Pakistani actor Nadeem Butt has been in Bradford filming an Asian TV soap opera, and now hopes to perform at the Bollywood Oscars events being held in the city next month.
Nadeem works in Pakistan as an actor and model and has starred in Lollywood - the Pakistani equivalent of Bollywood - movies.
He has spent recent weeks in Bradford filming pilot episodes of family drama Angun, meaning Sweet Home, made by a collective of local Asian actors called Vision Creative. The soap will be shown on DM Digital channel 817, broadcast from Sky. Filming has taken place at locations around Bradford, including Lister Park, and Ilkley.
"The show is about different generations of a family and reflects the experiences of many British Asians," says Nadeem. "There is a very different generation growing up now, compared to those who first came over to live here. Increasing numbers of young people are getting into the drug culture and there is conflict between parents and children, we explore that in the drama."
Nadeem stars alongside Bradford actor Mohammed Rafique in the show. "We perform the stories of our lives," says Mohammed, whose acting credits include the recent film Mischief Night, set on a Leeds council estate, Channel 4 nursing drama No Angels, Asian medical soap opera Kismet Road and Into the War Zone, Bradford playwright Karl Dallas' play about human war shields in Iraq. "A lot of parents are upset at the way their children are taking on aspects of western culture and feel like they can't communicate with them anymore. They feel like they have lost them.
"Television drama is an effective way of getting a message across, particularly to those communities affected by the issues we raise.
"If the pilot show is a success it will be made into a TV series. It's a great experience for local actors."
Last year Nadeem performed in a play called Laadli Aulaad, which translates as Lovely Children, about life in Bradford.
He is keen to get involved with the Indian International Film Academy awards, known as the Bollywood Oscars, which are being held in five Yorkshire cities, including Bradford, in June.
Around 30,000 visitors are expected to pour into Yorkshire for the huge celebration of Indian cinema, beamed to a global audience of 500 million.
"Pakistani and Indian actors are working together now and it would be great to have the opportunity to dance at the Bollywood Oscars - the biggest event of its kind to come to Britain," says Nadeem. "It's a fantastic promotion of Asian cinema and culture."
It is the first time ever that Yorkshire has hosted the awards. The glittering four-day event starts with the world premiere of the year's biggest Bollywood epic - Lagaan, nominated for an Oscar for best foreign language film - followed by a celebrity cricket match at the Headingley Stadium in Leeds. Other events include shopping and food festivals, cinema exhibitions, workshops and fashion extravaganzas.
The successful bid to host the IIFA weekend was undertaken by Yorkshire Tourist Board, with the support of Yorkshire Forward, Yorkshire Culture, Screen Yorkshire and the business communities and local authorities of Bradford, Leeds, Sheffield, York and Hull. The film award ceremony takes place at Sheffield's Hallam FM arena.
A fringe festival will accompany the awards weekend, with a range of community events taking place across the five cities.
In Bradford, the highlight, scheduled for June 8 and 9, is a show called Bollywood Steps performed on Centenary Square. Featuring song and dance routines, a wet sari scene' and a kaleidoscope of 140 costume changes, it's described as a glorious and irreverent celebration of Bollywood films', fusing folk, classical, Bhangra, hip hop, jazz, salsa, flamenco and contemporary dance with dazzling light and water features and pyrotechnics.
Bradford city centre will be alive with the sights, smells and tastes of South Asia at the Bollywood Bazaar, selling Asian foods, fashions, jewellery, accessories and textiles, coupled with street entertainment.
Also running is a play at the Alhambra Studio called The Problem with Asian Men, created from interviews.
At the Hilton hotel a charity dinner organised by Asian Connect marks achievements in business, sport, politics, media and community work.
Other fringe festival events include Bollywood Jane - a play about a Bradford girl who escapes family problems at her local cinema - at West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds. Auditions were held in Bradford this year for dancers to perform in Bollywood sequences.
The International Indian Film Academy awards take place from June 6-10.
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