Salaam Namaste UAE: a TV salute to expat heroes

Karishma Fernandez tells The National about her TV show, Salaam Namaste UAE, which salutes the South Asians who make a real difference in the community.

Karishma Fernandez, left, presenter of Salaam Namaste UAE, with Mohit Bhojwani and Prakarti Lakhwani, founders of Shukran Workers. Courtesy IndiaCast

The UAE’s diverse South Asian community takes centre stage in a new television series that celebrates its contributions to society.

Salaam Namaste UAE, which is broadcast on Saturday nights on Rishtey Asia TV Channel, tells the stories of individuals who make significant contributions to the community, ranging from economic to cultural to social well-being.

It is presented by Indian radio host Karishma Fernandez, who says the programme aims to highlight the human side of long-term expatriate communities.

“Some of the people we meet have been here for more than 40 years and it’s important to realise what an important part of the economy and culture these people are and finally to be meeting them,” she says.

“We go behind the scenes and allow viewers to experience this and show how much these people feel at home here – and hopefully help viewers feel at home.”

Fernandez says about half of the 13-episode series, which began last Saturday, has been filmed and shooting continues.

She has clearly been moved by the individuals she has met.

“Every person we’ve met has put a really broad smile on my face and filled my heart with inspiration and joy,” she says.

"There's a young chef from Delhi, Himanshu Saini, who didn't really know where life was going to take him because he wasn't doing well in his studies – and in South Asia, your grades pretty much decide how people are going to treat you in everyday life," she says. "This young boy just followed his heart and is now a world-renowned chef – he's executive chef at Tresind at the Nassima [Royal Hotel] tower, Sheikh Zayed Road [in Dubai]. It's nice to hear a story like that." Salaam Namaste isn't only about career success stories. Community initiatives also feature prominently in the show.

“I met Gulshan Kavarana,” says Fernandez. “She’s had a baby with special needs and decided to create something not just for herself but for all the families who need support and information in similar situations. So she set up a charity, the Special Families Support Group.

“We’ve met some really solid people with solid stories, and each and every one is really close to my heart.

“The Shukran Workers, for example, realised how little thanks labourers and workers get for all their hard work and sweat, and just decided to go out and give them a bottle of water on a hot afternoon – and just make them feel loved.”

This week’s show will focus on Cherryn Kelly, the creator of Action Care, an organisation in Dubai that helps teachers and pupils through innovative educational resources in subjects such as health care and English.

“She has lost both her husband and son since she started Action Care,” says Fernandez. “But she was determined to keep doing the work she was doing because of its benefit to society – and also to stay connected with her husband’s ambitions, as he had originally worked with her on the programme.”

Saturday’s episode will also feature Paulita Hesketh, who gave up her full-time job to dedicate her life to rescuing animals.

“She feeds pets while owners are on holiday, too, and it just shows how different people have different callings,” says Fernandez. “We also met her mum, who loves baking. Whatever proceeds she makes from her baking go to the animals. They’re a great family.”

Salaam Namaste UAE also marks an achievement in Fernandez's career. An experienced radio presenter in India, the programme is her first TV hosting job in the Arabian Gulf region.

She says she is delighted to be fronting a show that she feels so deeply attached to.

“When the year began, I was talking to a friend and saying I was hoping to do some TV in the UAE, but I really wanted to do the sort of job that made me happy, not just read a few lines and go home,” she says.

“Out of the blue, four or five weeks later, this show came to me and I met them, and it was as if it was meant to be.

“I loved the idea of the show and now that we’ve shot a lot of it I’m so glad it’s not just another UAE TV show about glitz and glamour, because there is so much more than that.”

• Salaam Namaste UAE is broadcast on Rishtey Asia TV Channel on Saturdays at 8.30pm and Fridays at 2pm. It will also be shown on Colors TV Middle East on Fridays at 1pm