Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce celebrated a century of Indian cinema with its theme of First Day, First Show. In keeping with the theme, over 600 guests that comprised the who’s who of the Indo-Canadian community and a number of dignitaries were treated to a veritable feast of Bollywood masala that included songs and dances, re-enactments of memorable scenes from iconic movies.

And what has now become a hallmark of any ICCC event, the Winter Gala had an inexhaustible supply of sumptuous and delectable gastronomical delights that included the wok food of Mumbai’s streets, Italian and Chinese cuisines and the earthy home food of Punjab. The Host restaurant had prepared the food. The decor featured a Bollywood Wall in the lobby of the Pearson Convention Centre, Brampton, designed for guests to take pictures at, and was well received by one and all. 

Dignitaries at the event included several prominent political leaders such as Brampton’s Mayor Susan Fennell and a number of MPs, MPPs, and councillors from Brampton, Mississauga and other parts of the GTA. India’s Consul General Akhilesh Mishra was the guest of honour at the Gala, and he regaled the audience with his anecdotal speech, peppered with poetry.

The entertainment also featured stand-up comedy interludes by Ali Hasan, the popular South Asian comedian. His unique sense of humor and topical wit had the audience in splits and rolling down the aisles. The emcees for the evening, Francis D’Souza and Tammie Sutherland did a marvellous job of engaging the audience throughout the evening.

The highlight of the evening, of course, was the ICCC-Chanchlani Global Indian Cinema Award. When ICCC and CF joined hands to honour an eminent entity from the Indian entertainment sector for its maiden award, there was a quick unanimity on Eros International Ltd. The company occupies a unique place in the global entertainment sector. Ken Naz, President & CEO of Eros America accepted the award on behalf of Eros International. In his acceptance speech, Mr. Naz emphasized the vital role that entertainment played in bringing our two countries closer together than ever before.

At the end of the proceedings, guests enjoyed surprise song performances by our very own Jagdish Bajaj, ICCC’s Vice President and Director, Programs & Events, who captivated the audience with his melodious voice.

The Winter Gala - popularly known as the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC)’s Annual Holiday Dinner & Dance - is one of the Chamber’s marquee event and one of the most popular Indo-Canadian community events in the Greater Toronto Area.

In 2012, we celebrated our stars by honouring them. The theme was Recognizing Our Stars, and the Chamber bestowed the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medals to individuals who made a sterling contribution to the ICCC and to the Indo-Canadian community.

In 2011, the theme was Indian Railways – nothing exemplifies connectivity and linkages better than the Indian Railways. We recreated a Railway Station – replete with all the paraphernalia that is the quintessence of a station.

In 2010, we brought alive the bygone era of 1970s with the theme of Bollywood Rewind. The venue was draped with giant-sized billboards and movie posters, several screens played songs from that era; a real-life studio camera with the director’s chair gave our guests a feel of an era bygone but not forgotten.

In 2009, we celebrated with the theme of Royal Maharaja Motif. The royal theme was reflected in the ornate décor of the venue to the breathtakingly intricate medieval clothes that the guests adorned, and the specially recreated cuisine made for an evening that even overawed our Chief Guest for the evening, Federal Minister Jason Kenny.