With a spate of releases lined up, Boman Irani is set to be a
regular fixture on the silver screen

Will the real Boman Irani please stand up? There's some confusion on the actor's face. The fashion photographer, theatre personality and Bollywood actor all battle for attention. And the funny man is, for once, at a loss for words. "For the first time I've been stumped," he laughs.

"Sometimes, doing different characters helps me discover more about myself," begins Boman. "To know who you are and where you come from is important. Knowing more than that is a dangerous thing. In the most negative or positive character I portray, you see a Boman Irani."

And what is his preferred profession? "It's what one enjoys, not prefers," he shoots back. "I've done a lot of fashion photography and theatre; this is an extension of another kind. I love shoots and shoot every month, which keeps me in touch with the craft and I can get back to theatre whenever I want to. Everything is eventually a hobby."

Darna Mana Hai, Munnabhai MBBS and now Main Hoon Na, all threw Boman into the spotlight and he is now comfortable with the popularity. His folks — wife Zenobia, sons Danesh (18) and Kayoze (15) — have taken his rise maturely. "Popularity is just something we hear about, but the main thing is to enjoy what one is doing," he says.

"It happened quite by chance," says Boman throwing light on how movies came along. "Theatre played a big hand. I never intended to do movies even though the offers kept coming. Let's Talk, a small-budget film that did the rounds of the festival circuit, was received very well and played a key role. It was noticed by the people who mattered in Bollywood."

Funny man that he is portrayed to be, does he ever get angry? And how does he let off steam? "I do let off steam, and I do it the traditional way. But after it's let off, I feel stupid and smile," he says.

Lakshya, in which he plays Hrithik's dad, a Yash Chopra film, yet untitled, and Khosla Ka Ghosla due for release in two months is what he's looking forward to. "No, there is no comedy here. Khosla Ka Ghosla is a villainous, nasty piece of work. I surprised myself," he reveals.

Boman fans can now get ready to see him in a different avatar.