My name is Sanjini and I am an actress based in Vancouver, British Columbia. I was born and raised in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe (of Indian descent) where I participated in many school Christmas plays and Drama and Literature Eisteddfods. I wanted to be an actress since I was eight years old and would mention this in my school essays entitled “What I want to be when I grow up?”
I started college in the United States at the age of sixteen but did not pursue acting because I did not believe it was possible for me to be an actress at that time. I attended various colleges in Oklahoma, California and Texas. I received my B.A. in History with a minor in Mathematics from University of Texas at Austin when I was twenty years old. I also received my M.A. in Speech Communications from Texas State University. I moved to Miami, Toronto and then to Vancouver after my studies.
When I was in Miami, I once got stopped by the police and was booked for a DUI. I lost the case and the judge gave me seventy hours of community service to do. The probation officer gave me a choice of two places to volunteer at – one was the Jackie Gleason Miami Performing Arts Centerand the other was the Miami Arts Center. I chose the former and this serendipitous event pushed me into acting. I was not afraid to call an acting coach after that and then avidly pursued acting because I knew in my heart that was what I had always loved so passionately. So, I took lots of acting classes, improvisation, movement classes, voice lessons, dance, performed in fifteen student films and was in numerous South Florida plays such as “Merry Wives of Windsor”,“Midsummer Night’s Dream”, restoration comedy “The Way of the World”, etc. My first time on stage in the United States was when I played a nun in the Florida Grand Opera’s “Tosca”.
In Vancouver, I have continued to take classes in cold reading, audition techniques and Shakespeare. I booked a role as a Crack Lady opposite Melissa Leo in Showtime Network’s pilot directed by Ilene Chaiken called “The Farm”. I have also booked a Vancity Bank Commercial and many others. I am in the Union of British Columbia Performers (UBCP). I am currently represented by Diamond Talent in Vancouver (www.diamondtalent.ca) but I am also looking for management/agent representation in Los Angeles.
I also travel to Los Angeles often. I am a member of the Santa Monica Promenade Playhouseand recently played the role of Phylis in David Ives’ “All in the Timing” directed by Natalia Lazarus. I recently helped children perform their acting lines and speech for Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity’s Christmas play in Los Angeles. I also work with the Charity in Vancouver.
I have been chastised by the Department of Homeland Security, my family and many friends about my dreams of being an actress for many years. I now will shout out “I AM AN ACTOR”! My destiny is to act and to use my voice to communicate. “Individual self-expression” motivates me.
I have always loved acting because I like movies and the theater. I enjoy using my body and my voice as my palate to communicate a story. My approach to acting is to use my instincts and imagination. That is why I think children and animals make the best actors. My acting philosophy is to play and have fun. That is why a play is called a “play”.
Overall my goal is to be an excellent, successful and paid actress! My ultimate goal is to win an Oscar. I want to travel the world because I want to work in exotic locations for film. I want to entertain, bring joy and inspire the world with my charisma, creativity, fire, passion and chutzpah!
When I am not acting, I am an art model (nude, portrait and gestures) for many colleges, high schools, community centers, video game companies, art studios and institutes. I have also published two children’s books entitled “My Life as a Dollar Bill” and “The Chocolate Pony”. They are illustrated and are available on Amazon, BarnesandNobles.com and Authorhouse.com. I also have written thirteen creative children’s stories which I plan to publish (also digitally) and would like a few of them to be made into animated features (I model for so many animators).
I am also a martial artist and have a brown belt in Shaolin Kempo which includes swords, katas, pinans, five animals, kempos, etc. I take lessons at dojos in Beverly Hills, Brentwood and North Vancouver. I am currently working with professional boxers to improve my sparring skills. I am also a gym rat. I am currently working out at the mecca of bodybuilding - Gold’s Gym in Venice. I enjoy doing weights, yoga and physical fitness in general.
Like I have mentioned, volunteering for Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity is a big part of my life. I spend my spare time helping to feed the poor and helping the Sisters with whatever they need done. I also am a world traveler and have visited over thirty-five countries.
FAVORITE QUOTE:
“If one advances confidently in the direction of one's dreams, and endeavors to live the life which one has imagined, one will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”
Henry David Thoreau
Links to my website, videos and books:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4215028/
(SANJINI imdb page)
http://www.promenadeplayhouse.com/company-roster
(SANJINI’S PLAYHOUSE)
www.sanjini-actor.com
CHILDREN’S BOOKS –
“MY LIFE AS A DOLLAR BILL” AND “THE CHOCOLATE PONY”
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=sanjini&x=10&y=17
http://www.amazon.com/My-Life-as-Dollar-Bill/dp/1452061521/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1327888670&sr=8-1
(“MY LIFE AS A DOLLAR BILL” ON AMAZON)
http://www.amazon.com/Chocolate-Pony-Sanjini-Bhakta/dp/1449097618/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1327888670&sr=8-2
(THE CHOCOLATE PONY ON AMAZON)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5R8Eqgvxmyw
(“THE CHOCOLATE PONY” VIDEO TRAILER)
LINKEDIN - http://www.linkedin.com/pub/sanjini-bhakta/16/553/350
My Fellow Thespian
My View on Acting
Use whatever technique and/or method in your toolbox - they are all good - whatever works at that moment.
Acting is essentially communication.
Communication involves relating to other characters, relationships, and LISTENING.
Acting amounts to one word: FUN
It should be fun and spontaneous. That's why a "play" is called a play. - because YOU PLAY.
The best way for me to access the fun and spontaneity with my acting, is to spend time playing with animals and children. They both also have great instincts. Having good instincts is important. Children have great imaginations too. Imagination and creativity is also important.
I tend to see things in pictures or images. I am very visual.
My perspective or approach to acting - is a spiritual one.
I don't like structure too much - I like things to evolve organically.
Improvisation (creating on the spot from available material) is an excellent key to acting.
The actor's palate is the voice and the body. I've tried to develop or work on both. For my voice I have taken voice lessons, tried to imitate birds and monkeys, worked on my breath etc. For movement/body, I have taken some dance lessons, I enjoy doing animal movements or sense memory and physical exercise (I work out at the gym six times a week) which all helps to free the body.
Keywords for me - improvisation, imagination, freedom, spontaneity, fun, creativity, instincts, communication, spiritual (meditation, nature is very inspirational, finding the quiet within, silence, the ocean, yoga, reiki), listening.
I try to let go and not to focus on the results - the process or the moment is important. -LIVE IN UNCERTAINTY - it's magical and exciting.
Acting is simple - it is not rocket science. Acting is telling a story - it's that simple.
Mood = Doom (spelt backwards). When you try to create "a mood" it results in doom. Play the action, not the emotion.
I don't like to use aspirations, I don't structure things too much and I try to play strong actions/intentions/objectives.
SANJINI ACTING TRAINING AND EDUCATION
SCENE STUDY – STEWART SOLOMON – - MIAMI, FLORIDA - 108 HOURS
IMPROVISATION – STEWART SOLOMON – MIAMI, FLORIDA – 75 HOURS
ACTING FOR THEATRE – CAROL PROVONSHA – MIAMI, FLORDA – 2 YEARS
ADVANCED ON CAMERA STUDY – ROBBIE BURNS – MIAMI, FLORIDA – 1 YEAR
ACTING FOR THEATRE – KAY HARRISON KRAMER – MIAMI, FLORIDA – 3 YEARS
ACTING ON CAMERA TECHNIQUE – LINDA ZERNE WORKSHOP – MIAMI, FLORIDA
MASK WORKSHOP – BRUCE LECURE – MIAMI, FLORIDA
SHAKESPEARE SCENES – DIRECTOR MOIRA WYLIE (BARD ON THE BEACH’S “MACBETH”) – VANCOUVER AND MONTREAL
DAY WORKSHOP – CASTING DIRECTOR LAURA BROOKE TOPLASS
AMERICAN DIALECT – ANDREW KRIEGER – VANCOUVER, B.C.
VOICE – KAY HARRISON KRAMER – MIAMI, FLORIDA – 3 YEARS
VOICE – SONJA BAKER – VANCOUVER, B.C. – 6 MONTHS
VOICE – CINDA ANN – VANCOUVER, B.C. – 6 MONTHS
DIALECTS – NORENE BINI – MIAMI, FLORIDA – 3 YEARS
VOICE AND MOVEMENT – DARBEY HAYES – MIAMI, FLORIDA – 45 HOURS
PHYSICAL CHARACTERIZATION – DARBEY HAYES – MIAMI, FLORIDA -
STAGE COMBAT – BRUCE LECURE – MIAMI, FLORIDA – 6 MONTHS
JAZZ – ZEAL STUDIOS – MIAMI, FLORIDA
BELLY DANCING – JERI BEAUCAIRE – MIAMI, FLORIDA
HIP HOP – IN MOTION DANCE, MIAMI, FLORIDA
ON CAMERA AUDITION TECHNIQUES – DAVID LYLE – VANCOUVER, B.C. – 2 YEARS
COLD READING – HENRY MAH – VANCOUVER, B.C. – 1 YEAR
SHAOLIN KEMPO KARATE – USSD (VANCOUVER, BRENTWOOD, BEVERLY HILLS) – BROWN BELT -5 YEARS
YOGA – MIAMI BEACH AND VANCOUVER – 3 YEARS
TAI CHI – USSD (ROLLING HILLS, CA)
GYM – WEIGHTS – GOLD’S GYM (VENICE), STEVE NASH FITNESS WORLD (VANCOUVER), NUMEROUS GYMS IN DIFFERENT CITIES AND COUNTRIES’
TAE-KWON DO – MASTER VICTOR KING – SANTA MONICA, CA
LIFE DRAWING MODEL FOR ANIMATORS, VIDEO GAME COMPANIES, COLLEGES, HIGH SCHOOLS, COMMUNITY CENTERS, ART STUDIOS AND INSTITUTES – PORTRAIT, NUDE AND GESTURES – VANCOUVER - RELIC ENTERTAINMENT, VANCOUVER FILM SCHOOL, VANCOUVER ART INSTITUTE, VANCOUVER COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN, JOHN BRAITHWORTH COMMUNITY CENTER, FALSE CREEK COMMUNITY CENTER, SHABOLT CENTER, THINK TANK, ANIMATION WITH SARITA, DEAN CROFT STUDIOS, JANET GAMAGE WORKSHOPS, WEST MINISTER ART STUDIOS, CORIED ART, NORTH VANCOUVER ARTS COUNCIL, JASON OGILVIE ART STUDIO, WHITE ROCK ART STUDIOS, BASIC INQUIRY STUDIOS, LANGARA COLLEGE, BETTY WOO PORTRAITS, CAPILANO COLLEGE, CLAIRE STUDIOS, BYNG HIGH SCHOOL, FOCAL POINT PHOTOGRAPHY SCHOOL, EMILY CARR INSTITUTE, DOG ARTS STUDIO, COQUITLAM COMMUNITY CENTER, CROSS ROADS HIGH SCHOOL, NEW ROADS HIGH SCHOOL, SAM CLAYBERGER STUDIOS, JOHN ALCANTRA STUDIOS, WEST COVINA ART CENTER, WEI LO PORTRAITS, ISRAEL MARTINEZ STUDIOS, MICHAEL NEWBERRY STUDIOS, GEORGE SMALL STUDIOS, CHRIS HERO STUDIOS, YMCA S.M. – 4 YEARS
