Writer-Director R. Paul Dhillon’s Documentary On Activist Harsha Walia To Air This Saturday On OMNI Television

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This week’s film features well known Indo-Canadian activist Harsha Walia, which airs on Saturday, February 20 at 3 pm. Walia personifies what it means to be a political activist, someone not afraid to put herself in the eye of the storm. She is also a gifted writer, researcher and facilitator, who is formally trained as a lawyer. She has been active in a variety of social justice issues over the past decade including feminist, anti racist, migrant justice, Palestine solidarity, Indigenous self-determination, anti capitalist, anti poverty, and South Asian Diaspora.

VANCOUVER – Well known Vancouver-based filmmaker and award-winning journalist R. Paul Dhillon’s much anticipated documentary series Reflections: South Asian Stories, an 8-week series which explores the fascinating men and women behind the success stories and news headlines, has begun airing on OMNI Television stations across Canada.

This week’s film’s features well known Indo-Canadian activist Harsha Walia, which airs on Saturday, February 20 at 3pm.

Walia personifies what it means to be a political activist, someone not afraid to put herself in the eye of the storm. She is also a gifted writer, researcher and facilitator, who is formally trained as a lawyer. She has been active in a variety of social justice issues over the past decade including feminist, anti racist, migrant justice, Palestine solidarity, Indigenous self-determination, anti capitalist, anti poverty, and South Asian Diaspora.

The Reflections series is produced by Dhillon, MMM Films with Bobby Nagra serving as an executive producer. The first show in the series called Moe Sihota – Feared And Desired aired last Saturday (Dec. 19) and the rest of the seven shows airs every Saturday, concluding Feb. 6 with For The Love Of My Mother Tongue, Dhillon’s ode to his mother tongue Punjabi.

“To explore the colourful characters and unsung heroes who work hard, with sweat and tears, behind the scenes to show the many facets of the vibrant and thriving South Asian and Punjabi community is what motivated me to write, direct and produce the series,” said Dhillon.

Reflections features a number of prominent figures from BC who are also internationally renowned, including history-making politician Moe Sihota and champion wrestler and now MMA champ Arjan Bhullar, whose story The Heart Of A Champion is featured this Saturday (Dec. 26) on OMNI BC at 3pm.

The other subjects featured in the hour long documentaries include activist super-cop Kal Dosanjh (this film will conclude the series next week with a final episode on February 30), moderate Sikh leader Bikramjit Singh Sandhar, business elites Peter Dhillon (Richberry Group), venture-capitalist Hari Varshney, Tony Singh (Fruiticana), Parminder Singh (formerly with Microsoft) and builder Daljit Thind and others in a special business doc The Millionaires.

Award-winning actress Balinder Johal is featured in The Thespians, which looks at local working actors. Other local actors showcased in the documentary include Leena Munro and Munish Sharma, the famed comedy duo from the belly-hurting laugh-fest I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Chicken show. Other working actors featured in the doc about working South Asian actors include veteran Parm Soor, brother-sister acting-duo Veena and Manoj Sood, Agam Darshi, Sandy Sidhu, Mannu Sandhu and others.

Writer-director Dhillon’s personal favorite from the series is his ode to his mother tongue Punjabi called For The Love Of My Mother Tongue, which features the who’s who of Punjabi language icons like Sikh historian and Renaissance man Harinder Singh of Panjabi Digital Library, writer-poet Gian Singh Kotli, writer-Sikh historian Raghbir Singh Bains, teacher-historian Sadhu Binning, entrepreneur Barj S. Dhahan (Dhahan International Punjabi Literature Prize) writer-activist Balwant Sanghera (PLEA), Punjabi music star Balvir Boparai, radio-star Lady B and Punjabi journalist Gurpreet Lucky Sahota.

“I felt many of these individuals, some who rarely get the recognition, deserve the recognition for hard work and dedication to improving the social, cultural and political fabric of our communities and our nation,” added Dhillon, who has written, produced and directed over two dozen documentaries and television shows as well as the feature 9/11 themed film Sweet Amerika, starring Bollywood veteran Gulshan Grover.

Reflections – South Asian stories follows Dhillon’s music series Bhangralicous and his highly successful documentary on Bhangra music tiled The Bhangra Generation, which also aired on OMNI Television and has enjoyed a very long and successful run across Canada.

Punjabi versions of the Reflections series will air at a later date and these English ones will be repeated on OMNI and online on their website throughout the year.

Here are broadcast airdates for the Reflection: South Asian Stories shows on OMNI across Canada. Some have already aired and others are airing until February 27.

Dec. 19 Moe Sihota – Feared And Desired (3pm on OMNI BC, 4 on OMNI Alberta & 6pm on OMNI Ontario)

Dec 26 – Bikramjit Singh Sandher – Keeping The Faith  (3pm on OMNI BC, 4 on OMNI Alberta & 6pm on OMNI Ontario)

Jan 2 – Harsha Walia – Pricking The Conscience (3pm on OMNI BC, 4 on OMNI Alberta & 6pm on OMNI Ontario)

Jan 9 – Kal Dosanjh – The Personification Of Integrity, Truth And Justice  (3pm on OMNI BC, 4 on OMNI Alberta & 6pm on OMNI Ontario)

Jan 16 – Arjan Bhullar – The Heart Of A Champion (3pm on OMNI BC, 4 on OMNI Alberta & 6pm on OMNI Ontario)

Jan 23 – The Thespians – For The Love Of Art (3pm on OMNI BC, 4 on OMNI Alberta & 6pm on OMNI Ontario)

Jan 30 – The Millionaires – Building Business Success  (3pm on OMNI BC, 4 on OMNI Alberta & 6pm on OMNI Ontario)

Feb 6 – For The Love Of My Mother Tongue – Keeping Punjabi Alive (3pm on OMNI BC, 4 on OMNI Alberta & 6pm on OMNI Ontario)

Feb 13 – Bikramjit Singh Sandher – Keeping The Faith  (3pm on OMNI BC, 4 on OMNI Alberta & 6pm on OMNI Ontario)

Feb 20 – Harsha Walia – Pricking The Conscience (3pm on OMNI BC, 4 on OMNI Alberta & 6pm on OMNI Ontario)

Feb 27 – Kal Dosanjh – The Personification Of Integrity, Truth And Justice  (3pm on OMNI BC, 4 on OMNI Alberta & 6pm on OMNI Ontario)

Show Times for All Docs

OMNI 2 (Ontario) at 18:00 (6pm)

OMNI BC at 15:00 (3pm)

OMNI ALB at 16:00 (4pm)