Uppekha Jain

Uppekha Jain is a Canadian actress, model, TV anchor, writer, dancer and spoken word artist. She is the first Canadian to essay a permanent role on prime time Indian television, in Star Plus' top rated soap opera Saath Nibhaana Saathiya. She played the conniving, NRI daughter-in-law, Monika Modi, bent on creating havoc in the Modi household from early 2016 to mid-2017. Uppekha is also internationally known for her viral video #Rap Against Rape (a spoken word rap she wrote & performed), that created Worldwide waves shaming rape culture in India. Uppekha was crowned Miss India Worldwide Canada in 2008 and went on to bag the 1st princess Miss India Worldwide title in 2010.

In 2016 Uppekha bagged the permanent cast role on Star Plus's long-running hit soap opera Saath Nibhana Saathiya. Her conniving yet fashionable character of Monika Modi struck a chord with audiences and the mother-in-law + daughter-in-law "jodi" with co-star Lovey Sasan became widely popular. In March 2017 though, both Lovey and Uppekha decided to quit the show. According to sources, Jain was not happy with the track of her character.

In 2015 Uppekha wrote, co-produced and performed in a YouTube video entitled #RapAgainstRape that garnered international acclaim from top publications including The Huffington Post, The Wall Street Journal, NRI Tribune, Cosmopolitan and a host of other publications as well as news shows. The video slammed misogyny and the regressive mindset still present in India while bringing awareness to the atrocities women face and including rape, assault and hypocrisy in India.

Uppekha Jain was born in a Jain family in Jammu. She grew up in the Greater Toronto Area and though studious, she was always encouraged to explore the arts. Jain is an accomplished kathak and bharatnatyam dancer, having performed across the world as a Company A dancer with Toronto's finest Classical Indian Dance Institute Sampradaya Dance Creations, under the tutelage of the renowned Lata Pada. Jain spent her teenage years in Mississauga enrolled in the International Business & Technology program at Gordon Graydon Memorial Secondary School and later transferred to The Woodlands School. She graduated high school at the top of her class and was admitted into the BBA program at Wilfrid Laurier University. After graduating with honours, Uppekha was hired as an Associate Brand Manager at Cadbury Adams, where she worked for just over a year before quitting her promising corporate career to pursue her passion for the arts. While working at Cadbury, Uppekha continued to perform with her dance group and also enrolled in various acting courses including with Toronto's renowned Sear's & Switzer Acting School. It was at that time she won the Miss India Worldwide Canada and Miss India Worldwide 1st Princess titles in 2008, 2009. She also went home with the titles of Miss Beautiful Smile & Miss Talented. Soon after came a role in the Mike Myers and Jessica Alba-starrer The Love Guru. Following which, she acted in various commercials in the GTA. But Mumbai called and Jain packed her bags and moved to the City of Dreams in 2011.