The world of High Council began in 2023 with a TV series titled Projek: High Council. Set in an all-male prestigious boarding school, Kolej Ungku Deramat (or Kudrat), the series was a huge hit, prompting Astro Shaw to release a film centred on one of its characters, Kahar: Kapla High Council, a year later.
Now, fans can go back in time to see where it all began with Kudrat 1968: High Council.
Set in the year 1968, it tells of a batch of new students arriving at the prestigious Kolej Ungku Deramat only to discover that they are treated differently based on their family status.
One of the newbies is Ungku Abbas Ungku Deramat (played by Zarif Ghazzi), the abandoned son of Kudrat’s founder, who reluctantly enrols at the school on a scholarship.
Almost immediately, he finds himself at loggerheads with the head prefect, Tengku Uda Tengku Ali (Mierul Aiman).
What is also interesting with Kudrat 1968 is that audiences get to watch the drama unfold first as a four-episode TV series, followed by a feature film out on Oct 29.
According to executive producer of Kudrat 1968 and head of Astro Shaw Raja Jastina Raja Arshad, this is to give fans a different experience by combining the two formats.
“Although it is one story, the production has been designed as a continuous experience across the series and film. Both were developed and filmed concurrently.
“This is part of what we’re trying to do at Astro – evolve the way we tell stories,” she said.
“The series allows us to dive deeper into the characters, understand their environment and situation, and strengthen the emotional connection audiences have with them.
“Meanwhile, the film allows the story to conclude with a cinematic experience,” Raja Jastina added.
This sentiment was echoed by showrunner and director Zulaikha Zakaria, who first served as co-director and co-writer on Projek: High Council.
“I don’t think there’s only one way to tell a story. Look at how the new generation tells stories on social media.
“In just a minute, they can make people feel something.
“I see this ‘One Story, Two Formats’ as an opportunity, especially now that audiences are more open to accepting something different.
“Taking risks is the only way we’re going to learn. If it doesn’t work, then at least we know and can learn from it,” Zulaikha said.
When asked whether audiences would be willing to fork out extra money to catch the finale in cinemas, Zulaikha chose to take a positive view.
“I hope the project itself will make people want to be part of something.
“I think that’s what happened with the whole High Council movement.
“It started with Projek: High Council ... young people started talking about it, finding the theme relatable, other creators were inspired by it and it became part of the culture.
“Now, with Kudrat 1968, I hope people will want to watch the finale in the cinema so they can have the full experience of being part of the High Council world,” she said.
Going back in time
While all the High Council projects are set at the school, what differentiates each project is the theme it focuses on.
Projek: High Council explores bullying, while Kahar looks at violence.
“With Kudrat 1968 – which has the tagline ‘Darah Kita Sama’ – we are addressing the issue of social class and the class divide,” said Raja Jastina.
“We are also expanding the scope beyond school. It explores a world where systems of hierarchy exist – within organisations, workplaces and society.
“We feel this is something relatable to everyone because status, power and influence exist everywhere.
“So, Kudrat 1968 is not simply about showing audiences how the High Council world began. It also questions the systems that divide us according to class and status.
“Furthermore, we hope to create space for reflection on how such systems shape identity, choices and conflict in life,” she said.
To ensure the message gets across, Zulaikha explained that the writers chose the year 1968 because it’s a time when Malaysia as “a young nation was still searching for its identity while navigating significant changes and tensions”.
“This backdrop helps shape the systems, culture and legacy within the world of Kolej Ungku Deramat,” Zulaikha, 32, added.
Nonetheless, recreating that bygone era was a big challenge, as not many things have survived from that time.
Zulaikha and the writers spent about six months researching how people spoke back then and the props they would need to make the period feel authentic.
“We had meetings and did a lot of research, including looking at interviews and recordings of people from that era. We wanted to hear how people actually spoke in real life. That became our biggest reference,” the director said.
As for the props, the production team had to either build them or source them from different countries.
“One thing I feel we don’t do very well in this country is we don’t really try to preserve or revive old things. Anything old tends to be seen in terms of how much it costs rather than its historical value.
“So that’s why, for this project, we had to source a lot of things from outside Malaysia or make them ourselves from scratch. That process alone took about three months,” said Zulaikha.
Only the best
While most of the cast members are all newcomers to the High Council universe, Mierul has previously starred in Projek: High Council as its lead character, Fakri.
The 28-year-old said he was attracted to being part of the High Council world again as the Tengku Uda offered him very different challenges.
“The writing for my character here is very different from the role I played five years ago.
“So, for me, the similarities are very minimal. The performances are based on the writing, and I think there’s enough to differentiate the two characters and the two stories.”
He went on to explain the major difference between the characters: “There was always something simmering underneath with Fakri, something that could eventually explode. For Tengku Uda, it is more about control.”
Zulaikha also added that she wasn’t afraid to cast Mierul in the role as he was the only actor who auditioned without trying to portray Tengku Uda as a villain.
Mierul’s own interpretation of Tengku Uda is that his character believes he alone has the vision to protect the system and improve students’ lives.
“His beliefs and attitude determine what is right or wrong,” added Mierul, who was seen in this year’s hit actioner Tarung: Unforgiven.
Having been in projects that feature big casts, Mierul acknowledged his fellow actors on Kudrat 1968 for bringing their best to their work.
“I feel very, very grateful because I was able to work with many talented young actors who are hungry and determined to do their best on this project.”
Mierul also said he doesn’t see his fellow actors as competition, as they are collectively working towards bringing the story and their characters to life in the best way possible.
“We work as a team. This isn’t a solo game; it’s a team effort,” he said.
Four episodes of Kudrat 1968: High Council are available on Sooka, Astro X3 and Netflix. The film is out in cinemas on Oct 29.
