Cinema VinesIn Mumbai, veteran actor Boman Irani revealed that his meticulous rehearsal routine has been upended by his latest collaboration with seasoned filmmaker Priyadarshan on the crime‑thriller “Haiwaan.” The film, slated for a global release on September 11, marks the second time the pair have worked together, following their 2012 partnership on “Tezz.”
Irani, best known for his roles in “Munnabhai M.B.B.S.”, “Lage Raho Munna Bhai,” “Khosla Ka Ghosla,” “3 Idiots,” “Dunki,” and his own directorial venture “The Mehta Boys,” admitted that he usually spends hours rehearsing lines—sometimes even while shaving or wearing socks. “I often over‑rehearse,” he told PTI. “When you get onto the floor, Priyadarshan tells you, ‘Just say this one time, look into the camera, and just walk off the camera.’ Then all my preparation has come to zero.”
According to Irani, the director’s approach teaches actors to remain flexible and responsive to the moment. “If you are stuck to it and you are married to a method, then you are not a good actor,” he said. “You have to prepare enough for the director to tell you, ‘turn it down or up a little bit.’”
Irani also praised Priyadarshan’s craftsmanship on set, noting the director’s skill in using simple camera movements and compositions to tell a story. “In a movie like this, you see the craftsmanship. There is a director at work that can actually scale with simple camera movements, simple compositions,” he explained. “I’ll never be able to replicate his style, but I like to observe him as a human being.” He added that Priyadarshan’s personal touches—such as insisting on saying goodbye after the last shot and arriving himself rather than sending an assistant—are lessons he will carry forward.
The cast of “Haiwaan” features Saiyami Kher, Shriya Pilgaonkar, Rajpal Yadav, Sharib Hashmi, and the late veteran star Asrani, among others. The film is produced by Venkat K Narayana and Shailaja Desai Fenn and will hit theatres worldwide on September 11.
