Issue 35: Toronto’s Rising Anti‑South Asian Hate—and Deval Soni’s journey as an immigrant creative ⚠️ 🤝  September 30th 2025

A Journey of Resilience: Deval Soni on His Roles, Racism, and the Creator Immigrant Experience

In a recent interview with Spinning Forward, actor, playwright, and content creator Deval Soni discussed his journey from India to Canada, where he studied theatre arts as an international student at Centennial College. Soni spoke about his role in the Canadian streaming series “Late Bloomer” as well as touring challenges of his new play, “Gaumukhi” (Cow). He reflects on his experiences with racism as a South Asian newcomer, and the resilience required to succeed as a creative in a country that feels less welcoming to immigrants than it once did. Soni’s story is important because it shows how a new generation of immigrant creatives are learning to overcome barriers and find belonging.

How did COVID help you become a content creator and lead to a job?

Deval Soni: The pandemic was a turning point for everyone, especially creators. When I was preparing to return to Canada after the lockdown period, I decided it was time to start something of my own. I picked up my phone, did some research on what kind of content was missing, and launched a YouTube channel creating videos in Gujarati about travel, food, and lifestyle in Canada. There was good appetite from Gujarati audiences since no one was creating content in Gujarati.

Through my online presence, I got a job at Centennial College as a social media content producer. They saw the momentum and they were like, "We have this position opening soon about a content creator for our college... why don't you join us in the team, and you'll get paid for it?"

Rising Racism is increasing in Canada

Spinning Forward: You mentioned a racist incident on the GO Train on your way to your play in Hamilton. What happened?

Deval Soni: We were going to Hamilton for one of our shows, me and my playwright co-writer and co-director, Kush Shah. We were just casually chatting in English, Hindi. And this one person on a GO train, who was nicely dressed, stopped, looked at us, and said 'English'. If it was 2019 [when I arrived in Canada], I would have not said anything. I've learned to speak up against racism now because it's really important to let them know this is wrong. I told the guy, "Hey, what's your problem? Do you want me to call the cops?"

Spinning Forward: What was it like acting in Season 2 of "Late Bloomer" on Crave, and why was the role meaningful to you personally?

Deval Soni: Season 2 highlights what's happening in Canada today, especially the housing crisis and challenges immigrants face. Two episodes dive into the lifestyle of a South Asian international student, showing their experiences working as an Uber driver and everyday struggles. Coming through that journey as an international student and facing racism myself, it was a perfect show for me to be in. I'm really proud of it. The show will make you question your assumptions about immigrants.

The challenges of touring his play

Source image: From the play, Gaumukhi (Cow)

Spinning Forward: What inspired you to create "Gomukhi" (Cow), and what does the play aim to communicate about social and political issues?

Deval Soni: It's a solo show about a cow set during the 1992 Bombay riots. India has tensions between Hindu and Muslim communities that political parties sometimes exploit, leading to violence. The story follows this period from a cow's perspective—since cows are religious symbols in Hinduism, how does the cow navigate these events? It's a coming of age story for a cow.

Spinning Forward: You’ve brought this show to Toronto, Hamilton, and Mississauga—how did the audiences differ, and what specific challenges did you face in Hamilton?

Deval Soni: The Toronto Fringe feels the most indie and diverse—you get all kinds of work, and as more newcomers arrive, the range of art keeps growing, which is great. Hamilton Fringe was tougher. Our audience there seemed thrown off; they didn’t expect a show that would be this uncomfortable or lean into political satire. A big challenge was context—many folks didn’t have much background on the communal tensions and what the country is dealing with, so meeting the piece where it lives was harder. As a theater maker, I don’t want to spoon‑feed or turn the work into a watered‑down, colonized version just to fit expectations. I’d rather invite audiences to experience what we’ve made and meet halfway—yes, I’ll offer some guidance, but I’ll protect the authenticity of the piece.

Spinning Forward: What advice would you give to creatives who are just starting out in the Canadian arts industry?

Deval Soni: If someone is just starting out, my advice would be breathe in and understand the industry. I have this strawberry and apple theory: if they're making a story about strawberries, they'll look for strawberries; if about apples, they'll look for apples. If you're a strawberry and they want an apple, that's not your concern—you're not an apple, you're a strawberry. When they make a film about strawberries, you apply and be the best strawberry you can be. It's not in your hands if you are getting rejected. It's not you, it's just the project that you are not the correct puzzle fit for.

You should also create your own work because it helps you showcase your skills without relying on others to give you opportunities. You have to have that business mindset and be a product that can be hired.