Old Ties

Not many know that the Malaysian film industry has a very potent India connection. The first film ever to be made in Malaysia,Laila Majnun (based on the Persian story of two ill-fated lovers),was produced by Motilal Chemical Company of Bombay in 1933.

Written by EXPRESS FEATURES SERVICE
August 21, 2009 03:38 AM IST

2 min read

Not many know that the Malaysian film industry has a very potent India connection. The first film ever to be made in Malaysia,Laila Majnun (based on the Persian story of two ill-fated lovers),was produced by Motilal Chemical Company of Bombay in 1933. The film industry derived its sensibilities from Bollywood as most of the early films carried plenty of singing and dancing scenes,a trend introduced by the Indian film directors. There was a trend of importing Indian film directors,among them S. Ramanathan,Shastri,Phani Majumdar and D. Ghoss,in Malaysia. Needless to say,these filmmakers left an indelible mark on Malaysian films. Long after the departure of the Indian filmmakers,the song and dance routines in Malaysian films continued.

To celebrate this strong bond,the Federation of Film Socities of India in collaboration with Asian Group of International Federation of Film Socities and Nandan have put together a five-day Malaysian Film Festival in the city.

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Among the films to be shown is the award winning Love Conquers All (directed by Tan Chui Mui) which tells the story of a young girl who moves from Penang to Kuala Lumpur to work at her aunts restaurant. She falls in love with a man who is not quite the person he appears to be. One can also catch the controversial semi-musical documentary,The Last Communist (directed by Amir Muhammad) which is based on the Malayan emergency of 1948 during which more than 10,000 Malayan and British troops and civilians lost their lives. The film was banned from screening in Malaysia by the governments Home Affairs Ministry.

The closing film of the festival is Yasmin Ahmads Things We do When We Fall in Love which tells the story of two lovers who cannot come to terms with their relationship. They leave on a road trip in an attempt to escape their troubles,but despite the many miles travelled,find little respite.

The festival is on at Nandan II till August 22. Screenings will start 4 pm onwards