Following a nationwide search that scoured the country for Canada’s premier performers, 25-year-old Simran Sidhu of Surrey, BC, was crowned the winner of Bollywood Star earlier this evening on OMNI Television. Sidhu’s stunning performances during the competition’s Indian leg dazzled industry experts and led her to the ultimate prize: a Bollywood film role. The series saw hundreds of Bollywood hopefuls attend open-call auditions in Vancouver and Toronto, where the top 16 were selected to compete in a semifinal round in Toronto. The competition was narrowed down to six finalists, who were flown to Mumbai to battle it out in Bollywood boot camp.
“The journey to becoming Canada’s first Bollywood Star has afforded me with opportunities I never believed were possible,” said Sidhu, winner, OMNI Television’s Bollywood Star. “Through this experience, I have absorbed valuable knowledge and advice from my peers, the judges, and experts in India, and can’t wait to explore my talent in a Bollywood film.”
Sidhu has long dreamed of becoming a Bollywood entertainer. Born in Abu Dhabi, she and her family moved outside of Mumbai to Pune, India, when she was three years old. Ten years ago she relocated to Surrey, BC, and began following her dream of becoming a Bollywood performer. As a member of Shiamak Davar’s Vancouver dance team, Sidhu has performed at the 2011 IIFA (International Indian Film Academy) Awards in Toronto, and the 2013 TOIFA (Times of India Film) Awards in Vancouver. She has also danced behind Priyanka Chopra (Barfi!), Shah Rukh Khan (My Name is Khan), Ranbir Kapoor (Barfi!), Hard-Kaur (Patiala House), Aishwarya Rai Bachan (Guzaarish), Abhisheh Bachan (Dhoom), and Ranveer Singh (Gunday). In her spare time, Sidhu teaches dance to mentally and physically disabled individuals through Shiamak’s Victory Arts Foundation.
In tonight’s season finale, the four remaining competitors travelled from Mumbai to Goa, where they gave a final audition before renowned Bollywood director Nishikant Kamat (Force). After four intense and impressive performances, Kamat awarded Sidhu with the highest honour: Canada’s first winner of Bollywood Star.
Bollywood Star is commissioned by OMNI Television’s original content team in partnership with L’Oréal Paris, and produced by Spinning Plates Entertainment. Aviva Frenkel and Shaam Makan serve as executive producers. From Rogers Media, Paritosh Mehta is the Director of Independent Production Development for OMNI Television, Hayden Mindell is Vice President of Television Programming & Content, Rogers Media, and Madeline Ziniak is the National Vice President of OMNI Television.
