Boman Irani says he doesn't diss commercial cinema and believes as an actor he tries to balance movies- doing some for running his house and some for serving his creative appetite. The actor, best known for featuring in blockbusters like the Munna Bhai series, 3 Idiots and PK, will be next seen as Nobel Peace Prize recipient Kailash Satyarthi in Jhalki.
"I don't knock commercial cinema. It's very important that people should go to the cinema, have a good time, a good laugh. Without commercial cinema I feel we may not be able to make smaller movies. This ('Jhalki') isn't a small movie, it's a big movie because the impact it needs to make, it will make," Boman told reporters here.
The actor said Jhalki, which deals with the issue of child trafficking and child labour, doesn't necessarily have to be a blockbuster to make an impact. "We aren't saying movies like these should replace blockbusters. We are saying, both should co-exist... I do movies of all kinds. You do some for the kitchen, some for the soul. Doing only for kitchen or only for soul isn't good.
"This film will make an impact. It isn't that child labour will stop tomorrow. But there will be an awareness. More people will know about Kailash Satyarthi," he added.
Directed by Brahmanand Siingh and co-directed by Tanvi Jain, Jhalki also features Tanishtha Chatterjee, Sanjay Suri and Divya Dutta. Boman said he wasn't trying to "imitate" Satyarthi and was in fact trying to understand the Nobel Laurete to play him better. "Even if I speak in a voice, which is not as heavy as Kailash ji's, it will be fine as long as I get his soul right. All these things (voice, mannerism) are just garnishes, decorations. What's important is that I understand what he feels," he added.
Produced by Annand Chavan, and featuring child actors Arti Jha and Goraksha Sakpal, Jhalki is scheduled to release on September 27.