Synopsis : The passing of the matriarch of the family, a promise made to her years ago and a lost passport are some of the reasons that father (Shiv) and son (Amay) are forced to spend time in close proximity. Something they have avoided for years. A disastrous dinner with Amay’s girlfriend, a caved ceiling, and two accidents later, it’s an even bigger, quirkier mess. One is trying to gain his manhood, and the other is watching his fade away.
Festival History : Chicago South Asian Film Festival International Film Festival of South Asia
Awards : Best Feature Film, Chicago South Asian Film Festival Best Actor - Boman Irani - International Film Festival of South Asia
Director :
Boman Irani
Producer :
Shujaat Saudagar, Vikesh Bhutani, Boman Irani, Danesh Irani
DOP :
Krish Makhija
Editor :
Charu Shree Roy
Cast :
Boman Irani
Avinash Tiwary
Shreya Chaudhry
Puja Sarup
This film “The Mehta Boys” has been a part of my life for 8 years before we started the preproduction process. I started writing alone, with limited knowledge. I read books, videos, and masterclasses, and wrote my first draft. I knew I needed a mentor or teacher as soon as I was done. In the search for one, I met Alexander Dinelaris Jr. who on listening to an outline of my story, started scribbling on a tissue and jumped into explaining how the structure was wrong and how it could be fixed. This was the start of a long journey of understanding the techniques that are needed to write a scene, the understanding of structure, the need to stick with character, and a deeper understanding of theme and subtext. Though I would say that my journey in cinema started when I was a child when my mother would send me to Alexander Cinema, to watch a film almost every day, she would ask me the name of the film and then tell me to watch it again and this time pay attention to the lyrics. And she would send me again and tell me to pay attention to the cinematography and the lighting. This would be the start of my training in cinema. As I got older I picked up photography and bought myself a camera. I started doing very basic photography and by the time I was 32, I had started doing professional photography. My journey as a photographer led me to an opportunity to act in a theater production, which led to the chance to be a part of an experimental play, two men on a park bench having a conversation. It ran for 10 years, It became a huge hit and people started talking about me as an actor. Suddenly, I was learning to act on the job. I read a lot of books; I observed. I used to do a lot of exercises on my own, developed by myself, and take notes all the time. I went from being an unintentional student of cinema, a student of light and photography to a student in acting which led me to be a student of screenplay writing. It has taken me years to gather experiences and the skills that I have tried to incorporate into my first film as a Director.