The biggest movie industry in the world is now coming to Canada, as OMNI Television and Spinning Plates Entertainment today announced the greenlighting of new original documentary series Bollywood Star. The four-part, one-hour series is slated to begin production in Toronto, Vancouver and Mumbai in fall 2013. Additional production and broadcast details to be announced at a later date.
Commissioned by OMNI Television’s original content team and produced by Spinning Plates Entertainment, Bollywood Star follows the format of the successful Bollywood Star Australia, and United Kingdom. This is the first time the format has been brought to North America. Part talent search and part documentary series, Bollywood Star follows aspiring hopefuls on their quest to win the prize of a lifetime – a part in a Bollywood movie, and a chance at becoming the next big Bollywood star.
“OMNI Television has been a longtime advocate of the Bollywood film industry and is proud to be bringing the popular format of Bollywood Star to North America,” said Madeline Ziniak, National Vice-President of OMNI Television. “Adding this exciting original series to the already established success of our South Asian lineup brings OMNI’s Bollywood programming to the next level through this opportunity to showcase Canadian talent.”
Bollywood Star is the latest original series commissioned by Rogers Media, following the successful launch of Seed earlier this year, and including the upcoming premieres of previously announced series Storage Wars Canada, Package Deal, The Project, and Mother Up!.
Bollywood Star will be holding open call auditions this fall in Toronto and Vancouver. Details will be posted on OMNITV.ca this summer.
“We are thrilled to bring this ground-breaking and captivating talent show format to Canada,” said Aviva Frenkel, Executive Producer of Bollywood Star. “Bollywood is the biggest film industry in the world and we are confident viewers will relish the opportunity to soak up the Bollywood glamour and root for the Canadian talent breaking into that world.”
Bollywood Star is an OMNI Television original series produced by Spinning Plates Entertainment. Shaam Makan (Restaurant Makeover, The Next Star) and Aviva Frenkel (The Next Star) serve as executive producers. From Rogers Media, Paritosh Mehta is director of independent production development, OMNI Television Ontario, and Madeline Ziniak is national vice-president of OMNI Television. Malcolm Dunlop is executive vice-president of programming and operations, and Scott Moore is president, broadcast.
