Nova Scotia TV show finds comedy in Indian immigrant experience

A new television show is exploring the humourous side of the immigrant experience in Atlantic Canada.

“Normal Scotia,” co-created by Amarpal Dhillon and Charles Wahl, centres on a pair of Indian immigrants who recently arrived in the Maritimes.

“The show is a comedy, but it’s sort of like a double ‘fish out of water’ in that it’s Indian immigrants in the Maritimes trying to figure out the Maritimes while the Maritimes are also trying to figure out the Indian immigrants while trying to be polite and cordial with each other as well,” Dhillon said.

Wahl and Dhillon drew from their personal experiences to craft the show.

“Amarpal and I both grew up children of immigrants to Canada,” Wahl said. “This country’s so open to people…but, like, we can all have our own flavours here.

“There is so much humour in that specificity.”

Aside from making people laugh, the creators hope the show brings cultures together.

“A lot of it is just understanding different cultures,” Dhillon said. “Some of us grew up over there, but when we you bring us together, we are mostly the same and the differences between (are) mostly just funny.

“We just try to keep things light, we try to keep things open minded, and that’s a great way to live your life, let alone just watch a TV show.”

“Normal Scotia” is available on Fibe TV, Channel 1 or the Fibe TV app.

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