09/16/2025
Meet Harbaldeep Singh, an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and the visionary founder of Nishkam Media (www.nishkam.tv)— a groundbreaking initiative that empowers Sikh youth to become storytellers, leaders, and cultural ambassadors. By combining media training with Sikh values, Harbaldeep is tackling the global underrepresentation of Sikhs in film and television—while equipping the next generation with the creative tools and confidence to shape narratives, challenge stereotypes, and amplify their voices on the world stage.
Originally from the telecom industry, Harbaldeep left a successful career in tech to pursue an MFA in Film and Television Production, fueled by a passion for storytelling and a compelling question: why don’t we see Sikh or Punjabi stories on the world stage? His path into filmmaking grew clearer after two key events—the 2012 Oak Creek Gurdwara attack and the 2015 Turban Myths study, which revealed widespread ignorance about Sikhs in America. These moments solidified his mission: to tell authentic Sikh stories with bravery, clarity, and creative excellence.
In 2016, he launched Nishkam TV to train Sikh youth in visual storytelling—a powerful gap in traditional Sikh education. While many young Sikhs learn history, language, and music, few are taught how to express their identity through media. Nishkam Media bridges this divide, teaching filmmaking, media literacy, and leadership skills across the U.S., all grounded in Sikh values like Seva, Chardi Kala, and Sarbat da Bhalla.
Under Harbaldeep’s guidance, students have created over 20 short films, three documentaries, and several talk shows that resonate far beyond the Sikh community. Highlights include: Declaration of a Revolution, a bold documentary on the Indian Farmers’ Protest, screened at 21 international festivals, and winner of 10 awards. SEVA, a portrait of Sikh humanitarian efforts during COVID-19, now streaming on PBS WORLD, and Baywatana, a searing exploration of the persecution of Afghan Sikhs and Hindus, premiered at the Parliament of World Religions, and was an official selection at leading festivals including Sikhlens, the Sikh International Film Festival of New York, and the India International Film Festival of Boston 2025, where it received an Honorable Mention out of 80 films submitted. The film has since been screened at over 50+ venues worldwide, including prestigious institutions such as Harvard University. These films are more than creative projects—they are instruments of social change and cultural visibility.
Over the past nine years, Nishkam Media has mentored over 200+ Sikh youth. Alumni have gone on to study at institutions like Harvard, NYU, Princeton, and UPenn, entering fields such as neuroscience, marketing, and computer science—carrying with them not just technical skill, but confidence, clarity, and purpose.
In 2024-2025, Harbaldeep directed Season 1 of Kaur and Singh Vaad Vivaad, a youth-led televised Sikh debate series, produced with Jus Punjabi TV and now available as a 14-part YouTube series. In the summer of 2025, he led six intensive filmmaking workshops across California and New Jersey, training 103 students who produced five powerful short films rooted in Sikh teachings now available on Nishkam Media's YouTube channel.
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