MOVE over Spielberg! An amateur film-maker, whose day job is a bus driver, has shot a film in Bradford almost entirely on his smartphone.

Asif Raja has made a Bollywood-style romantic thriller - shot at locations including Lister Park in Manningham and Ilkley’s Cow and Calf Rocks - in just eight days, using his Samsung S8+ phone and on a zero budget.

Asif, who is a driver for First buses, wrote and directed the 50-minute film, called Ehsaas, and also acts in it. He used a cast of local actors, including Bradford-based Mehmood Sultan who has made films in Pakistan, and he’s already planning his next movie.

“As a bus driver, I meet a lot of people every day and I’m always picking up ideas,” said Asif.

“I’ve had a lot of great reaction to the film on social media, and people are starting to recognise me now. Passengers are asking for selfies and shaking my hand when they get on my bus!

“I’ve always loved films but whenever I thought about making one all I could think of was the cost. It costs millions to make a movie. Even a low budget one costs hundreds of thousands of pounds.

“Then I thought, ‘Well, I’ve got a phone...’ I started experimenting on it and it went from there.”

Added Asif: “About 95 per cent of the film was shot on my phone. The rest was made with drawings of scenes. It took eight days to do the filming. The whole thing, from filming to editing, took just three months.”

The film, which features Bollywood-style song and dance routines, is a thriller set against a love story.

“I play a romantic hero who takes revenge on the villain,” said Asif. “The title, Ehsaas, means “perceptiveness” or “realisation” in Urdu. The villain comes to the realisation that he has wronged people.”

He added: “The film is due to be released in Pakistan and will be available here on DVD and YouTube. There is already a lot of excitement about it.”

The film was shot on a zero budget and the project has been sponsored by local businesses, including Aakash Restaurant in Cleckheaton, for distribution and promotional costs.

Asif, who presents a show on Asian music station Radio Sangam, has already won local magazine awards for Best Director and Best Actor.

Ehsaas was his first film, but Asif is no stranger to performing. He has done some stage work in the region and he wrote, directed and starred in a play called Story of Every Home.

“I really enjoyed making the film and I’m working on another project now,” he said.

“I’d like to set up a production company offering opportunities for local actors. It is very difficult to get started in film when you’re unknown, I want to give local talent a platform and help people develop skills - not just in acting, but areas behind the camera like sound, set design, lighting and editing.

“There are a lot of talented actors and musicians in the Bradford district and I’d like to work with them on my next project.

“I really want to work with people from all communities, of all ages, to bring different cultures together through film. I’ve had a lot of messages through social media from people wanting to get involved.”

l For more about the film go to Asif Raja on Facebook