Malaysian Tamil cinema which is gradually gaining momentum in the country has plans to showcase its content on Over-the-Top (OTT) platforms, namely Netflix and Amazon Prime, to venture beyond the local market and earn global recognition.
Local movie producer Magendran Raman from Vikadakavi Production Sdn Bhd, said this initiative is necessary as local Tamil movie content has been improving in recent times, with many of the global audience watching and experiencing different kinds of content.
"If given the opportunity, I would prefer showcasing my local Tamil movie content on Netflix as it is a good platform ... theatre is only for pride. We need to know who is handling Netflix in Malaysia for us to showcase our content," he said in an interview to promote local Tamil movie Arulmozhi.
Magendran was commenting on an earlier suggestion by industry players for streaming platforms to give more leeway for local Tamil film producers to experiment with their unique narrative and storytelling style for the Tamil market.
The director agreed that the huge Tamil diaspora offers an opportunity for Malaysian Tamil movie producers to go beyond two or three countries through the streaming platforms.
"Tamil is also a language which allows you to go international easily targeting countries like India, Sri Lanka and Singapore besides Malaysia," he added.
Meanwhile, on Arulmozhi which was released on June 16, Magendran – who also stars in the movie – said it is an emotional and suspense-filled film. It revolves around a private investigator who becomes a vigilante by mistake while attempting to defend his friend and his family from a dangerous militant gang planning to release a chemical bomb.
His co-actor M. Nalina Devi said the main character, played by Sangabalan Subramaniam, who is also the producer of the film, conceals his real identity in order to serve justice for the greater good.
The team is expecting at least a RM500,000 collection for the movie. – Bernama