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On-Air Names: Naz Sohni Uppal, DJ Naz, DJ Ayesha, The Bollywood Girl, Western Canada’s Bollywood and Punjabi Entertainment and News Expert, You’re Go-To-Girl For All Things Bollywood
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Hi. I’m Naz Sohni Uppal, also most well known as Edmonton’s Bollywood Girl! Aka: Western Canada’s Bollywood and Punjabi Entertainment and News Expert. Aka: You’re Go-To-Girl For All Things Bollywood. But I am so much more than that! First, I am the nicest girl you will ever meet! I am street smart, educated, funny, entertaining, and everyone’s best friend. I know about the world. And I’m a queen. Interpret that as you wish, to me it means no other South Asian Canadian has done what I’ve done on-air. It means my work is special.
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Naz Sohni Uppal is a household name in the city of Edmonton and beyond; starting her radio career in 2006 and her television career in 2012. She – is a successful Radio and Television Personality and Producer who has worked on programs airing across Canada in both Alberta and Ontario, specializing in Culture, Community, the Arts, and Entertainment. She has worked for multiple television and radio stations, including OMNI TV, CityTV, and 101.7 FM for a weekly cultural news program, an entertainment news program, and daily variety news program. And she has performed in multiple platforms, creating content in print, radio, television, a national wedding magazine, the web, and social media. Her most celebrated radio project has been her series production, Ramadan Moments. She has always been very passionate about chasing her dreams, and has had the privilege of meeting many of the most famous Bollywood and Punjabi celebrities and artists while she was just in her early 20s. As a young adult, she was always back stage at every concert that flew through Edmonton.
Media is a crowded and competitive space, but Naz’s unique perspective offers quality stories that reflect our multicultural landscape. Naz strives to breakthrough barriers to be a journalist that empowers BIPOC Canadians every single day. She has a deep love and appreciation for South Asian and BIPOC cultures. She credits her passion for diverse storytelling as playing a pivotal role in her success. She is not just a producer, she is a change-maker.
Naz is extremely creative. She enjoys the creative process starting with research and a rough draft, working towards a finished product, and seeing the end results. She can shoot, write, edit, and produce stories. She can also host, anchor, and present. For her, nothing is impossible.
Naz moved to St. Albert, Alberta at the age of 11 and she is now based in Edmonton. But she has lived in multiple cities including: Montreal (QC), Winnipeg (MB), St. Albert (AB), Colorado Springs (CO), and finally Edmonton (AB). As a very active member of the community, she is passionate about giving back and has volunteered: as WiR Liaison, Program Co-Chair and Executive Board Member (Canadian Authors Association); by speaking at author conferences; by speaking at Career Days; as a writer in schools; and by performing storytelling. Naz also mentors young people in her free time.
Naz is the founder of a series of short stories about what it’s like growing up South Asian in Edmonton. The series is called Summayah’s World; she writes, presents in schools, and is working towards directing the series. She is also the key founder of a drama club for South Asian teens in which students workshop these stories. The awards Naz has won include: Top 40 Under 40 Award (Edmonton); Excellence in Radio (Canadian Ethnic Media); Excellence in Print (Canadian Ethnic Media); Heritage Hero Award (CTV Television and Edmonton Heritage Festival); and she was honoured with a seat plaque in Triffo Theatre, Allard Hall, MacEwan University. In her spare time, Naz enjoys travelling to bucket list locations, playing badminton, and is an avid outdoor adventure-seeker.
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