THEY CALLED ME OSAMA

About the film

They Called Me Osama is a short documentary about Sikhi in America. It features first hand accounts of various victims ranging from hate crimes, cyber racism, to bullying. The film also aims to educate those unfamiliar with Sikhi, and includes many basic concepts that are often misperceived in post-9/11 America. 

About the filmmaker

They Called Me Osama was directed and produced by Maneetpaul. Funding was obtained through the University of Connecticut's IDEA grant program. The program allows for students to receive funding to plan and execute an independent project over the course of a semester(s) or summer. 

Maneetpaul graduated UCONN in December of 2015. He is currently pursuing a career in the digital media industry, and is always looking for new projects to work on. For more information, click here. 

Learn More about Sikhi

If you are interested in learning more, check out the following resources:

Basics of Sikhi

Basics of Sikhi was founded by Jagraj Singh, who is featured in the film. It has evolved over recent years into a YouTube channel and charity organization that focuses on spreading the message of Sikhi around the world. The YouTube channel features hundreds of videos that explain many topics Sikhi has to offer in different languages for anyone to understand.

The Sikh Coalition

Simran Jeet Singh, the narrator of the film, is a senior fellow at The Sikh Coalition. The coalition aims to protect the human rights of all individuals, but has had a strong focus on religious minorities, such as Sikhs. They have become the leading resource for Sikhs in all legal matters and public education in the United States.