Some error occured while loading the Quick View. Please close the Quick View and try reloading the page.
A Bollywood-infused romance stuck in the bureaucratic limbo of immigration
Neha and Himanshu are drowning in paperwork. After leaving Mumbai in pursuit of the Canadian dream, Neha’s repeated rejections for permanent residency have left the couple suspended in bureaucratic limbo. As forms pile up and questions grow more invasive, their relationship is put under the microscope—not only by immigration officers, but by each other. Flashbacks of their charming courtship collide with the emotional toll of visa purgatory, forcing them to question if love alone can keep them together.
An IMM-Permanent Resident is a hilarious and heartbreaking true story of resilience, partnership, and the universal desire to belong. Told by real-life couple Neha Poduval and Himanshu Sitlani, this candid romantic comedy takes audiences on an irreverent journey through the absurdities of the Canadian immigration system with biting humour, Bollywood flair, and unflinching honesty. A love letter to anyone who’s ever chased a dream, this tender portrait proves that true love knows no borders.
"Neha Poduval and Himanshu Sitlani, a husband-and-wife writing and performing team, have achieved the impossible: they’ve made a story about paperwork fun…Poduval and Sitlani have peeled away the layers of the visitor-visa-to-PR-pipeline, and rather than explicitly critiquing it, they’ve instead highlighted nuggets of humour nestled into an otherwise bleak process. It works. It so works."
–Aisling Murphy, Intermission
"If you’ve ever wondered how difficult it is to cut through the confusing red tape of the Canadian immigration process, An IMM-Permanent Resident will show you—and make you laugh a lot."
–Glenn Sumi, Now Toronto
Neha Poduval is a Dora Mavor Moore Award–nominated playwright and actor, with several feathers in her creative cap, having performed in various theatre plays, corporate films, and TV shows across India. A post-graduate in acting from the reputed Film and Television Institute of India, she continued her association with the performing arts since moving to Canada. Neha is also a certified yoga teacher and has been teaching yoga across various studios, community centres, and senior centres in Toronto. In 2021 she started her own YouTube channel called Mustard Tempered Dreams, where she shares her love for food through delicious, easy-to-make (mostly) vegetarian recipes from India and around the world.
Himanshu Sitlani is a Dora Mavor Moore Award–nominated playwright and performer. Originally from Mumbai, Himanshu has been deeply involved in supporting the creative arts in Canada. He currently serves as Managing Director at Native Earth Performing Arts while also pursuing his goal of building a bridge between creative artists in Canada and India. In 2021 he wrote and performed in the virtual show Stories of a Dish that was presented at the Mississauga Multilingual Fringe Festival; the Edinburgh Fringe; the Little Lion Theatre Festival in London, UK; the Tata Literature Live Festival in Mumbai, India; and the Next Stage Theatre Festival in Toronto.