TCI Talks: Uppekha Allani on Heritage

This is the first in our Q&A series, TCI Talks, where we sit down with a Third-Culture Individual to explore what it means to grow up between cultures and spaces. 

Uppekha Allani is a Canadian-born actress, former Miss India Worldwide Canada, and the co-founder of Goddess On The Grind Productions. Raised across the GTA, she later spent nearly a decade in Mumbai, where she built a successful career in television, including her breakout role in Saath Nibhana Saathiya. 

What kind of Third Culture individual are you?

I’m the definition of a Third Culture hybrid, if that’s a thing. My grandparents have called the GTA home since the late 1960s. My mom grew up in Scarborough and studied at York. When the “When-are-you-getting-married?” talk began, she escaped to India and eloped with her childhood sweetheart. I was born there, but before I could even walk, we had already returned to Toronto. I grew up in Scarborough, Ajax, Mississauga and Brampton. In my twenties, I moved to Mumbai for nearly a decade. That experience grounded me in my roots, while also showing me just how Canadian I am. I’m a Toronto girl with an Indian heartbeat.

How do food, music, language, celebrations or rituals play a role in keeping cultural memory alive for you?

For me, culture lives in the everyday. It’s in the incense I light each morning and the soft Om chants that lull my baby to sleep at night. It’s in the music that fills my room while I get ready, the effortless switch between languages in conversation, and the homemade dishes my mum sends that fill my fridge—and heart—with comfort. It’s even in the suhaag ke choodiyan (wedding bangles) that grace my wrists, which are a quiet reminder of love, tradition and continuity.

What traditions do you hope to preserve or start for your children?

I hope to raise my son with a deep appreciation for his Indian heritage and genuine pride in being Canadian. Both identities are integral to who we are. I want him to feel that one doesn’t have to exist at the expense of the other. My goal is to keep building traditions that honour both—celebrating Diwali with the same joy as Christmas and always keeping our cultural stories alive at home.

How has growing up across multiple cultures shaped what “home” or “heritage” means to you?

Growing up across multiple cultures has completely redefined what home and heritage mean to me. Home is not tied to geography; it’s a feeling that travels with me.

I’ve had the privilege of being shaped by the best of both worlds: the warmth, vibrancy, and deep-rooted traditions of India, and the openness, diversity, and freedom of expression that define Canada. That blend has made my sense of identity feel rich and textured, shaping every aspect of who I am.  My Indian culture, especially, is something I’m deeply in love with—the traditions, the spirituality, the way community and family are woven into everything. It’s taught me resilience, grace, and the importance of staying rooted, no matter where I am.

Living between cultures has taught me adaptability, empathy, and the art of belonging everywhere and nowhere at once. My heritage isn’t something I visit; it’s something I carry. It’s in the way I celebrate Diwali under Toronto’s skyline or the way I connect with people. It’s layered, evolving, and deeply mine. It’s not about choosing one over the other – it’s about experiencing how beautifully they co-exist.

Can you describe a tradition from your heritage that you feel especially connected to this time of year? What makes it meaningful to you?

I’ve always felt a deep connection to Christmas, which we celebrated joyfully in our home, surrounded by family, laughter, and music. My grandparents and my mother, who attended a convent school run by Irish nuns, grew up with Christmas. My grandmother would lead the carol singing, my mother would stage nativity plays, and we’d all gather around a glowing tree, make ornaments and popcorn on a string. The only Indian thing about the celebration was our full vegetarian Christmas dinner. Santa would even come and visit at the larger get-togethers (one of the uncles dressed as a brown Santa; it would send all of us kids into endless laughter). Those moments hold a special magic for me; Christmas has always been less about religion and more about connection, warmth, and coming together.

From my heritage, it would have to be Diwali. Growing up, I’d describe it to friends as “our Christmas,” but it wasn’t until I lived in India that I truly understood its brilliance. The streets are alive with diyas, the month-long revelry, the constant visits to each other’s homes for card parties, each home scented with sweets and incense, and a collective sense of renewal and joy—it’s a celebration that reaches deep into the soul. Diwali taught me about light in every sense: how to seek it, share it, and hold on to it when things feel dim.

Both celebrations, though worlds apart, share the same heartbeat—family, gratitude, and love. The rituals may differ, but the essence remains the same. Whether it’s the twinkle of fairy lights or the glow of diyas, what stays with me is that same feeling of belonging, warmth, and togetherness.

How do you balance preserving traditional practices from your “home” cultures alongside integrating practices from the places you’ve been?

It’s never been about choosing one culture over another; it’s about blending them in a way that feels natural and authentic. I’ve learned that tradition doesn’t have to be rigid; it can evolve with you.

I grew up with Indian rituals, values, and spirituality woven into daily life. Still, I’ve also absorbed so much from the places I’ve lived—from the individuality and openness of Canada to the cultural vibrancy and creative pulse of Mumbai. I love listening to Bollywood music while getting ready for a night on the town, or starting my mornings with my mom’s concoction of nimbu paani—an old Ayurvedic blend of lemon, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves—coupled with a few moments of meditation before diving into a busy, very Toronto day.

The balance comes from intention. I hold on to what grounds me—family, faith, celebration—but I also make space for the new. My life feels richer because of it. Culture isn’t something I preserve; it’s something I live. Fluid, evolving, and entirely my own.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.