Saturday Matinee: Sikhlens Talks II

Saturday Host: Nikki Gill

Nikki Gill has spent her entire life in the world of film and television production. As a teenager, she began filming and editing videos while pursuing her Bachelor of Arts at York University. Today, Nikki serves IMC among the city’s preeminent postproduction facilities as its CFO. However, in a shop as diverse as IMC, responsibilities entailed so much more than crunching numbers. The company specialized in most facets of post and demanded a highly diversified skill set from its executives. It is evident that the loyalty and dedication she has given to the company is well reflected by the shop’s slate of top-name clients; CTV, CBC, Shaw, CP Rail, Discovery, MuchMusic, YTV, are merely a few. Nikki’s vast industry experience and passion for all forms of media are also serving her well as a talented Executive Producer for TV shows such as Fight Xchange. For over 35 years, Nikki has continued to work in filmmaking. Now, Nikki continues her passion for film as one of the MCs for this year’s Sihklens Art and Film Festival.

Anjum Dara – History and Introduction of Lahore Fort

Anjum Dara is a Curator and Historian in the Department of Archaeology, Government of Punjab. As a curator, he has served at the Lahore Fort Sikh Museum, Archaeological Museum at Harappa, and Archaeological Museum at Taxila. He has represented his department in various prestigious forums in Japan, South Korea, Turkey, Italy, and the United States keeping in view the background of the religious and political history of Sikhism and Buddhism. 

Dr. Robina Yasmin – Muslims Under the Rule of Ranjit Singh

Dr. Robina Yasmin is working in Islamia University of Bahawalpur. She did her Ph.D. at the University of the Punjab, Lahore, exploring the Muslim condition under Sikh rule. She has published seventeen articles on different subject matters in HEC recognized Journals. Her book entitled “Muslims Under Sikh Rule in the Nineteenth Century: Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Religious Tolerance” is going to be published by Bloomsbury from England. She has attended many national and international conferences presenting her papers, especially in the Sikh period.

Pawan Singh Arora – What We Missed: The Long-Forgotten Sikh Heritage in the Walled City of Lahore

Pawan Singh Arora is a Public Relations Officer in the Office of the Governor of Punjab, Pakistan. In this capacity, he additionally serves as coordinator for Minority Affairs within the office. He also works on religious and heritage tourism. Arora has worked as a creative writer, producing theatre plays, programs for television, and publishing articles regarding social awareness. He is a radio broadcaster and digital creator who owns a YouTube channel with millions of hits mostly about religious freedom and socio-cultural awareness. Arora is the first and only gazette officer from the Sikh community who has been widely published in Punjab. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business communication and commerce, a master’s degree in public relations and advertising, and an MPhil in gender studies and human rights from the University of the Punjab, Pakistan. As a Humphrey Fellow, Arora is interested in human rights and religious freedom. He hopes to expose the Punjab community to cultural and religious diversity for conflict resolutions and to promote peace, tolerance, and acceptance.

Harmeet Kaur – Telling Our Own Stories: Why We Need Sikhs in Journalism

Harmeet Kaur is a culture writer for CNN. She covers race, identity, and social justice. She is dedicated to telling stories about minority communities with sensitivity and nuance, whether through daily news stories or enterprise reporting. She is also a writer for CNN’s award-winning 5 Things newsletter.

Previously, Harmeet was a producer on the digital programming team. There, she helped readers make sense of the news through push notifications, worked with teams on headlines and story framing and curated homepages across platforms. She started her career at CNN in television production.

Harmeet is a graduate of Emory University, where she studied international affairs and journalism. Originally from the small town of Pikeville, Kentucky, she currently resides and works in New York City.