BRADFORD will take centre stage in a new short film urging people to “break the circle of gossip, backbiting and judging” in today’s society.

Look At Yourself First, directed by Shehram Farrukh for Dilkash Productions, was shot in and around local landmarks like Lister Park as an ode to Bradford’s UNESCO City of Film status.

The story follows a series of characters discover the truth about each other behind all the bad reputations created by the community, assumptions and stereotyping.

It also features local talent such as Mehmood Sultan, a Bradford cabbie living a double life as a Bollywood actor, and Madiha Ansari from Dewsbury Theatre.

It’s a plot that writer Sultan Kiyani feels is particularly relevant to Bradford - a place he feels is misunderstood and judged itself.

Mr Kiyani told the Telegraph & Argus: “This is my city. This is our city. When you go into the city, it’s beautiful.

“The director of drama ensured that local actors were used in the making of this drama, by holding one of the first local auditions within the community, for the community. He felt that this was key to encourage people to participate as well as improve our society.

“Bradford is after all the UNESCO City of Film and we should be very proud in upholding and developing this title.”

Look At Yourself First is already available to view on Youtube in Urdu but more subtitles are in the works to make sure the meaning behind the film is felt across all communities living in the district.

The writer hopes to produce another film in English using the district's scenic views and streets as his set. It's all in a bid to bring more positive press to Bradford.

Mr Kiyani feels social media has contributed to more gossiping in recent years as people assume those with nice things have earnt them unlawfully or, as one character shows, the way we judge people based on how they dress.

The writer explained: “We should not judge. Another main thing was a punchline that if you’re standing on the beach and you see the few drops of sea that are dirty, it doesn’t mean the whole sea is dirty. We blame all the community."

Mehmood Sultan sported a tracksuit and long hairstyle for the role to test the boundaries of how quickly people might judge.

Mr Sultan, who described his outfit as a “completely new look”, said: “I’m really excited for every new film."

The short film is something that David Wilson, director of Bradford City of Film, says is becoming a popular way for younger filmmakers to "hone their craft" and find an audience online.

He said: "To be able to create films in different languages, we need to be doing more. There's over 150 languages spoken in Bradford so to make films that are relevant to different communities, it's a good thing.

"Short form film making is a great way of getting your message across. It can still be a hard task to produce a feature film when you're starting out. It still has to have a really good story so I would encourage beginners or filmmakers at the start of their career to experiment a little bit with short films."