The Art of Storytelling: Masterclass with Mr. Boman Irani
24-July-2026
On July 23, 2026, Xavier Institute of Communications welcomed acclaimed actor and filmmaker Mr. Boman Irani for an illuminating and enthralling masterclass on ‘The Art of storytelling’. It was the perfect opportunity for PG Diploma students across all courses to gain insights from one of the most prominent voices of the Indian film industry. The session focused on enabling students with a critical framework to engage with films and understand their narrative structure.
The masterclass started with an emphasis on the importance of the first act of any film; opening sequences of several films were screened to ensure appreciation of the same. This offered students a perceptive exploration of what establishes the tone of a film. The discussion was rooted in a simple but profound question that every filmmaker must ask, “What is this film actually about?”
Mr. Irani further introduced us to the ACR (action-conflict-reversal) analysis, which helps to break down scenes. According to him, the scene is driven by intent: who holds the action, what happens if they are unable to get what they want, and the reversal of expectations that pose new questions.
He stressed the importance of justifying the actions of the antagonist and paying attention to detail while building their character. Through several examples from his film “The Mehta Boys”, he explained how humour and conflict are important tools of storytelling that help to slip in information and exposition. Another intriguing concept was ‘surprising inevitability’; the plot twist must be a thunderclap and obvious at the same time; shock must be compensated with evidence and logic.
Mr. Irani is a repository of knowledge; having experienced filmmaking from both sides of the camera, he put forward a nuanced perspective of the craft of storytelling and left students with a long watch list of timeless films and, more importantly, a new way of looking at them.
By Parnika Agnihotri (MCDM)