Joginder S. Kalsi
Producer/ Director
Documentary-A Selfless Life

(Biography Bhagat Puran Singh of Pingalwara)

Professional Bio

Born in a Punjabi Village named Dhesian Sang Dist. Jallandhar, Punjab, India, Joginder Kalsi had his early education in his village and a small town school in Punjab. He completed his Mechanical Drafting training from I.T.I.Rohatk. After working as a Draftsman for Indian Railways, Joginder migrated to London in 1962 and later settled in Toronto in 1974.

He further studied in UK and worked as a Engineer. He was also a founding member of the Indian Cultural Society, Cultural Secretary for Ramgarhia Association, and a founder member of Rathmore Youth Centre. It was in 1956 he started photography. In 1968 he took film production course in UK.

Since coming to Toronto, Joginder has held positions in the Sikh Social and Educational Society, and become involved with CIC, a coalition of seven faiths developing a proposal for a TV network and its programming.

He completed a TV production course at Ryerson University in 1980, and along with Iqbal Mahal launched Rogers Cable’s first TV program in the Punjabi language. This program is still on Vision TV.

Since 2006 he is the also running a charitable trust with the help of village folks family and friends in his ancestral village, by providing a computerized library and computer Laboratory for the young people of his village and surrounding villages.

Today, Joginder Kalsi is President of Kalcine Enterprises Inc. His company has produced 6 documentary films: The Wedding Ceremonies (Two Hearts) 1998 for Vision TV depicting religious wedding ceremonies of Hindus and Sikhs; The Khalsa (The Saint Soldiers) 1999 depicting the Sikh History from Guru Nanak the 1st Sikh Guru to present times to commemorate the 300th birthday of the Sikh nation; Guru Granth Sahib (The Sikh Scriptures) depicting how this holy Granth plays part in daily life of a Sikh; and A Punjabi Village, depicting how villages are changing in the new globalized world, released in 2003, and The City of Amritsar describing the history of the holy city in 2006, to share it with children of South Asian descent, most of whom have never been to the Punjab, and to inform general public about Punjabi life.

Now in 2008 he is releasing A Selfless Life, Biography of a great Philanthropist Bhagat Puran Singh of Pingalwara. There are numerous books and films made on him but this documentary is told from the unusual point of view of the observations of Pyara, Bhagat Puran Singh’s severely disabled ward, whom he transported on his back for 14 years.