Vekeana Dhillon
Vekeana Dhillon | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Delhi, India |
| Occupation(s) | Screenwriter, series creator, playwright, actor, television and radio presenter |
| Spouse | |
| Relatives | Vikram Dhillon (brother) |
Vekeana Dhillon is a screenwriter, series creator, playwright, television presenter, radio presenter and actress.
Early life and education
She was born in New Delhi, India and later her family migrated to Toronto, Canada. Raised in Alberta, Canada and went on to graduate with a Bachelor of Science from Simon Fraser University in British Columbia.
Career
Uncovidable[1] is the latest series Vekeana Dhillon has created and written based on her humorous and semi biographical account of her experiences during the COVID-19 lock-down. Season One of 21 episodes in English voiced by Mahira Kakkar[2] released on 23 June 2020 on the Amazon's Audible platform worldwide. Upon its success, the Hindi version of the series voiced by Rasika Dugal[3] released on 24 September 2020 on Audible.in and Audible Suno.[4]
Vekeana Dhillon has written the Virat Kohli animation superhero series Super V (2019-2020) for Disney+ Hotstar, Marvel HQ, Star TV Network, and Baweja Movies. It was directed by Puneet Sira and Season 1 premiered in over 70 countries on 5 November 2019 and went on to become the highest rated show in the animation bracket in India.
As a Series Creator she is writing several premium content shows that have secured placements on several major OTT platforms.
Vekeana is the creator and writer of The Great Punjabi Luv Shuv Story (2017) a series for Ekta Kapoor's digital channel Alt Balaji produced by Eyeline Entertainment.
Vekeana Dhillon has written the high end musical play Balle Balle (2017-2018) for Wizcraft International Entertainment, Directed by Viraf Sarkari.
She has had five feature films produced and released internationally among them being I - Proud To Be An Indian[5][6] (2004) Produced by Sohail Khan and Directed by Puneet Sira, Jai Veeru[7][8] (2009) Produced by Siddi Vinayak Movies, and Kisaan [9][10][11] (2009) again Produced by Sohail Khan and Directed by Puneet Sira, and Pinky Moge Wali (2012) Directed by Vikram Dhillon.
Additional feature film scripts include Ji Karda (Eyeline Entertainment) Director Vikram Dhillon. The remake of Kurbani[12][13][14] (FK International) and Hoshiyar Havaldar[15] (Mirchi Movies). Her screenplay Foot It,[16][17][18] a family/dance feature film, with Corus Entertainment / Rugged Media and a horror feature film for Telefilm Canada.
Dhillon's association with the entertainment industry was initially as an actor. Snip[19][20] (2000) was her first feature film in which she played the tenacious gossip driven Delnaz Readymoney, followed by shorts for MTV in leading roles in Love Ke Liye and One Tight Slap[21] which led to Bollywood Bound,[22][23][24][25] a National Film Board of Canada documentary-feature following the lives of Vekeana Dhillon, Vikram Dhillon, Neeru Bajwa and Ruby Bhatia as transplanted Canadians in the world of Bollywood. Vekeana was hired by Rupert Murdoch's Channel [V] where she became the face and personality of several shows that she hosted including the channel's prime-time slotted [V] Dares U[26] with co-host Yudi Urs and [V] Challenge[27][28] with brother Vikram Dhillon.
Vekeana parlayed her Bollywood experiences as a contributor and reporter for the BBC Asian Network (U.K.) where she did a two-year stint with her own weekly half-hour slot on the Nikki Bedi Show,[29] in addition to reporting for regional BBC stations in the UK. Vekeana shared her voice and news with the BBC World Service and BBC General News Service.
Personal life
She is the daughter of Lyricist Harcharan Dhillon and retired Environmental Health Officer Dyal Singh Dhillon. She's worked extensively with her producer/director brother, Vikram Dhillon, and currently lives in India with her husband, noted director/producer Puneet Sira whom she married in 2010.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Language | Genre | Designation | Producer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Pride and Prejudice[30] | Hindi | Audio Series | Executive Producer | The Foundry / Audible
Winner of "Best Audiobook Narration" Golden Mikes Radio & Audio Awards (2023). |
| 2022 | Sherlock Holmes Ki Romanchak Kahaniyan[30] | Hindi | Audio Series | Executive Producer | The Foundry / Audible
Winner of "Best Audiobook Narration" Golden Mikes Radio & Audio Awards (2023). Winner of "The Best Narration based on a Book" e4m Play Streaming Media Awards (2023) |
| 2022 | Kama Sutra[30] | Hindi | Audiobook | Executive Producer | The Foundry / Audible
Winner of "Audio Book of the Year" India Audio Summit & Awards (2022) |
| 2022 | Munshi Premchand's Karmabhoomi[30] | Hindi | Audiobook | Executive Producer | The Foundry / Audible |
| 2022 | Raat Hone Ko Hai | Hindi | Limited Animation Series | Created and Written by | The Foundry / Ishara TV |
| 2020 | Uncovidable - Hindi | Hindi | Original Audio Series (21 episodes)
(Literature Fiction) |
Created and Written by | Audible Suno |
| 2020 | Uncovidable | English | Original Audio Series (21 episodes)
(Literature Fiction) |
Created and Written by | Audible |
| 2019-2020 | Super V | Hindi/English | TV series (12 episodes)
(Superhero Animation) |
Screenplay and Dialogues | Disney+Hotstar, Marvel HQ, Star TV, Baweja Movies. |
| 2017-2018 | Balle Balle | English | Musical Play (Comedy) | Playwright | Wizcraft International Entertainment |
| 2018 | The Tape | Hindi | Feature Film (Horror) | Written by | Pentacles Cinevision Pvt. Ltd. |
| 2017 | The Great Punjabi Luv Shuv Story | Punjabi | Series (Comedy) (13 episodes) | Created and Written by | AltBalaji / Eyeline Entertainment |
| 2013 | Ji Karda | Punjabi | Feature Film (Drama) | Written by | Eyeline Entertainment
(Commission Script) |
| 2012 | Pinky Moge Wali | Punjabi | Feature Film (Comedy) | Screenplay | Batra Showbiz Productions |
| 2011 | Foot It | English | Feature Film (Family/Dance) | Written by | Jericho Beach Entertainment
(Commissioned Script) |
| 2009 | Kisaan[9][10][11] | Hindi | Feature Film (Drama) | Screenplay and Dialogues | Sohail Khan Productions |
| 2009 | Jai Veeru[7][8] | Hindi | Feature Film (Action) | Screenplay | Siddhi Vinayak Movies |
| 2007 | Go! Miss India | Hindi | Feature Film (Rom-com) | Written by | Mirchi Movies Ltd (Times Group)
(Commissioned Script) |
| 2006-2008 | Nikki Bedi Show | English | Radio (Weekly Bollywood Segment) | Host / Writer | BBC Asian Network (UK) |
| 2006 | Hoshiyar | Hindi | Feature Film (Comedy) | Written by | Mirchi Movies Ltd. (Times Group)
(Commissioned Script) |
| 2006-2008 | BBC World Service | English | Radio (News Contributor) | Reporter | BBC Radio (UK) |
| 2006 | Kurbani[12][13][14] | Hindi | Feature Film (Action) | Screenplay | F.K. International Pvt. Ltd.
(Commissioned Script) |
| 2006 | Mogaveera | English | Documentary Film | Narrator | Visual-Eyes Entertainment |
| 2005 | Hit | Hindi | Feature Film (Action Comedy) | Written by | UTV Motion Pictures / Prakash Jha Productions
(Commissioned Script) |
| 2004 | Maidaan | Hindi | Feature Film (Drama) | Written by | Neha Arts
(Commissioned Script) |
| 2004 | Havaldar Hans | Hindi | Feature Film (Action Comedy) | Written by | Miracle Movies
(Commissioned Script) |
| 2004 | I - Proud To Be An Indian[5][6] | Hindi | Feature Film (Drama) | Screenplay and Dialogues | Sohail Khan Productions |
| 2003 | Spiceboy | English | Feature Film (Comedy) | Screenplay | Miracle Movies
(Commissioned Script) |
| 2003 | Great India | Hindi | Feature Film (Action) | Written by | M.D. Productions
(Commissioned Script) |
| 2002 | Bollywood Bound | English | Feature Film (Documentary) | Herself | National Film Board of Canada
Director: Nisha Pahuja |
| 2002 | One Tight Slap | English | Short Film | Diva | MTV India - Director: Cyrus Oshidhar |
| 2002 | Love Ke Liya | English | Short Film | Queen | MTV India - Director: Cyrus Oshidhar |
| 2000 | Snip! | English | Feature Film | Delnaz Readymoney | Mercury Films - Director: Sunil Sippy |
| 1999-2000 | [V] Dares U | English | TV series | Host / Writer | Channel [V] Star TV Network |
| 1999-2000 | [V] Challenge | English | TV series | Host / Writer | Channel [V] Star TV Network |
| 1999-2001 | Live [V] Requests | English | TV series | Host | Channel [V] Star TV Network |
| 1999-2000 | Style Police | English | TV series | Guest Host | Channel [V] Star TV Network |
| 1999-2000 | Tea With [V] | English | TV series | Guest Host | Channel [V] Star TV Network |
| 1998 | BPL Oye! | English | TV series | Guest Host | Channel [V] Star TV Network |
| 1998 | Red Alert | English | TV series | Guest Host | Channel [V] Star TV Network (Hong Kong) |
| 1998 | By Demand | English | TV series | Guest Host | MTV India |
| 1998 | Tata Coffee | English | TV Commercial | Lead (Actor) | Far Productions - Director: Kailash Sundernath |
| 1998 | Pepsi Cola | English | TV Commercial | Lead (Actor) | Genesis Film Production - Director: Prahlad Kakkar |
| 1997 | Holy River | English | Theatre | Maya (Actor) | Work In Progress Productions. Director: Etienne Coutinho |
| 1997 | Vasvadata | English | Theatre | Vasvadata (Actor) | The Creators - Director: Janak Thoprani |
See also
References
- ^ Uncovidable.
- ^ "Mahira Kakkar |". Mahira Kakkar. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- ^ "Rasika Dugal: Movies, Photos, Videos, News, Biography & Birthday | eTimes". The Times of India. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
- ^ Jo bhi karo Audible Suno.
- ^ a b "I – Proud To Be An Indian : Complete Cast and Crew details". Bollywood Hungama. February 13, 2004. Archived from the original on June 30, 2008. Retrieved November 11, 2011.
- ^ a b "I - Proud to be an Indian". IMDb.
- ^ a b "Jai Veeru : Complete Cast and Crew details". Bollywood Hungama. March 13, 2009. Archived from the original on September 20, 2008. Retrieved November 11, 2011.
- ^ a b "Jai Veeru: Friends Forever (2009) - IMDb". IMDb.
- ^ a b "Kisaan – Cast, Crew, Director and Awards". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2012. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved November 11, 2011.
- ^ a b "Kisaan : Complete Cast and Crew details". Bollywood Hungama. August 28, 2009. Archived from the original on July 4, 2008. Retrieved November 11, 2011.
- ^ a b "Kisaan (2009) - IMDb". IMDb.
- ^ a b "Fardeen – Kurbani – AsianOutlook Forum". Asianoutlook.com. Archived from the original on April 2, 2012. Retrieved November 11, 2011.
- ^ a b "Feroz Khan's to start shooting for Kurbani by year-end". News.webindia123.com. June 15, 2006. Retrieved November 11, 2011.
- ^ a b Super Admin (June 16, 2006). "Qurbani remake announced at IIFA". Entertainment.oneindia.in. Retrieved November 11, 2011.
- ^ "Mirchi Movies to roll seven films, enters South". Businessofcinema.com. December 27, 2010. Retrieved November 11, 2011.
- ^ "Rugged Media". Rugged Media. Archived from the original on April 25, 2012. Retrieved November 11, 2011.
- ^ "Press Release – CORUS ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES FUNDING FOR 19 CANADIAN FILMS". Corusent.com. Retrieved November 11, 2011.
- ^ Your Name (this will appear with your post) (July 8, 2009). "Corus Announces Recipients of Corus Made with Pay Fund | Broadcaster – Canada's Communications Magazine". Broadcastermagazine.com. Retrieved November 11, 2011.
- ^ "Snip!". IMDb.
- ^ "Snip – Starring Archana Puransingh, Makrand Deshpande, Nadira, Nikhil Chinappa, Noor Mohammed, Saurabh Shukla, Shiv Subramaniam, Sohrab Ardeshir, Sophiya Haque, Vekeana Dhillon. Snip's box office, news, reviews, video, pictures, and music soundtrack". Ibosnetwork.com. December 8, 2000. Retrieved November 11, 2011.
- ^ MTV Desi (August 11, 2006). "One Tight Slap – Actress | MTV Desi | Latest Updates and Videos | Exclusives, Music, Film & Bollywood, Celebs and Fashion". MTV Desi. Retrieved November 11, 2011.
- ^ "Vekeana Dhillon - Actor - Cornerhouse". www.cornerhouse.org. Archived from the original on August 8, 2007. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
- ^ "Les asiatiques dans les médias | Mag, news, actu, jeux, let's play en folie avec notre amie l'asiatique !".
- ^ "Documentary Highlights Bollywood-Bound South Asian Canadians" (PDF).
- ^ "Bollywood Bound (2002) - IMDb". IMDb.
- ^ "[V] Dares U". IMDb.
- ^ "[V] Challenge". IMDb.
- ^ "Metrofeature". Archives.digitaltoday.in. September 13, 1999. Retrieved November 11, 2011.
- ^ "Asian Network Programmes – Nikki Bedi, 14/07/2008". BBC. July 14, 2008. Retrieved November 11, 2011.
- ^ a b c d Audible.com | Try Audible Free Today.