Boman Irani on being and playing a Parsi, selling potato chips and obsessing over menus, celebrating 25 years of marriage and those awful wigs

Did you take on Little Zizou because it was a great role or for the cause of the Parsis?
Let me be honest and tell you that I didn’t know anything about the role when I agreed to do it. I did it because of my regard and affection for Sooni Taraporevala. It was not a big role to begin with but we fleshed it out as we went along.

Sooni says you improvised a lot…
(Interrupts) You’re sure that Sooni said this, right? Then it’s ok because if a reviewer said it then I’ll be like, how does he know? As regards improvisation, I think I just did it in my dance steps but then dancing is also improvisation. So yeah, Sooni is right.

After your Mambo Italiano jig, you are being termed as the Parsi John Travolta.
(Interrupts again) Who said that? Not me for sure. This is totally unfair and untrue. I hate comparisons of any sort and that too with Travolta. I’ve always liked dancing. Though I can’t dance at long stretches, when I get on the floor I really have fun. I find it liberating.

Imaad Shah says he took dance lessons from you…
(Interrupts once again) What nonsense. Who said that? If Imaad did, then he is being kind to me. I didn’t teach him anything. It’s just that there was a lovely visual in the film of me towering over him so I just told him to sit on this tiny baby stool that he used to sit on in the film. I just thought it would look better visually, that’s all. It’s a lesson for sure but I don’t know if it’s in dancing (laughs).

... contd.