Nav Bhatia's journey from newcomer to Raptors Superfan chronicled in new CBC doc

In a new highlight reel — er, documentary! — from CBC Gem, Raptors Superfan Nav Bhatia looks back on his odyssey from Canadian newcomer to pop-culture phenomenon, and how his trajectory mirrors that of his beloved Toronto Raptors.

Superfan: The Nav Bhatia Story, which premieres Dec. 3 at 9 p.m. ET, chronicles Bhatia's life, beginning with his immigration from India in the 1980s, when he said and his family were forced to flee the country following a military operation targetting Sikhs. 

But when he arrived in Canada in 1984, Bhatia says he had difficulty finding employment. And when he finally did get work, he endured racism at the hands of unhappy customers.

"They said they wanted to be served by a 'normal' salesman without a turban," Bhatia said in the film. He went on to become a successful car salesman and dealership owner.

In addition to his life as a superfan, the documentary explores Bhatia's nearly 40-year marriage to wife, Arvinder (or, as she's referred to in the doc, Mrs. Superfan).

It also examines how his devotion to the Raptors has impacted their relationship — Bhatia says he attended every Raptors' home game since 1995, the year the team first joined the league. That is, until the pandemic hit.  

WATCH | The trailer for Superfan: The Nav Bhatia Story:

In Superfan, Bhatia's underdog journey from a struggling outsider to a Canadian icon is parallelled with the journey of the Raptors themselves.

The team suffered during their first few seasons, settling in at the bottom rung of the Eastern Conference standings during the mid-90s and early 2000s before their stunning ascent to the NBA championship in 2019.

For Bhatia, who received a coveted championship ring when the Raptors won, the documentary came as a surprise.

"I didn't think there should be a movie made on me," he told CBC Sports. "I didn't think so."

WATCH | Nav Bhatia chats with CBC Sports about his new documentary:

But the 70-year-old businessman has amassed fans from all over Canada and the world, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, comedian Russell Peters and former NBA player Vince Carter.

In 2019, Bhatia became the first fan inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass.