'Jagat' makes it to Netflix

PETALING JAYA: The award-winning Malaysian Tamil-film Jagat is now available on Netflix.

Its director Shanjhey Kumar Perumal in a Facebook post announced on Monday (April1): "Good news everyone. Jagat is now available to worldwide audience via Netflix platform. #jagatthemovie."

A few days before the announcement, Shanjhey was also one of the recipients of the Inspiring Young Leaders Award 2019 by The Edge Malaysia.

The synopsis of the 2015 movie on Netflix's website reads: "In early 1990s Malaysia, a Tamilian boy faces pressure from his immigrant father to focus on school but is drawn to his uncles’ lives of crime."

The social drama movie stars Harvind Raj, Jibrail Rajhula, and Tinesh Sarathi Krishnan.

In 2016, Jagat was declared Best Malaysian Film at the 28th Malaysia Film Festival (FFM28), with Shanjhey receiving the award for Best Director.

Initially, FFM28 was criticised over its decision to divide Malaysian film nominees in Bahasa Malaysia and non-Bahasa Malaysia categories.

Films including Jagat, OlaBola, and The Kid From The Big Apple were not eligible to compete for Best Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay as they did not meet a 70% Bahasa Malaysia requirement.

They had to compete in separate non-Bahasa Malaysia categories.

Fortunately, the decision was overturned by then Multimedia and Communications minister Datuk Seri Dr Salleh Said Keruak less than a month before the festival.

The movie was also selected as one of the seven films from Asean for screening at the SAC Asean Film Festival 2017.

Prior to Jagat winning the awards, Shanjhey had also voiced out dissatisfaction over the movie's limited screentime in local Malaysian cinemas in 2015.

Jagat now joins the other Malaysian movies available on the streaming service platform, including Paskal: The Movie, Pulang, Hantu Kak Limah, Rise: Ini Kalilah and One Two Jaga.