Detective Sherdil Actor Boman Irani On Not Staying In Character Off-Camera: Wearing Someone Else’s Skin...- Exclusive

Boman Irani is all set to enthrall his fans with his stellar performance in the murder mystery titled Detective Sherdil. In an exclusive chat with Zoom, Boman opened up about his role, why he was drawn to the project, and how he approaches acting - especially when it comes to not carrying the character home with him.

Talking about why he took up the film, Boman said he was drawn to the story and its unique setting. He told Zoom, “See, first of all, I’ve done many films - some with longer roles, some with shorter ones. But I liked the genre of this film. I’ve never done a movie in this kind of genre before.”

He further shared his love for murder mysteries and classic whodunnits, saying, “I love the whodunit genre - the kind of Agatha Christie stories where a room full of people are being interrogated. There are movies like Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile. There’s also Knives Out. I love that genre. I used to read those books with a lot of passion. And now, to be in a movie like that is wonderful.”

Recalling how the director Ravi Chabria approached him during the pandemic, Boman revealed what convinced him to sign the film, “I had three long conversations with the director, Ravi Chabria. He’s wonderful - such a bright and honest guy with a clear vision. It was right in the middle of the pandemic, and he called me and said very honestly, ‘I don’t know if you’ll accept the role, but there’s no harm in asking. What’s the worst that can happen - you’ll say no?’ And the moment he said that, it kind of disarmed me.”

Boman added, “I said, what makes you think I’ll say no? He replied, 'Everyone says you’ll say no. And I told him, 'I don’t want other people making decisions on my behalf.' So I just accepted it. Though I must say, it took us two or three sessions with the entire script - I wanted to read it all to see how it flowed.”

Boman also spoke about his role in the film and how, even though his character dies early, he is seen in different versions throughout the film.

The actor quipped, “When I saw myself, I thought, this guy is going to get shot in the next scene." He added, "Even though he dies very early in the film, he is here and there during the interrogation scenes. So, every time someone is interrogated, there are different versions of him. So I’m there throughout the film, in many ways.”

On watching himself onscreen, the actor said he doesn’t view it like most people do. He said, “When I saw myself, I didn’t really think of it as seeing myself. I don’t see myself as characters - I feel them. I feel the insides rather than look from the outside. I’ve never told myself, I’m seeing myself on screen. I’ve never felt that. I always feel what the character is feeling - that’s what I look forward to.”

Boman also shared his acting philosophy - how he doesn't believe in staying in character after the scene is done. “It takes a little time to get into the character, but I’ve made it a habit to get out of it faster. It’s important not to delve too deeply because I’m wearing someone else’s skin. I’m using someone else’s name, someone else’s ideology, mindset, psychology. That person is not me. So I better get rid of him as fast as possible. That’s my principle," said Boman.

He explained that while getting into character is a process, letting go has become much easier over time, saying, “Getting into it is more difficult - it takes time. But letting go has become a habit. I don’t need to meet this guy over dinner, whether he’s a good guy or a bad guy. I don’t need to hang out with him. I’d rather spend time with my own friends. I’m very happy to come out of the character as soon as possible.”

Detective Sherdil starring Diljit Dosanjh, Ratna Pathak Shah, Banita Sandhu, Diana Penty, Chunky Panday and Boman Irani; will be released on Zee5 on June 20.