BELONG

Aim

Millions of Indian Muslims fought and died for Britain in both World Wars - yet history forgot. Help us make a film to honour their legacy.

LEST WE FORGET. ANY OF THEM.

... 

Hi, I’m Sikander Malik, a British born actor, writer, and director. I also happen to be a Muslim - and BELONG is the perhaps the most personal film I’ve ever made.

Writing this for the past fifteen years, I’ve wanted to tell the story of the Muslim Indian soldiers who fought for Britain in both World Wars, yet were forgotten by history. I grew up never seeing their faces in our remembrance ceremonies - never hearing their names. BELONG was born from that silence.

The above video is a concept we produced to give you a hint of what we want to accomplish. This was made with very little budget. With your help, we can make something even more special. 

Kaleel (Kal) Awan, a British Muslim soldier, returns home after serving his country, only to face rejection from the far right, his community, and even his family. Forced to become homeless and disconnected from his sense of self, Kal must choose to fall apart, or rise up after uncovering a hidden and forgotten legacy.

That legacy? Millions of Muslims from British ruled India fought and died for Britain in both World Wars. But no one talks about it. They will now.

Because millions served -  and were forgotten.

During the First and Second World Wars, over 2.5 million Muslim, Sikh, and Hindu soldiers from British-ruled India fought and died for Britain. Their courage helped shape the freedom we live in today -  yet their names and stories are missing from our history books, war memorials, and national remembrance.

BELONG is our way of changing that.

Through the journey of a modern British Muslim veteran, the film explores what happens when a soldier returns home to a country that doesn’t recognise his sacrifice. It’s a story about identity, faith, rejection, and rediscovery -  but above all, about humanity.

We’re making this film to:

• Reclaim a forgotten legacy of shared service and sacrifice.
• Bridge cultural divides in modern Britain.
• Inspire understanding in schools, communities, and remembrance spaces.

This is not just a film.
It’s a promise - that those who fought for us will never be forgotten again.

A New Story: We've never seen a film like this through this particular lens - of balancing patriotism and faith. We want to use this film to spark national awareness, school discussions, and public screenings - leading to official recognition for these forgotten soldiers. BELONG is more than a film; it’s a movement for remembrance and unity. 

ACTION: A Day of Recognition: With your help, we can do more. We can use this cinematic film as a tool to bring about change and highlight the sacrifice made by millions of ethnic minority communities to defend Britain in WW1 and WW2 - specifically, the Indian Muslim community. Men that died so that we could have the freedoms we enjoy in this country. We want this film to help push for a national day of remembrance alongside Remembrance Day for this contribution that helped to bring both WW1 and WW2 to an end, and ensure peace. 

Global Cinematic Distribution: We want to lobby within the mainstream film world with screenings in festivals that specialise in giving a voice to ethnic minorities everywhere. We aim for this short film to reach a global cinematic distribution to all major film festivals, to get this story heard and attract investors for us to make a feature length film to do this story the justice it deserves.

SIKANDER MALIK - KAL AWAN

Actor | Director | Writer

Sikander Malik is a British actor, director, writer and producer known for his powerful screen presence and emotionally grounded performances. Trained through years of experience both in front of and behind the camera, Malik has appeared in acclaimed productions including Rocky Balboa, Hollyoaks, and Doctors, and has steadily built a reputation for bringing intensity and authenticity to every role he inhabits.

As a storyteller, Malik’s work often explores identity, belonging, and redemption -  themes rooted in his own experiences and cultural heritage. He is the founder of Verisimilitude Films, a UK-based production company dedicated to telling bold, human stories that bridge East and West.

His upcoming projects include BELONG, a deeply personal short film he wrote, directs, and stars in - a moving portrait of a British Muslim soldier returning home to a divided Britain. The film, developed over 15 years, aims to honour the forgotten soldiers of WWI and the invisible veterans of today.

Passionate, disciplined, and cinematic in his approach, Sikander continues to carve a distinctive path in British independent cinema, blending artistry with purpose and emotion with truth.

LAUREN ALLISON - FAYE HARRIOT

Lauren Allison is an actor from Doncaster, South Yorkshire. She trained in acting at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. Since graduating, Lauren has played Christine in The Phantom of the Opera, with Tread the Boards Theatre Company. She has also toured with the National Production Company in their UK tour of Macbeth, where she played one of the Witches. Lauren will be playing Faye Harriot in the upcoming film Belong.

ARNAB BANERJEE - UNCLE LAHIB

Arnab’s first experience on a film set came as a supporting artist when he was in Paris in the early noughties - in Jean-Jacques Annaud’s Deux Freres. More recently as a SA, he appeared in Bad Tidings (Sky), Too Much (Netflix) and Slow Horses (Apple TV). Arnab has also appeared as a featured supporting artist in advertisements including the England Cricket Board trailer directed by Gurinder Chadha and a walk-on for Feenie’s Table and the JD Sports Christmas advertisements. In films, in the last year he has been ‘dad’ in Homing (Hansel Rodrigues and Elizabeth Atherton) and ‘Uncle Raj’ in By Blood (Sharath Pillai).

HASAN ADNAN - RIYAZ AWAN

Hasan began his acting journey in November 2024, and since then he's had the opportunity to work on a range of projects including student films, commercials, and photoshoots. Most recently, he played the lead in an upcoming short film, set to be released later this year. 

"Belong marks the biggest project of my career so far, and I’m incredibly proud to be part of such an important and timely story. Working alongside Sikander, as well as the talented cast and crew, has been a fantastic experience. I’m excited to bring the character of Riyaz to life and can’t wait to see how audiences respond to this powerful film.”

WISDOM PENFOLD - RICKY POTTER 

Wisdom Penfold is a powerful British actor recognised for his work in film and television, whose credits include the feature film Nightgown and the series Bloodlines. 

Before turning to acting, Penfold reportedly held the title of undefeated bare-knuckle champion - an intriguing detail that suggests a non-traditional background and a capacity for disciplined physical performance.

NAVNEET KHERA - SYRA AWAN  

Navneet Khera is a British actor whose work reflects a deep passion for truthful storytelling and emotional authenticity. Having trained through a range of respected acting courses across London, Navneet has honed her craft through intensive study of screen and stage performance techniques, including character development, improvisation, and on-camera work.

Her experience spans a variety of short films and creative projects that have allowed her to explore complex characters and human emotion in dynamic ways. Navneet is drawn to stories that illuminate the beauty and struggle of real life — performances that resonate, connect, and provoke thought.

Currently shooting her debut short film, she continues to expand her artistic voice with each project, committed to bringing sincerity and depth to every role she embodies.

Our Goal

We have already shot a very small promo on an extremely low budget to show you what we can do with such limited funds. (See our trailer). We want to raise at least £15,000 so we can make this short film properly. And every donation helps us honour history, inspire change, and make sure these untold stories are finally seen and heard. We can't do it alone. 

Every pound raised goes directly toward production and outreach:

• Production Equipment (cameras, lighting, sound equipment)
• Crew, cast, and location costs
• Costumes (specialist WW1 Costumes), SFX Make Up (prosthetics etc)
• Post-Production@: Editing, sound, colour, and music score
• Outreach & Screenings: Heritage screenings, school packs, festivals
• Contingency & Compliance: Legal, insurance, and non-profit admin

With your help - we can bring this important story to the screen. 

This project successfully funded on 23rd December 2025