‘The Mehta Boys’ gets a standing ovation at Regal Cinema

In a history-making moment of nostalgia, Boman Irani’s directorial debut ‘The Mehta Boys’ premiered on February 1 at Mumbai’s iconic Regal Cinema in Colaba as part of the Kalaghoda Festival. For Irani, this was more than just a film screening - it was a homecoming, a journey back to where his love for cinema first took root at the theatre that he visited countless times to watch all the classics.

The audience was spellbound by the heartwarming narrative that ‘The Mehta Boys’ unfolds - a touching exploration of love and a bittersweet father-son relationship. The film was met with thunderous applause, culminating in a standing ovation, as an overwhelmed Boman Irani stood in the very theatre where he once sat as a wide-eyed dreamer.

As he took the stage, Irani couldn’t hold back his emotions, giving a heartfelt shout-out to his family, cast and crew for being part of this monumental moment in his life. He also took a poignant moment to honor a special figure from his childhood - Aslam, a gentleman who has been projecting films at Regal Cinema for an astonishing 53 years.

Reflecting on his childhood memories, he said, “I remember watching ‘The Sound of Music’, ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’, ‘Von Ryan’s Express’, ‘Oh God’, ‘Agony and Ecstasy’ and ‘Kramer vs. Kramer’ among others multiple times. I’ve sat in every single seat that you all have occupied today. Today, I got to see ‘The Mehta Boys’ on this very screen, in this very theatre, with all of you showing so much love. It makes me incredibly emotional to see my family here. Today is a special day in my life - I feel like I’ve come to my graduation. It’s like a childhood dream come true.”

‘The Mehta Boys’ has been making waves long before its premiere. Its trailer garnered immense praise, with industry stalwarts like Anil Kapoor, Abhishek Bachchan and Riteish Deshmukh lauding Irani’s storytelling finesse and directorial prowess. The film had already created a buzz on the international stage, premiering at the Indian Film Festival (IFFI) in Berlin, Germany.

Directed by Boman Irani and starring him along with Avinash Tiwary, Shreya Chaudhry and Puja Sarup, ‘The Mehta Boys’ is set to premiere on February 7 on ‘Amazon Prime Video’.