Twenty years of being a “coconut” has caught up to Nawaaz, who’s crashed into a dual crisis of identity and faith. Divine intervention sends him a musical Guru, who guides him on a journey towards self-acceptance and love. Directed by Tiffany Wu, bol, brown boy, bol offers a rich musical landscape merging Indian classical music with 90s Bollywood nostalgia, grunge, rap, and hip hop. Weaving storytelling with the rhythms of tabla, creator and performer Nawaaz speaks up about the impact of Canadian racism on his identity and shares his story of finding his way back to himself.

Winner of the 2024 North (519): Best of Toronto Fringe Award, bol, brown boy, bol is a cheeky, heartfelt solo show about Nawaaz's journey of reclaiming his voice and cultural inheritance through learning tabla, a northern Indian percussion instrument.

Come for the story, stay for the chai, leave feeling seen. 

Believed in by Inspirit Foundation’s inaugural 2025 New Narratives Fund.