An evening of storytelling, laughter and deeply personal reflections unfolded at Lage Raho Zindagi, hosted by FICCI FLO Kolkata at Taj Bengal recently, as actor, photographer and storyteller Boman Irani transformed a room full of attendees into participants in an intimate conversation on resilience, reinvention and navigating life with courage. Warm, humorous and remarkably candid, Irani offered far more than celebrity anecdotes, instead taking the audience through the many lives he had lived before becoming one of Indian cinema’s most loved actors.
Even before the formal conversation began, Irani slipped effortlessly into one of his earliest identities: that of a photographer. Spotting a group of women seated in the audience, he playfully picked up a camera and began clicking photographs, instantly dissolving the distance between stage and audience. What could have been a fleeting moment turned into one of the evening’s most charming interactions, with laughter rippling through the room as he gently directed poses and joked about lighting and expressions.
The moment reflected the man behind the actor, observant, curious and instinctively drawn to stories hidden in faces. “I still see life through frames,” Irani smiled. “Photography taught me patience. It taught me that before you click a picture, you have to understand what someone is feeling. You don’t take photographs, you discover them. That’s what acting became for me later too. Every face carries a story, every silence carries meaning, and sometimes the best moments happen when people don’t realise they’re being seen.”
Further into the conversation, Irani reflected on childhood memories and the first moments he recognised his love for performing. Long before films or fame, he discovered immense joy in entertaining people and stepping onto stage, understanding even then that performance gave him a sense of belonging. “I think I always knew there was something magical about performing,” he reflected. “As a child, I wasn’t necessarily the loudest person in the room, but the stage gave me freedom. I realised very early that when I performed, I felt seen. It felt like home. Sometimes life tells you who you are very early, but it takes years to gather the courage to listen.”
Yet, life did not move in a straight line. He candidly spoke about financial struggles, uncertainty and the practical pressures that often overshadow dreams. He also reflected on his grandmother, a refugee from Iran, whose quiet resilience left an indelible mark on him. “My grandmother had seen displacement and loss,” he said. “When somebody rebuilds their life after everything has been taken away, they stop fearing uncertainty. Watching her taught me that survival is never elegant, it is stubborn. You keep moving because you have no choice, and somewhere in that process, strength quietly arrives.”
The conversation then shifted to his years as a professional photographer, a profession that shaped his discipline and perspective long before Bollywood entered the picture. Boman recalled shooting weddings, portraits and sports events, learning how to observe people deeply and understand emotion without words.
One of the evening’s most memorable moments came when he recounted an early disappointment of being rejected a photographer’s role at Figgi magazine that led to a redirection. “Every rejection in my life taught me endurance. It forced me to ask myself ‘how badly do I really want this?’” Recalling his mentor Sam Bala at Taj Mahal Palace hotel in Mumbai, he emphasised the importance of mentorship and encouragement during uncertain phases of life, reminding the audience that success rarely happens in isolation.
True to his spontaneous style, Irani frequently engaged with audience members. At one point, overhearing a playful exchange between three women discussing what defines a “true friend”, he stepped into the conversation with wit and insight, leaving the audience in splits.“You know what friendship really is?” he joked. “A true friend is someone who tells you the truth kindly and still stays after you get offended!” The room erupted in laughter before he added thoughtfully, “Real friendship survives discomfort. Anybody can celebrate your victories. The people who stay during confusion, disappointment and failure are your people. Friendship is not convenience. It is commitment.”
No conversation with Boman Irani would be complete without revisiting Munna Bhai M.B.B.S., the cult film that transformed his career and introduced audiences to the unforgettable Dr Asthana. Speaking about the journey, he reflected on entering Bollywood at an age when most actors already had established careers. “When Munna Bhai happened, I wasn’t some young actor figuring life out,” he reflected. “I came in carrying insecurities, doubts and years of another life behind me. But perhaps that is why the role worked. I had lived enough to understand frustration, humour and vulnerability. Sometimes your greatest strength is the life you’ve already lived.” He also recalled how the film unexpectedly changed audience perceptions of him overnight. While the success was overwhelming, it reinforced an important lesson: it is never too late to begin again.
Perhaps the evening’s most profound takeaway came when Irani spoke about the power of the word “want”. “Most people never stop to ask themselves what they truly want,” he reflected. “We inherit ambitions. Parents want something, society wants something, friends want something. But what do you want? That question changed my life. Once you know your ‘want’, life becomes clearer. Difficult, yes, but clearer. If you truly want something, you stop negotiating with excuses.”
Filled with laughter, introspection and moving reflections, Lage Raho Zindagi became far more than an evening with a celebrated actor. It emerged as an honest conversation about failure, reinvention and trusting life’s unpredictability. By the end of the evening, attendees left carrying more than photographs and memories. They departed with reassurance that every rejection, delay and detour may simply be preparing them for the life they are meant to live.
