A comedy made in Lancashire is spicing up film festivals around the world.

'Chicken Tikka Masala' which is not on general release until April 22 has been written, produced and filmed in Preston.

This month the film was one of the highlights at Manchester's 9th International Kino Film festival. Earlier the film was screened at the Raindance Film Festival in London where it was short-listed for an award.

Conceived by Prestonians Sanjay Tandon and Rony Ghosh of Film Inc the movie stars Chris Bisson of East is East fame,Saeed Jaffrey OBE and Blackburn's Sushil Chudasama who has recently been setting temperatures soaring in Corornation Street.

It is the first commercial venture for Sanjay and Rony and the pair are hoping to release more independent films in the coming year.

"Chicken Tikka Masala has been a great success for us, said Sanjay Tandon. "It has opened up many doors and raised our profile beyond anything that we might originally have hoped for. It was very well received at its first screening at the Raindance Film Festival with which we now have strong ties and on the strength of that, it was nominated for a British Independent Film Award."

The film is also scheduled to be shown at festivals and competitions as far afield as Sydney.

"When we first embarked on the idea of making an independent film, we had no real idea of our chances of success. But having done it we now have the confidence, the industry contacts and the experience to scale the process up and take on new projects.

Set in Preston the comedy is based on the lives and loves of the Chopra family who are celebrating the fact their son Jimi is getting married. However, he's in love with Jack.

Fate seems to be on Jimi's side when a series of accidents and misunderstanding leads his wife-to-be into believing that Jimi is a father to an eight- year-old girl, Hannah. His family then turn up at his doorstep to propose his wedding to Vanessa, his landlady and Hannahs mother!

Sushil Chudasama said, "It was good to be working with such a distinguished cast and particularly so close to home. It's not often that we get to see Lancashire towns on the cinema screens, so Im hoping that this will be the first of many."

The film is directed by Harmage Singh Kalihari and also stars the 'mother' of all things Asian, Zohra Segal and 10-year-old Katie Clayton of Bolton.