Bollywood star Boman Irani embarked upon a unique endeavour to break down the craft of cinema for brilliant minds of all ages. The multifaceted actor, who is known for his path-breaking performances in box-office hits such as '3 Idiots' and 'Lage Raho Munnabhai', got drawn to storytelling and devised “Spiral Bound”, a series of screenwriting workshops for eager learners. This new initiative launched during the Covid-19 lockdown hit a milestone this week when it clocked 150 online screenwriting sessions.
Through these workshops, Irani offers a learning opportunity to budding writers, amateur and professional from different walks of life to unite and learn the nuances of screenwriting. What started for him as a step towards being a student of cinema, has resulted in an incredible journey of mentoring hundreds of students.
Happy to have arrived at the milestone of hitting 150 sessions, Boman Irani took to his social media to express gratitude to artists and filmmakers who showed their support to Spiral Bound.
The 60-year-old actor notes: "150 sessions on screenwriting in just about 165 days right through this lockdown. Writers, directors, actors, designers, beginners, all... with heart. All... with the intention to learn and grow. Not allowing the chains of these lockdowns to shackle and get the better of us.
“If at all we were shackled, it was with each other. Bound by the spiraling shackles of learning, love and friendship. Proud of each and every one of you! Grateful too. Thank you... You ALL know who I'm talking about!!!"
The actor reflects how Spiral Bound began with the idea of “jamming on stories and refining them”.
“We have over 100 people attending the sessions every day and now clocking in 150 sessions leads me to think that what we're offering these minds is really working for them," he said.
The first workshop of Spiral Bound was conducted by Alexander Dinelaris, screenwriter of Oscar-winning film 'Birdman' and a close friend of Irani, in the wake of the launch of his production house Irani Movietone.
On the work front, the actor looks forward to the release of much-anticipated films '83' and 'Jayeshbhai Jordaar'.
by Nadia Hatink