We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Indy Saluja a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Indy, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

Since I decided to go to medical school instead of theatre school in my 20’s, I had to find professional teachers and high end classes to learn about acting. That learning, of course, never ends. However, I quickly realized that this would be a hustle. I drove from Kitchener-Waterloo multiple times a week for years to Toronto while balancing a career in the Emergency Department and juggling family life with three children, but there are no short-cuts and I had to pay my dues. I moved my way through various studios, including the Pro Actors Lab, Bongo Productions, LB Acting Studios, and Armstrong Acting Studios, took weekend focused workshops, and obtained certification for combat on stage and film through the Academy of Dramatic Combat. There are so many great acting coaches all over Toronto, who are certainly not limited to the ones I trained with, but I navigated the best that I could, following advice from fellow actors and my various coaches at these studios as well as later on with Raw Actor Studio and The Lighthouse. AAB Talent (my first agency) got me started on mostly commercial auditions, and I also worked as a background performer so that I could better understand what it was like to be on a film set, learn the lingo, and sort out what each member of the film crew actually did. It was so much fun and I learned a lot in those early days. On one of my very first background jobs I met Matt Damon on the set of “Downsizing”. I remember he laughed because with my red turban and bright pink jacket that I wore for this particular scene, I definitely did not just blend into the background!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I work as an Emergency Room Physician, but I also am pursuing a professional career in acting, After extensive training to learn the craft, I found representation with Rachel Neville-Fox (who is now retired, but believed in me!) at Noble Caplan Abrams, a wonderful agency whom I feel incredibly lucky to have signed on with. Michael Marino, Rick Gerrits and James Crammond currently represent my interests in film, television, video games, commercial, animation and voice work. There is an incredible team over there that is essential to have at a big agency like NCA, and because these types of relationships typically are long-term mutual commitments, having these people believe in you, your skills and your talent is essential to longevity in such a challenging industry. I think I do offer a unique experience with my career in Emergency Medicine, which brings a certain level of “gravitas” to my performances, referencing the ingenious Jimmy McGill! I also feel so strongly about telling stories from my unique perspective and cultural background as a turbaned, Canadian Sikh, and I hope to help tell some of these amazing stories in the future. The industry is opening up to these types of projects, and so I am also now writing scripts that I will work toward producing in the future. Jasmeet Raina (Jus Reign) is releasing a brand new series on Crave on January 19, 2024 called “Late Bloomer”, which is a huge deal, and he is just one example of a Sikh who is making waves in this industry. This is a life-long commitment for me, so there is lots of time to grow, learn and make connections in this industry!

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

There are not many ways to be able to reach large audiences and be able to affect their hearts and minds, and in some cases even affect people so much that something they saw in a movie may forever impact their lives and change their behaviours. Whether it be new found knowledge about a world issue, a particular population of people, an injustice, or even an inspirational spark of the imagination, this impact cannot be overstated. There is such a tremendous opportunity for artists, if given a platform, to positively affect people’s lives. And of course, it is entertainment! In the darkest of times, everyone looks to artists to fill these voids and take them away into another world, through books, art, music, live entertainment, video games, and the films and television shows we all turn to and watch again and again, Story telling is a part of human nature, and everyone loves to hear a great story. To be an artist is to be vulnerable, and to be human, and I cannot think of a bigger reward than that. From a very young age, I felt the most joy watching others be entertained, and so a natural extension of that has been for me to become an entertainer, and feel that exhilaration for myself, when I know I gave a great, fearless performance that was true and in the moment. You know when it happens.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

My whole story leading up to today has been about resilience. I was born in India, and my parents brought me to Canada for the opportunities available here. They started with nothing, and managed to navigate the system as new immigrants, grow and raise their family that eventually also included my brother and sister, and build successful careers. I learned so much from watching them remain positive, and unwavering in their commitment to make this all work, no matter how hard it was or how long it took. As visible minorities, speaking mainly Punjabi and landing here in 1974, they had their share of challenges. I have definitely incorporated these characteristics into my own personality, and worked my way through university and gained entrance into medical school, and train and work as an Emergency Medicine physician, while also teaching medical students and residents. Launching into this second career as an actor has been no less challenging. The acting industry is full of rejection and heart breaks, and requires a tremendous amount of work, commitment, and a philosophy that does not allow you to give up if you truly feel you want to do this. You can’t want to do this for money, or fame, or status. I do it because learning about and becoming a character, a character that you must empathize with in order to do your job as an actor, no matter who they are in this world, is an invaluable exercise where I get to explore my own human emotions and better understand who I am as a person. Understanding and portraying these human emotions is an incredibly difficult skill, and being able to also generate this empathy in someone who is watching you, where it may not have existed before, is both powerful and rewarding. No matter how many “NO”‘s I get, my resilience will outlast them all as I am not new to overcoming challenges, and giving up is not an option for me, I am so thankful to all of the casting directors here in Toronto, and also in Vancouver, Ottawa, the U.S., etc, that have given me opportunities. They all have seen me for great roles, and I am so grateful to them for being open-minded and fair, and this has led to some unforgettable experiences for me on set. I also vividly remember roles that I was sure I would book but did not, and may never understand why, which undoubtedly many other actors have also felt at some point in their careers. However, I do have to say that in those moments I have felt completely lost and discouraged and I will probably always carry these experiences with me. Some rejections definitely hurt more than others. But, I KNOW my “breakout” role is coming, and I will keep going until that happens, when I will have the chance to really dive in to a character and express myself as an artist, and incorporate my personality into that performance. There are no “overnight successes”-behind almost all of these stories are decades of hard work and resilience in this industry. Waiting for the phone to ring is honestly not sustainable. Nowadays, you also need to create your own work and make your own opportunities, which is exactly what I plan to do.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: indy__500
• Facebook: Indy Saluja
• Other: IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8305739/

Image Credits
Farrah Aviva – Studio Aviva; Tim Leyes; Megan Vincent; Intuition Photography by Leanne