By Samina Esha

Maya Noel – Photo courtesy  Rishab Chheda

Red paint, mirrors, and the echoing sound of voices creates a calming illusion of mysticism through which Maya could see her own reflection staring back at her. She looks straight into the camera and starts her audition for the Bollywood acting program.

“I have always wanted to be one thing, a Bollywood actor. When I first heard about the Bollywood acting program in Canada I just had this strong gut feeling. I knew this was it,” says Maya Noel, a 19-year-old Indo-Canadian actor who is currently living in Mumbai, India in pursuit of her lifelong dream to be in Bollywood.

Located in Mississauga, the Canadian Institute of Management and Technology College (CIMT) has opened the first government-backed Bollywood acting program in North America.

Canada has always been a melting pot for many cultures and experiences. With the South-Asian community exceeding  two million, Canada is a hot spot for the Bollywood industry. According to Toronto film commissioner Peter Finestone, in 2010 alone the Hindi movie industry has brought in more than $850 million in to the Canadian economy.

With divine beauty, Indian diaspora, and state of the art facilities, Canada is the second home for the Indian film industry. “We are known as the Hollywood North, let us make Canada Bollywood west,” says Lucky Sanda, a former child actor in Bollywood, and now program director, Bollywood acting program at the CIMT.

The program started in September 2010 with only 11 students ranging in age from eight to 48. The course costs approximately $9,000, or $13,000 for international students, plus an estimated $500 for books.

“We decided to start this new venture because we saw this as a need … no one has been doing this. What we saw was kind of a positive market here. What we wanted to propose is a similar system as that which is entrenched in the culture in Mumbai. We wanted the same thing here and we took a chance,” says Vivek Pandey, director of academics at CIMT College.

Bhupendra Mane came to Canada as an international student in 2007 to study biotechnology at Centennial College. However, his passion for acting led him to the Bollywood acting program. “I was looking for any kind of training in the field. I had done a lot of research and searched for months before I finally heard about the program. Bollywood is coming to the north and I wanted to take advantage of that as I was already in Canada,” says Mane.

With a new semester starting in September 2011, the school hopes to keep a low profile to prioritize the quality of work. “It is an initial stage. It has only been a year. It is an accelerated and evolving program,” says Pandey.

After finishing the program, students have the option of going to India or staying in Canada and pursuing their career. “If you do not feel like leaving the comfort of your home and go to Mumbai then there are also opportunities here,” says Sanda.

For Mane the choice to stay in Canada was easy. As he finishes his degree in biotechnology, he is also working towards his dream of acting. Over the years, Mane has appeared in many Bollywood movies that have been shot in Toronto.

“There is more competition in India. Over 100 people would wait in line to audition for the same character. But here the competition is less. Auditions are easier, and there is a chance for my talent to be recognized. So, if I get approached to work in India I will go there but I will not go there to find work,” Mane says.

Aside from being a student, Mane is currently working as a quality control specialist along with being a model and actor. He hopes to produce his own work in the future.“Acting is my passion whether it is in Hollywood, Bollywood, or the Canadian film industry. I have worked with different Canadian and Bollywood productions, which helps to get a solid resume.” Mane says.

For Noel, moving to India to act in the Bollywood industry was an easy choice. “There is a limit to what you can do in Canada in terms of going into the Bollywood industry. I just wanted to go where everything was happening and where I could grow,” says Noel.

Canadian Natalie Di Luccio at the Taj Mahal – Courtesy Natalie Di Luccio

Noel grew up in Etobicoke and had a full scholarship to attend the University of Guelph for her undergraduate degree in drama before she moved to India. She also hopes to pursue fashion as well as acting.

“You can prepare yourself as much as you want to but when it comes to applying yourself, you have to go where the heart of the industry is which is India. However, the Bollywood acting program prepares you for the intensity of this industry,” says Noel.

The intensive program is held six days a week for roughly five hours. If at the end of it students want to try their luck in the birthplace of Bollywood, they can repeat the course numerous times for free at India’s Kishore Namit Kapoor’s Acting Institute, which is affiliated with the CIMT program. At age 60, Kishore Namit Kapoor is a well-known figure in the Bollywood film industry with many famous actors emerging from his academy. He is also a seasonal instructor at the Bollywood acting program in Toronto.

“I did the course again in Mumbai for about four months. That was different. In Mumbai, the students and faculty are directly from the industry. So, you get to meet people from the related field,” Noel says.

Classes such as music, dance, and yoga/relaxation are part of a holistic curriculum. “The yoga class is there to relax the students so that they can concentrate on their acting. Music opens your vocal cords. These are techniques to help them with their diction, rhythm,  and to modulate emotion,” Sanda says.

He says the international Bollywood industry is constantly seeking trained professionals and his program can supply the talent. “Last year many Canadian and Bollywood casting directors had contacted us. It is all about contacts and that is what we provide them,” Sanda explains. “We are here to teach. We can polish the talent of students who are already talented individuals and for the other students we can teach them the craft and mechanism of acting.”