The world premiere of Dreams of Bollywood takes place in the Jack Singer Concert Hall on October 17 and features an amazing group of vocalists, musicians, and dancers accompanying the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, all led by conductor and concert creator Daniel Black. In anticipation of the Orchestra’s first foray into the sensational sounds of South Asian cinema, two of the production’s amazing artists — vocalist Vidita Kanniks and Alberta-born choreographer and dancer Rameez Karim, whose Veils of Bollywood Dance Company takes centre stage at the performance — took a few moments to chat about their unique experiences surrounding the show's creation and their aim for the upcoming concert.
Dreams of Bollywood features an amazing myriad of talent. How has it been working with this group?
Rameez Karim: It has been humbling, heartwarming, emotional, and exciting, all at the same time. It's so inspiring to bring everyone together under a greater vision, to see and experience everyone's talent, and getting to know these artists.
Vidita Kanniks: The team is wonderful and feels like home! It's definitely a world-class pool of diverse talent, and I'm excited to share our work. I’ve also had the pleasure of working with some of the team prior to Dreams of Bollywood, including Shawn [Mativetsky, tabla] from our JUNO-nominated album with Infusion Baroque titled East is East, and Reeshabh [Purohit,vocals] who I brought on after Dan [Black, conductor] reached out to me about the project.
This concert is very much a celebration of Bollywood, and Indian cinema is truly at the heart of this production. What are some Bollywood stories and songs that are near and dear to your heart?
RK: The nature of Bollywood cinema and songs is not just about films for me. It's about hope, adventure, possibilities, whimsy, tradition, and storytelling. Some of my favourite Bollywood tracks are actually a part of the show and include Radha Kaise Na Jale, Kahin Aag Lage, and O Re Piya. One of my favourite films is Paheli — a magical love story about a newlywed woman who falls in love with a spirit that takes the form of her absent husband, forcing her to confront the meaning of love, identity, and choice.
VK: I grew up on Bollywood — both listening to it and singing it (and sometimes even dancing!). A lot of people don't realize that for Indian folks, music from Bollywood films is the primary commercial music consumed in our culture. Composers like A.R. Rahman are considered legendary! I fondly recall sitting in the back of my parents’ car devouring the track lists and booklets for every new soundtrack as it was released.
Growing up in the States, Bollywood music was a huge catalyst for feeling connection to pop culture in India — every community festival or variety show would involve Bollywood choreography showcases. I have so many memories totally etched into my brain from when I did have a chance to visit Chennai, my parents' home city, singing mashup remixes of Bollywood tunes with my cousins and covering songs together. The soundtrack to Lagaan in particular is like soul food for every Indian, so I'm especially excited that we're doing a few numbers from that film.
Something that is at the core of your work is an aim to participate in "unique, personal projects that challenge cultural and musical boundaries." Can you tell us a bit about this aim in relation to Dreams of Bollywood?
RK: For me, Dreams of Bollywood is about creating a meeting point between different artistic worlds. Bollywood has always brought together Indian classical and folk traditions with popular and global influences, so bringing Bollywood dance into conversation with a symphony orchestra feels like a natural extension of that.
What excites me is seeing how these forms can genuinely respond to one another — how the scale and emotion of an orchestra can transform the way we experience Indian dance, and how movement, rhythm, and storytelling can offer a new way of experiencing orchestral music.
VK: My career as a vocalist naturally took shape as an exploration between cultures. It's the most honest representation of who I am as a person. I'm not only bi-cultural, but also bi-musical— it's sort of like being bilingual! My 'native' musical language is Indian Classical Music, which I grew up learning from my grandmother and father. But alongside this study, I was a choir kid, a theatre kid, and a pianist. When I chose to pursue music at the conservatory level in 2013, the world wasn't always quite as receptive to my identity as an Indian musician. They didn't have the vocabulary to understand who I was outside of what I could do in the Western musical sense. I think that's why it's so important to me now to be able to represent both in what I do. Instead of waiting to be noticed, I realized it was my responsibility to speak up about my musical heritage and actively lead that narrative. Projects like my above-mentioned album, as well as Dreams of Bollywood, are examples of how I'm able to continue cultivating this sort of niche. I feel exceptionally fortunate to be able to do this!
How has your experience been working on Dreams of Bollywood? Especially as the world premiere with the Calgary Philharmonic takes place right around the corner on October 17.
RK: It’s been a lot of work, but also an incredible learning experience. A project of this scale goes far beyond what audiences eventually see onstage. As a choreographer, it has pushed me to think beyond simply creating movement and to understand how all these different departments come together to bring one artistic vision to life. I grew up in Alberta, so bringing Dreams of Bollywood to my home province for its world premiere makes this moment especially meaningful to me. With October 17 getting closer, it’s exciting — and a little surreal — to see years of work finally coming together.
VK: The Dreams of Bollywood premiere is definitely going to be a special event! Everyone on the team brings the height of artistry and work ethic to their craft. There’s been so much work and dedication that’sgone into Dan's conception, and workshopping and arranging and Rameez's choreography. It's especially exciting to finally be able to share it in its full, orchestral glory.
What can attendees expect from their experience at Dreams of Bollywood?
RK: We want people to feel immersed in the energy of Bollywood — whether they grew up with this music or are experiencing it for the very first time. The experience is colourful, emotional, theatrical, and hopefully something audiences haven’t experienced with a symphony orchestra before.
VK: It is colour, emotion, energy and virtuosity ramped up to max!
The Calgary Philharmonic presents: Dreams of Bollywood on October 17, 2026 in the Jack Singer Concert Hall at Werklund Centre. Get your tickets at calgaryphil.com.