Boman Irani

Strict, short-tempered Prof Viru Sahastrabudhhe a.k.a. Virus around the college campus in Bollywood blockbuster 3 Idiots now comes out of the persona of the strict college principal to share his love of furry friends. Yes, we are talking about Boman Irani whose journey into the Indian cinema over the last ten years has delivered a hallmark of excellent roles in the movies like Munna Bhai MBBS (2003). Apart from being a film actor, theater artiste and passionate photographer, Boman is a keen pet lover too. He shares his glorious moments of pet parenting while interacting with Dogs & Pups.
 
Born on 1st October 1962 in Mumbai, Boman belongs to the Parsi community. He started selling out potato chips before photography appealed to him and then later it was the call of the theater. He worked with Alyque Padamsee in the play Roshni and Mahatma Vs Mahatma by Feroz Abbas Khan. Later, Boman was seen in TV commercials of Ceat Tyres and Smyle cough syrup. This proved to be the gateway to Bollywood. And he started receiving offers to work in movies in supporting roles.
Puppy love after marriage…
Boman’s puppy love started after he met Zenobia, currently his wife, 28 years ago. “My love for pets started growing after I got married with Zenobia,” said Boman. “To be frank, I was not a dog lover at all. As a kid, I was petrified with dogs and so have no nice memories with them,” said Boman in a thoughtful mood.
Win some, lose some!
Boman’s first doggie was Jolly, whom he loved a lot. After Jolly passed away, Boman and Zenobia adopted Layla – a Golden Retriever. Boman has two sons – Danesh and Kayur. The only wish he wanted to fulfill was to have a loving daughter, which Layla fulfilled easily. “Today I can’t even imagine my life without Layla, my most lovable,” revealed Boman.
Layla’s homecoming is yet another exciting tale Boman fondly shared with us. As one fine night, Danesh, Boman’s eldest son, informed all family members that a couple was moving out and so they wanted to offer their pet for adoption. The offering brought a big smile on everyone’s face. Next morning, all family members woke up early to welcome their new family member – Layla. “The moment the couple saw us, they felt they were giving their daughter to the right home,” exclaimed Boman.
A divine bond…

Layla’s first visit to Boman’s home was a moment to cherish for all in the family. “She came sprinting into the house and landed on the bed. Before we adopted her, she adopted us. It was a divine bond,” shared Boman.
Danesh and Kayur take good care of their younger sister. When the trio is together at home, they have a great time. Kayur has great control over Layla…when it comes to discipline. He ensures Layla remains a well-behaved and disciplined girlie. And he has all his faith in her that she would never do wrong. Whereas Zenobia takes good care of Layla’s routine and nutritional needs. She is a good mom to her. Layla loves to gorge on milk and roti cooked by Zenobia, who loves cooking delicacies for her.
The stress-buster…
Layla is quite a popular lass of the Parsi Colony, everybody knows her. So how about spending time with her… ‘Oh-so-great’ and he further added, “My day starts with her, in the morning when I am leaving for shooting, I always make it a point to say ‘hello’ and ‘bye’ to her. And in the evening we go out for long walks as Layla loves open spaces and greens. But my little girl is bit lazy as she always manages to take shortcuts.”
When Boman comes home after a long hectic day, Layla welcomes him in a way that she takes all his fatigue away. She accompanies him to his bedroom, sits on the bed, licks him and gives all ears to whatever he says. As Boman puts it, “The moment we all sit together, I discuss my day with Zenobia, while Layla simply sits listening to our discussions and gives her nod to express her concern. It’s really great…it’s destressing for me, and I love it.”
The antics
Layla hates to see her family members dancing at the parties…she is not very happy with the idea of dancing. Oh… so the girl has her dislikes as well. On asking whether there is something which is not so sweet about Lyala, there comes a reply, “Layla runs away with my socks and stands in a corner…thinking that I would chase her to find them and so it’s a kind of game to her. And when I call up Zenobia to tell that I am wearing torn socks, she finds it awfully sweet. Believe me, it’s irritating for me. But then I love my kiddo for that as I have more than 50 pairs of expensive socks with a hole.”
Boman’s bundle of joy also loves to play pranks. She knows how to wake up her momma, especially when she’s trying to take a quick nap. As Boman narrates, “When Zenobia is lying in the bedroom, trying to take some rest…ignoring our ‘come out’ calls, all we have to do is to ask Layla to get momma’s hairband. And next moment we see Zenobia coming out murmuring bad words, which we simply love….”
Responsible parenting…
Having a pooch is a big responsibility. They want a lot of attention and care like any child. “Layla is spoilt by our love and care. And I can’t afford to have another pooch kid as both my sons are too happy pampering their younger sister,” concluded Boman.