Kayoze Irani, who made a memorable entry into Bollywood as the cheerful Kaizad in ‘Student of the Year’, has now firmly shut the door on acting. In a recent interview, Kayoze made it clear that performing in front of the camera is not for him. He believes his true passion lies in filmmaking and direction.
After trying his hand at acting in a few films such as ‘Youngistaan’ and ‘The Legend of Michael Mishra’, Kayoze felt a stronger connection to the world behind the scenes.
In 2021, he made his directorial debut with ‘Ajeeb Daastaans’, a Netflix anthology series. He directed the emotional short film ‘Ankahi’, which starred Shefali Shah.
Kayoze Irani then gained more experience by working as an assistant director on ‘Dhamaka’, a thriller starring Kartik Aaryan. This experience further boosted his confidence in his directorial skills.
Recently, he took on a much bigger challenge, directing a full-length feature film titled ‘Sarzameen’. The film features big names like Kajol, Prithviraj Sukumaran, and debutant Ibrahim Ali Khan.
Produced under the prestigious Dharma Productions banner, the movie has backing of Karan Johar, Hiroo Yash Johar, Apoorva Mehta, and Adar Poonawalla.
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Even though fans were hoping to see Kayoze return to acting someday, the filmmaker put an end to all speculation. In an interview with ANI, he said, “I don’t think you’ll see me acting again. I enjoy filmmaking, and it’s what I’ve always wanted to do. I’m more comfortable behind the camera. That’s where I belong.”
He added, “Sorry to disappoint, but acting is not for me.”
Kayoze also spoke about his experience working with seasoned actors Kajol and Prithviraj on ‘Sarzameen’. He called it a “humbling experience” and shared how the two never made him feel like a newcomer.
“As a debut director, both of them never made me feel like one. They respected me, they always listened to my ideas and treated me as an equal. That kind of support from such big stars really touched me,” he said.
His latest film ‘Sarzameen’ is now streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.