Actor/ Director, Mahadeo Shivraj, is a ‘Special Person’

Nov 18, 2012 News

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“I have always done acting for the love of it. Love for the art and the craft. It was never for the show for me – even though that comes with it naturally. I sincerely hope that I can provide opportunities for young people in Guyana with the same desire.”

By Rehana Ashley Ahamad

Growing up, he loved going to the cinema, and all through whichever movie was showing, Mahadeo Shivraj remembers always telling his family that he was capable enough to be the lead actor in the film; be it a Hollywood or Bollywood-originated one.
They all thought of it as a phase in the young boy’s life, but only he knew how serious he was; he had a burning passion for films, acting, drama and everything that comes with it.

In knowing exactly what he wanted to do with his life, young Shivraj was discouraged by the lack of resources; Guyana was never a film-making country, and there was no way he could’ve made it as a local actor. But he was extremely determined.
And who would have known that he would end up in hit movies like ‘The Smurfs’ and the blockbuster television series ‘30 Rock’; it was all written in his destiny, he believes. He is now determined to create a thriving film industry here in Guyana, giving young people a chance to realize their dreams.
He was the first of six children born to Purshotam and Sukhia Shivraj. Although he was very much attached to his parents and siblings, Mahadeo chose to reside with his father’s aunt and her husband – Mr. and Mrs. Bisnauth Maraj – in Charlestown. They never had any children of their own and were extremely fond of little ‘Shiv’ as they would fondly refer to him. He considered that couple no less than his grandparents.
Charlestown was a multicultural environment and Mahadeo had many friends. He recalled the games that they played on the streets, describing his as the best childhood ever.
He recalled being an above average student, with a quiet but playful personality that his teachers and fellow students grew to love.
Like every other kid, he anticipated school breaks; it was the only opportunity he had to visit his grandparents in Mahaica Creek- a dream location for a nature-loving youngster. The outdoors was his kingdom and ‘Shiv’ made good use of it; he swam in rivers and streams, and climbed almost every kind of fruit tree. It was a marvelous time for him.
But the fun times came to a pause, after Mrs. Bisnauth died. He was 11years old then, and had to move back into his parents’ Queenstown home. From that location, he attended North Georgetown Secondary School, shortly after which he attended the newly constructed South Georgetown Secondary; he was a Business student there. At age 14, he moved with his parents to Lamaha Gardens.
During his latter high school years, ‘Shiv’ captained his school team and was called to trials for the under-19 Guyana team. This was not something that would distract him from wanting to pursue an acting career.
He still spent all of his free time watching films and observing actors, even in commercial clips.
Nonetheless, the experiences he gained from playing cricket were not regrettable, as he was good at it.
Before young Shivraj knew it, he was no longer a student, but a high school graduate, and unlike many of his peers, he opted to find a job. At age 16, he was employed at the Ministry of Education as an

Accounts Clerk.
There he met a beautiful young lady named Beena. She was three years older than he was, but ‘Shiv’ didn’t care, he was in love. He and Beena courted for about nine years before they finally got married. And after about a year, the couple moved into a house in Queenstown. Shortly after which, they became parents.
By that time, ‘Shiv’ was employed at the Guyana National Cooperative Bank.
A few years went by with him still seeking means of fulfilling his dream of becoming an actor.
Just then, the bank employed Neaz Subhan, and he and Shivraj became friends. In 1987, Subhan was working on a play called “Vishwas”, and offered Shivraj the lead role.
“One day he just asked me if I knew what the Hindi word for faith was, and I told him I believe it’s ‘Vishwas’… after it was confirmed, he offered me the part,”  a smiling Shivraj reflected.
It was the opportunity he had been waiting for, but he was nervous. However, with the added encouragement from his wife – whom he said has always supported his dreams – Shivraj accepted the offer. He knew that his life was about to change for the better.
Many well known Directors went to see that play and they were all impressed with the newcomer’s acting.
Before he knew it, Mahadeo Shivraj became an actor on demand. In his first year, he did nine plays, this continued with 10 in the following year – all this at a time when seasoned actors averaged five annually.
Although the plays were invaluable, Shivraj wanted to be in movies; that had always been his ultimate dream.
After being seen in more than 40 local and Caribbean plays, Mahadeo Shivraj was offered a full scholarship to India to study in the Film Institute of Pune [Poona]. Even though his wife was supportive, as per normal, ‘Shiv’ was essentially uncomfortable leaving his family.
It was a five-year course, with one year for studying language, two years for acting and two years for directing.
After turning down the offer, light was once again shone on Shivraj’s path, he got an opportunity to go the United States of America – the concrete jungle where dreams are made of.
At age 33, the still hopeful young Guyanese was on his way to the USA on a Visitor’s Visa. His aim was to make it into Hollywood; he could smell success, but missing his wife and child was no minor deal; he wanted to be with them.
He put a pause on his career so that he could work on getting his family with him. And with much effort, his wife Beena and their son Monal eventually joined him. He was then able to focus on building his career.
But it was not all smooth sailing. His wife became severely ill and he found himself working between jobs to take care of her and his son who had started attending school.
By the time Mrs. Shivraj’s illness subsided, it was time for him to put his son through college.
He had to choose between his dream and his son’s. This he explained was not a hard task, as his family will always come first. It was when his son finished college and started to work in 2007, that ‘Shiv’ got a real shot at what he desired.
He was given the royal runaround before he finally secured an audition.

“At my first audition, someone told me that I shouldn’t get my hopes up, because it is almost impossible for an actor to get a part before having at least 50 unsuccessful auditions. But, I guess God had bigger plans for me,” Shivraj reminisced.
At the time he was attending New York University. He did an acting course there. He described it as “a very informative and gainful experience”.
“It was in a classroom, we had our time in front of the camera, my fellow students acted as my cast members, and our teacher was the Director. The best thing about this was that we got the chance to look at our onscreen appearance and our act. We were provided the opportunity of critiquing our own work,” Shivraj said.
His first, second and third audition did not go too well, but he was determined not to listen to others. He was not looking to reach the 50-audition mark. He knew what he wanted and he was determined to get it. That fortitude landed him in the fourth audition.
It was an emotional moment for Shivraj, who was given a role as a forensic specialist in a television series called ‘100 Centre Street’.
Even though he signed a contract, he wasn’t able to play that role. He was told that the Director had decided to cut that particular scene.
That’s when he truly realized how unpredictable the industry really was. He was not deterred though; he knew that he had to make it someday.
But, since he had already signed a contract, he had to be paid – and being paid meant that he was officially a part of the industry. This was a huge accomplishment for Shivraj. He made note of the fact that many people do the most bizarre things just to be a member of such a prestigious industry.
From then on, ‘Shiv’ gradually started to climb the ladder of success. He began working on the same sets as some of Hollywood’s superstars such as Brad Pitt, Will Smith, Bruce Willis, Alec Baldwin, Tina Fey, and many others – even though many times as just a background actor/performer.
He began acting in Hollywood movies and series like ‘The Smurfs’ in which he played the role as the cabbie. He played Bellhop #1 in ‘3 Backyards’; he was the character Rishi in hit series ‘We Are New York’. He also played August Wells in ‘Truth’. He was Raj in ‘Karma: A Love Story’. In the blockbuster television series ‘30 Rock’, ‘Shiv’ played the hot dog vendor. The episode was named ‘Fireworks’.
In addition to these, Shivraj also acted in a number of short clips.
These were all great opportunities for anyone with a passion for acting.
“There were born Americans who had all the requirements to enter the industry, but were never able to make it as far as I had gone. I couldn’t believe how blessed I was. But it is still so difficult to make a living in acting, a profession that is considered the most competitive in the world and has a 95% unemployment rate.
Although I was also looked down upon as being Guyanese, it did not matter to me. I was proud of what I had achieved.”
With that pride, ‘Shiv’ had the audacity to start informing his Directors about Guyana, its Geography and about its people. Many became impressed with his subtle, yet bold personality, not to mention his ability to act in any role.
When he finally caught a Director’s attention for a lead role – one of the biggest moments of his career – he realized that his Visa had expired. He did not want to take the risk of being embarrassed as an illegal immigrant, so he turned the offer down.
“Turning down a lead role in a demanding industry like Hollywood would be a nightmare for some, but I had to do it. It was probably the hardest decision of my life,” Shivraj recounted.
He eventually became a citizen of that country, and even though things were going satisfactorily in his career, he wanted more.
While deep in thought one day, ‘Shiv’ said that he started to think about young Guyanese like himself who would dream about having the celebrity life that he was still dreaming about, but could never have the opportunity.
So in his 40s, he made a huge, but conscious decision to give up his dream of achieving Hollywood recognition, and came back to entertain his “family” – the people of Guyana.
Although he was faced with the undying issue of piracy, ‘Shiv’ was determined to start making films here – providing young aspiring actors with meaningful paths.
That’s when he came up with the concept for ‘Till I find a place’. It was the first movie he had directed. It was a very skilled piece. Even the harshest of critics were appreciative of his talented acting and directing skills.
Despite having just one light and one camera, he was able to pull it off. He coached the actors, directed the show, and the movie was a hit.
Even though it received overwhelming feedback, Shivraj was not able to gain much profit from the production, as few original copies were sold – the rest were pirated and circulated worldwide.
This has continued with many of his local productions. Still, he has refused to give up. He is, however, hoping that the Government can frame out strategies and implement legislation which will help to cease piracy.
Some of his creations include the very popular comedy-‘Laugh till yuh belly buss’, ‘Text me’ and ‘A Jasmine for a gardener’, among others.
Shivraj has also directed over 30 plays, doing the set-design for all.
To date, he has acted in approximately 100 plays as well as on television and about 15 films. He is also a member of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists
After enacting the Bollywood film ‘Baghban’ in a play directed by Neaz Subhan, one critic even asserted that Shivraj’s performance reminded him of the Bollywood legend, Amitabh Bachchan.
While the now 54-year-old Shivraj is “still trying with a career” in the United States of America, his aim is to try his best to help build a thriving film industry in his homeland.
“I just completed shooting my third movie – ‘Brown sugar too bitter for me’ – with an all-Guyanese cast and featuring an all-Guyanese soundtrack.”
‘Shiv’ has promised to continue advocating for the local cause so that youths can have a chance to pursue careers in films – be it acting, directing or costumes.
“I have always done acting for the love of it. Love for the art and the craft. It was never for the show for me – even though that comes with it naturally. I sincerely hope that I can provide opportunities for young people in Guyana with the same desire.”

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