Hollywood North readies for Bollywood West role

MISSISSAUGA, Ont.,  (Reuters Life!) – Hollywood North  is auditioning for the role of Bollywood West.

The first known government-backed Bollywood acting school in  North America has opened in Canada’s largest city and its  creator is hoping to capitalize on the region’s booming South  Asian population.

“Here, I’m opening the doors of Bollywood and Hollywood  together,” said Lucky Sanda, program director of the Bollywood  acting diploma program at the Canadian Institute of Management  and Technology.

The first group of Bollywood students will graduate in April  from the college, which also offers diplomas in a series of  business and technology programs.

Sanda, 46, said production companies in Toronto want South  Asian actors in their TV ads and films to represent the changing  population and have already been contacting him.

“The demand is there, we just have to create the supply,” he  explained.

The South Asian population is the most visible minority  group in the greater Toronto area, which has a population of  5.5 million people.

“Canada is known as Hollywood North, which we all know, but  I want to make this Bollywood West,” said Sanda, whose family is  involved in the Bollywood industry.

A former child actor, Sanda appeared in more than a dozen  Bollywood films including “Do Anjaane” and “Mein Tulsi Tere  Angan Ki”. Since emigrating from India in 1992 he has seen a lot  of South Asian talent in Canada.

“There is so much South Asian talent but no platform  available to them,” he said.

A Bollywood West industry would help Canada subsidize lost  business from Hollywood films due to the high Canadian dollar  and counter California’s push to keep film production in the  U.S.

CHANCE TO BE A STAR

For Sanda’s students, who range in age from 18 to 48, the  program is a chance to be a Bollywood star.

Canadian-born Nav Mand, one of the program’s first 11  students, sees it as an opportunity to embrace his culture while  chasing his dreams without going to India.

“What makes me different from a lot of my classmates is I  never grew up watching Bollywood films, I actually grew up  watching Hollywood films,” said Mand, a 25-year-old personal  trainer whose dream is to become a successful actor.

“I’m one of the people in the class who have a hard time  speaking Hindi but the culture is the same. I can relate to  those movies.”

For others, it’s a chance to make up for missed  opportunities. Hassan (Jesse) Lakhani, 39, wanted to be an actor  but family obligations prevented him.

“Finally I want to fulfill that dream,” he said.

Nitin Patel, a 48-year-old civil engineer from Mumbai, has  already had roles in Indian and Canadian theater, as well as  Hollywood films and commercials. He was given a government grant  to attend the school.

“This was a step further,” Patel said.

Other students see the program as a way to break into the  industry and to open the doors to Hollywood.

Maya Noel, 18, from Dubai, is one of four women in the  class.

“I’m leaning towards Bollywood at the moment but if I find  work here or in Hollywood I’m not going to say no because my  ultimate goal is to become an actor.”

Students must audition for the 16-week diploma program,  which costs C$9,000 for Canadians and C$13,000 for international  students, and is approved by Ontario’s Ministry of Training  Colleges and Universities.

The graduates are guaranteed membership in the Senior  Artists Association in Mumbai, as well as an optional tour of  that city’s film industry.

With Toronto playing host to the International Indian Film  Academy Awards, which have been dubbed the Bollywood Oscars, in  June of 2011, Sanda plans to connect his students with some of  the best of Bollywood.

He has also brought over acting trainer Kishore Namit Kapoor  who has his own KNK Acting Institute in Mumbai.

“There could be a possibility of parallel industry here,”  said Kapoor, 60, who has appeared in films including “Kranti”,  “Ashanti” and “Sun Sajna”.

“I can see there’s a huge market here and lots of people  are enthusiastic and passionate,” he said. “I see some future  stars here.”   ($1=$1.07 Canadian)