Ragini Kapil

Ragini Kapil is a Vancouver-based writer, director, performer, and lifelong educator whose journey has always been shaped by story, resilience, and reinvention.

She comes from a powerful lineage of women. Her mother’s family were educational trailblazers in Fiji. Her mum, now 92, was an innovative special education teacher and most likely the first Indo-Fijian woman to earn a Master’s from UBC. A trailblazing visionary with a deep belief in every child’s potential, her mum remains Ragini’s greatest inspiration.

Growing up as the only Indo-Fijian family in Nelson and later the suburb of Kerrisdale, in Vancouver, Ragini often felt she didn’t quite fit—a name, a culture, and a colour that stood out, the brown egg in a box of whites. That outsider lens became her greatest strength: she became an observer, someone who saw stories and found the funny in everyday moments.

After marrying her mail order husband, and starting a family, she spent years as a joyful, creative teacher—bringing learning to life, making movies with students, and striving to reach every kind of learner. But being an administrator, as rewarding as it was to create a positive school culture, was also draining. Improv classes provided her with an outlet for creativity and solace where she could finally embrace her true nature. When her dynamic sister-in-law passed away after years of living boldly and battling cancer, Ragini knew it was time. She said ‘yes’ to herself. She left her career and enrolled in screenwriting school.

Then, her back was fractured, followed by a serious concussion, followed by a long, often solitary road of rehab and recovery. Finally healing, embracing the new “her,” Ragini relentlessly pursued her dreams of becoming a creative. She wrote and directed her first award-winning short film, All Kinds of Weather, a prequel to a feature film script she penned called Good Marriage Material, featuring a strong South Asian cast. She became a standup comedian and performed at Vancouver’s highly regarded Fringe Festival, Yuk Yuks and The House of Comedy.

Recently Ragini fulfilled a number of lifelong dreams by voicing the character of ‘Nani,” a recurring character on PBSKids’ Skillsville; narrating a biography for audible, creating a documentary, The Comedy Doula, about the process of becoming a comedian; and participating in devised theatre honouring her own and four other mothers called, Heirlooms and Baggage. She blended all of her skills while recently teaching English to brand new immigrants and refugees to Canada. On top of all of this, Ragini greatly enjoys playing grandma to her three granddaughters: another generation of strong women!

And she’s still saying ‘yes.’