clicked the portfolios of most of the Miss India contestants 8212; but in the evenings, Boman leaves the camera at home and takes centrestage. Strangely, it was photography that led him to theatre. quot;I always used to sing to my models to put them at ease,quot; says the 37-year-old photographer. And when Shiamak Davar heard his voice, he insisted that Boman should do a musical. Shiamak then contacted Alyque who cast Boman in Roshni. Though this Padamsee production did not do well, Boman8217;s performance was appreciated and he went on to do several other plays. Currently, he is in Rahul da Cunha8217;s Six Degrees Of Separation and I8217;m Not Bajirao. Surprisingly, Boman was not daunted by playing Dhanjisha Baltiwallia, a 75-year-old Parsi. Says he, quot;Acting is not hard, you just have to work at it.quot; And then you can have some fun. The cast of Bajirao is soon going to Dubai to performthere.

Boman has been working as a professional photographer for over five years and in the world of theatre for two. quot;But many people do not realise that Boman Irani the photographer and actor are the same person,quot; he says.