Deana Uppal

Deana Uppal is an entrepreneur, filmmaker, and philanthropist. Her upbringing was modest, she grew up in a small village in North Yorkshire,UK, then moved to the West Midlands at the age of 14. She was born to an Indian mother, and having lost her father at a young age; she learned the importance of hard work and self-reliance early on in life.

Deana holds a black belt in karate, has a degree in Marketing and PR, and is also a notable alumni of the London Film Academy.

At the age of 21, Deana made the bold decision to move to Mumbai, India, on her own to pursue a career in film. It was here where she was first exposed to extreme poverty, which profoundly impacted her. While she gained experience working on various films, winning the title of Miss India UK, being in some of the most popular tv shows such as Big Brother and Celebrity Fear Factor to name a few, she soon realised that she wanted to use her skills and talents to create meaningful content that would make a positive impact.

Deana went on to produce, direct and host a documentary on the nomadic tribes of Rajasthan. In order to gain a comprehensive understanding of the community’s struggles, she spent six months living among them in their remote villages, fully immersing herself in their culture. The documentary helped bring attention to the various issues plaguing the nomadic tribes, and as a result, the government took action to address them. The documentary is available on platforms Netflix and Discovery Channel.

Additionally, Deana served as the executive producer of the film Jind Mahi and Sidhus In Southall released in cinemas worldwide.

Besides Deana’s film production ventures, she also has businesses in the beauty and property industry. However, deep down, she always knew that when the time was right, she would start a charitable trust that could help and support poverty struck communities. That has always been her dream.

Finally, when the time was ripe, Deana founded DKU Kindness Diaries Trust. Establishing a charity in India is a cumbersome task. However, soon, with an office in Jaipur, and a dedicated team, Uppal’s charity quickly grew from strength to strength. Deana decided to launch spefically in Jaipur because it was a city that touched her heart, she found the people living there extremly kind and she knew it was the right place to build a strong team of helpers to help build the charity.
Deana frequently visits the communities the charity serves and derives pleasure from providing inspiration and guidance to the young. She is especially passionate about empowering young women by imparting important knowledge on personal safety.

As a self-made woman, Deana believes that the long-term cure to poverty lies not in reliance on donations but rather in providing access to education and enabling individuals to attain dignified work to achieve self-sufficiency.