'This is really us': Family that runs bridal shop in Toronto's Little India featured in new CBC series

Canadians aregetting an inside look at the world of Indian weddings in all their sequined glory courtesy of a new CBC docu-series featuringa South Asian family that has runa bridal shopfor 37years.

For members of the Singh family, Bollywedshowcasesa Canadian immigrant family and the challenges of running an intergenerationalbusiness in Toronto's Little India.

The seriesfeatures Jatinder Pal Singh, known as Kuki, and his wife, Sarabjeet Singh, known as Sarab, along with theirtwo children Chandan and Chandni, and daughter-in-law Roop. Theyoperate Chandan Fashion on Gerrard Street East.

They say the series, which debutedon CBC TV onThursdayat 8:00 pm with back-to-back episodes for five weeks,shines a spotlight on their family, on fashion, on Indian weddings and on India itself.Episodes can bestreamed on CBC Gem.

"We want to tell the whole world what India is," saidSarab.

"I think we are doing a part of a community service also to show the whole world how India does its own weddings and what its culture is."

The Singh's store, which opened in 1985, sells wedding wear and party wear, as well as accessories for women and men.

Sarabsaid the show provides a glimpse into the workings of a family-run clothing store, highlightingthe different approaches by family members to running a business. She said old school methods meet new school ways in the show.

For their part, the younger members of the family saidit's important to remember the series depicts a real family.

'We're real people'

Chandan, the son,saidthe seriesfeatures a family that is "very relatable to a lot of people."

"As much as we look different, I think a lot of people will see the show and be like, 'Oh my gosh, my dad does this all the time to me,' or 'Oh my gosh, my mom is like this, totally,'"he said.

"You are going to see a lot of ... us on the show that is really going to be relatable because we're real people," Chandan added.

"We are not paid actors or actresses. This is really us. And we've been able to have the lovely opportunity to have a camera stuck in our store for six months and kind of just film us as we go about our everyday lives."

Chandni, the daughter,said:"It really is the perfect blend of family working together meets Bollywood fashion."

She added that her father has "spectacular fashion sense" and it's not surprising that he now has his own reality TV show.

"Customers would come in just to see what Mr. Singh is wearing today and then they'd go off to have dinner just down the street. I think Dad is one of the reasons why we have a show today."

Representation onCanadian TV important, son says

Chandansaid the show underlines how important it is to have representation onCanadian TV.

"Although we're super blessed now here in the suburbs, we have Brampton,Mississauga has exploded with aSouth Asianpopulation itwasn't like that when I was born here," he said.

"For me, I was born in Toronto, and for 12 years of my life, I went to one school.I was the only person in my whole school that was a Sikhand I didn't have anybody that looked like me ... And I'm sure if I saw someone like me on TV, I would have had a lot moreeasier childhood growing up than what I had," he added.

"To see someone on TV that looks different and that is in a prominent show like this, I think it will change people's lives."