The Bradford International Film Festival (BRADIFF) returns on Tuesday 28 October 2025 at Pictureville Cinema, opening with the UK premiere of I’m Not An Actor (Main Actor Nahin Hoon).

Supported by the Bradford South Asian Festival (BSAF), the screening will be followed by a Q&A hosted by festival Co-Director Aisha Khan (BSAF).
Directed by Aditya Kripalani and headlined by acclaimed actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui (Sacred Games) alongside Chitrangada Satarupa (Tikli and Laxmi Bomb), the India–Germany co- production has already earned international recognition. Siddiqui won Best Actor at the New York Indian Film Festival earlier this year, while Satarupa received the Best Actor (Female) award and Kripalani a Jury Mention for Best Director at the DC South Asian Film Festival.

Shot live across India and Germany simultaneously for 28 days, the film is the first of its kind in Indian cinema, placing its two leads in a continuous video call across continents.
The result is an intimate, day-long conversation that blurs the boundaries between performance and reality, teacher and student, Mumbai and Frankfurt. Associate Director Anuradha Pandey joined Kripalani in spearheading the production, with Nawazuddin Siddiqui also serving as a producer through Side Hero Entertainment, alongside Faizuddin Siddiqui and Sweta Chhabria of Mumba Devi Motion Pictures.
UK-Based film and festival strategist Aman Dhillon debuts as Executive Producer and theatrical sales expert, Bhavna Mistry is on board as the film’s distribution consultant.
Following the World Premiere at Cinequest Film Festival in San Jose and a sold-out East Coast premiere at the New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF), I’m Not An Actor has drawn critical recognition including from acclaimed filmmakers like Anurag Kashyap. After watching the film at NYIFF, Kashyap hailed it on Letterboxd as “a true indie totally built of great conversational writing”, further appreciating the lead performances. Audiences from non-South Asian backgrounds have described the film as bringing them to “tears and introspection” with esteemed critics praising it as “a compelling story.”

The story follows Mouni Roy (Satarupa), a struggling Mumbai-based actor who dreams of joining the Royal Shakespeare Company, and Adnan (Siddiqui), a retired banker in Frankfurt grappling with depression. An online audition brings them together, leading to a single day of connection that transforms both their lives. Through shifting roles of teacher and student, and contrasting landscapes of Mumbai and Frankfurt, the film explores human fragility, resilience, and the shared language of performance.
While in New York, the team was invited for a special screening at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute, presented to current and former acting students. The screening was followed by a Q&A with the lead actors, director and producer, exploring how the cast prepared for their roles and their unique experience of performing entirely through a live video call across two countries.
Victoria Krane, Director of the Lee Strasberg Institute, praised the film, citing: “While your film is titled ‘I’m Not an Actor’, I’m here to tell you that the two protagonists in your film are very much actors! I would go further to add that they are very fine actors, and they gave beautifully polished performances. There were many moments of palpable emotion, made even more so by the actors’ restraint. Bravo! The concept, writing, direction, and execution were inspired.
The filming is exquisite, each shot is beautiful, and the effect is like watching a painting come to life. ‘I’m Not an Actor; is very powerful and revelatory, and all the wonderful reviews it has received are justified.”
Speaking about the UK Premiere, lead actress Chitrangada Satarupa says: “It is an incredible honour for our film I Am Not an Actor to be chosen as the opening film at the Bradford International Film Festival this year. Bradford is widely regarded as the cultural city of the UK, and that makes this recognition more special. Acting and cinema are such an integral part of the culture I come from in India.
Films are celebrated and deeply woven into our lives. So, for a story rooted in that very spirit to open such an esteemed festival feels profoundly meaningful. I am truly excited to see how the people of Bradford connect with the film and experience our story.”

Director Aditya Kripalani shares: “It is a true honour for ‘I’m Not An Actor’ to open BRADIFF, especially in a year when Bradford celebrates its status as UK City of Culture. Festivals are as much about discovery as they are about celebration, and I look forward to experiencing the diverse films and short titles alongside our own.
I am thrilled to be attending with our entire team and sharing this journey with the UK audience.”