Mumbai, Nov 12 (IANS): Bollywood actor Boman Irani, who is enjoying the response to his recently-released movie 'Uunchai', had initially declined the offer to star in the film.

Directed by Sooraj Barjatya, 'Uunchai' also stars Amitabh Bachchan, Anupam Kher, Danny Denzongpa, Neena Gupta, Sarika and Parineeti Chopra.

"I had to decline the role when Sooraj Ji first approached me due to personal issues and work obligations. Then, one fine day, I received a call from Anupam Kher. Before I could say hello, he began ranting at me. Anupam just heard the script read by Sooraj sir and was so moved by it that he was curious to find out who all were in it. He made the call as soon as he heard that I had rejected the movie," Boman said.

The actor said that he knew the intention behind Anupam's scolding.

"I knew that behind all of the scolding was pure love, friendship, and his care for me. He genuinely wanted me to do this film because, according to him, I would be a part of history. He was certain that with this cast, 'Uunchai' would smash records. And he was correct; I had the best time of my life while working on this film; it was a spiritual experience that I will cherish for the rest of my life," he said.

Speaking about director Sooraj Barjatya, Boman said, "I really appreciate that Sooraj Ji wanted an actor who would do justice to Javed's character. He also mentioned that it was his dream to work with this star cast, calling us his dream team, which left me feeling extremely overwhelmed."

On the work front, Boman will be next seen in Rajkumar Hirani's 'Dunki' starring Shah Rukh Khan.