Rochdale Town Hall hosts screening of historic Kashmiri films

The event on Friday 16 August at Rochdale Town Hall

Rochdale Town Hall recently played host to a packed screening of the first British Pahari-Pothohari independent feature film, Miki Kharo Kashmir.

Organised by Kashmiri Productions in collaboration with Rochdale Town Hall, the event celebrated the town's diversity through film and highlighted the success of this movie, which was filmed in Rochdale during 2023.

The evening also featured the screening of another Kashmiri Productions film, England, Pakistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir. The event began with the national anthems of Pakistan, England, and Azad Kashmir. Both films, produced by Kashmiri Productions, promote Pakistani and Kashmiri cultures and languages.

The screening was met with enthusiastic support from over 150 attendees, including families, distinguished guests, and members of the local community from Rochdale, Manchester, Oldham, Bolton, and beyond. Guests included Mayor of Rochdale, Councillor Shakil Ahmed, alongside various actors and actresses, who all enjoyed food provided by Amor restaurant.

Mayor of Rochdale, Shakil Ahmed, commented, “Being a British Kashmiri, I feel very proud to experience Pakistani and Kashmiri cultures through these two community films being shown at our beautiful Town Hall to a full house.

"It also means a lot as both films are made by our local talent Zafar Iqbal, who is doing tremendous work in raising the profile of Pakistan and Kashmir through his creative work.”

Victoria Hilton, heritage engagement manager at Rochdale Town Hall, added, “It was excellent to welcome mixed communities to Rochdale Town Hall, and I met some lovely people who had a great time. Rochdale Town Hall belongs to the communities, and it was our pleasure to partner with Kashmiri Productions for this event.

"We are grateful to Zafar and his team for accepting our offer to host the screening of the two movies, including Miki Kharo Kashmir, which is the first British Pahari-Pothohari independent feature film. We are already planning our next joint project and would like to thank the management team, volunteers, and security for their support.”

Zafar Iqbal, actor and filmmaker, expressed his emotions, stating, “It was emotional to experience the grand finale as we have worked extremely hard on Miki Kharo Kashmir, and now it’s the first British Pahari-Pothohari Independent Feature Film.

"Before the grand finale, the film completed a national cinema release, being shown at Reel Cinema, Rochdale; Cineworld, Luton; Mockingbird Cinema, Birmingham; The Light Cinemas in Bradford and Bolton. Miki Kharo Kashmir has become a national favourite, winning awards and putting Rochdale and Kashmir on the map.

"Holding the showing of both films at Rochdale Town Hall will remain a beautiful memory for me and my team for the rest of our lives. Each attendee said it was a brilliant event to raise awareness for Pakistani and Kashmiri cultures and languages through these two remarkable films at the incredible Rochdale Town Hall.”