Some Things You Need To Know About ‘Jagat’

Tamil film Jagat (Tamil slang for the Malay word “jahat”) hits the big screen in one month.

Set in the early 1990’s, the film observes the struggles of ethnic Indian groups in Malaysia during a critical period in Malaysian history.

In a recent interview with Malaysiakini, director Shanjhey Kumar Perumal mentioned that his main focus of doing the film is to open the eyes of the public, especially the Indian community.

Shanjhey first gained attention after winning BMW Shorties in 2009 with his short film, Machai.

The year after, he submitted a short film, Jagat, which is believed to be a precursor to this upcoming December 17 release. The short ended up as a finalist at BMW Shorties 2010 and went on to win Best Cinematography at the International Toronto Tamil Film Festival in 2012.

Filmed for Astro‘s My Hometown Channel, Shanjhey’s documentary The Day River Ran Red won the Jury Award at Freedom Film Festival in 2013.

The film boasts a multiracial cast, of which at least 90% are new actors.

Leading the film is 12-year old orphan Harvin Raj. Local actor, Marup Mustapah — who took on the role of Junaidi in TV3 drama Ummi and communist leader Pai Seng in Jabatan Kebudayaan dan Kesenian Negara (JKKN) musical Bah Tilot — plays the antagonist.

Produced by Skyzen Studios, Jagat was shot in more than 13 locations within Malaysia including Baling, Jerantut, Gerik, Sabak Bernam and Lenggong.

The film will be released on 17 December 2015.

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For more information about the film and exclusive behind-the-scenes clips, head over to the official page. Article written by Deric Ect and Keanu Azman.