Actor Boman Irani's mother, Jerbanoo Irani, passed away on Wednesday morning due to age-related illness at the age of 94 at their residence in Mumbai. The '3 Idiots' actor shared the news with his fans and followers through social media.
Sharing an adorable picture of his mother on Instagram, the 63-year-old actor said that his mother, who he referred to as 'Mother Irani', played the role of "both mother and father to me, since she was 32." Boman Irani's father passed away six months before he was born in December 1959 and since then his mother had taken over the family shop.
Boman wrote: "What a spirit she was. Filled with funny stories that only she could tell. The longest arm that always dug deep into her pockets, even when there wasn't much there." In his interviews, the actor was often heard giving credits to his mother for encouraging him to watch movies when he was young.
"When she sent me to the movies, she made sure all the compound kids came with me. 'Don't forget the popcorn' she would say. She loved her food and her songs and she could fact-check Wikipedia and IMDb in a flash. Sharp, sharp, sharp, till the very end," he wrote.
"Make people happy"
Boman Irani, known for his acting skills, recalled how his mother would remind him that his primary goal as an actor was to spread joy and not bask in the glory. "She always said 'You are not an actor for people to praise you. You are an actor only so you can make people smile. Make people happy,' she said.
"Last night she asked for Malai Kulfi and some mango. She could have asked for the moon and the stars if she wished. She was, and always will be A Star," he added.
Celebrities express grief
Soon after this news, many Bollywood celebrities expressed their grief and wrote condolences in the comments section of the Instagram post. Actress Dia Mirza, Mouni Roy, Ritvik Sahore and many other personalities paid their tribute.
On the work front, Boman will be seen next in 'MayDay', where he will be playing the character of a top airline owner in the film. In addition, the actor will also portray the role of former cricketer and commentator Farokh Engineer in Kabir Khan's upcoming film titled '83'.
