Aliakbar Campwala

Aliakbar Campwala (born Mumbai) is an Indian actor, film maker, and director, originally from India, who lives in the United Kingdom. He is best known for his role in the film 7 Welcome to London.

Born in Mumbai, Campwala moved around South East Asia, before moving to the United Kingdom to attend the University of Bedfordshire.

Campwala is an occasional actor, instead preferring mostly to direct, write scripts, and edit films. In 2008 he was involved in a Kurdish SZA, meaning pain, film selected at the Exodus Film Festival. The film deals with the conflict between older and younger generation refugees in England. He served as screenwriter, assistant director, and editor.

He counts among his influences, films from around the globe including Taare Zameen Par, In the Mood for love, a bittersweet life (Korean film), and others.

2011 brought the short "Satisfied???" which was written and directed by Campwala. The film won Best Indian Short in 2011, it is based on a personal story reflecting the changing world in cities including Campwala's native Mumbai. In the same year, he released a documentary titled ‘The Invisible Subtitler’ which sheds some light on how the subtitles industry has developed and how translators provide the subtitles for the benefit of movie watchers. The documentary was screened at The European Commission's representation in UK, the "Europe House" in London.

In 2012 Aliakbar Campwala starred in the British film "7 Welcome to London", a film about the experiences of immigrants from India. Playing Goldie, a South Indian IT Engineer living in the United Kingdom, who has come to regard London as a second home. His character Goldie, meets and befriends 25-year-old Jai, an illegal immigrant in London hoping to improve his family's situation back in India. He drew inspiration for the character from his travels as a child to South India.

Campwala currently resides in London, and is a graduate of the University of Bedfordshire.