Thursday, July 12, 2012

Yasmin Ahmad: A Remembrance

Come this July 25, it will be the third anniversary of Yasmin Ahmad's untimely passing. As a remembrance, I want to mention a little of her feature film Mukshin.

Mukshin was supposed to be the first part of the Orked trilogy, but it was produced last after Sepet and Gubra.

Sepet debuted to great success in the Malaysian cinemas, despite or in spite of the controversy surrounding the film and its release.

Mukshin is a delightful film of first love between a 10 year old Orked and 12 year old Mukshin.

The film opens with the scene of a class-room and we soon learn that Orked is attending a Chinese school.

There are several interesting scenes in the film and one of the more interesting ones for me, is the one where Orked's young parents and their redoubtable maid are having a keroncong jamming session when it starts to rain and Orked and her young mother then dance in the downpour.


There is a scene in Mukshin that is quite confusing to viewers who had also seen Sepet, because the male protagonist in Sepet, Jason, who was supposed to have died in that film, is seen with an adult Orked and their child at the same time as the young Orked and Mukshin in the idyllic and picturesque padi field flying kites.

To a question, Yasmin Ahmad herself had tried to explain the scene by saying that it is just a nonsense scene.

It was completely illogical. How can a young Orked and old Orked be together and how can an old Orked be married to a man who died and having a baby together living in a farm. But the fact that it can stir up feelings inside you... Because, when I saw it, I went like "Dia sudah kahwin! Dia dah ada anak! (She's married already! She already has a child!)... In the place that is so lovely and they are playing kites and it's like  paradise...The fact that they can stir emotions kind of says, you know, you can't calculate your way to prove that God exists but, my god, he exists! You know, the best things in life and love are unseen and completely illogical but they are more real than anything you can calculate...Does that make sense?


Kak Yasmin, that scene may not be as far-fetched. In another universe, who knows, Jason and Orked may be living their lives happily married to each other.

And in like vein, it won't do for me to say RIP for, who knows, in another universe you may be living and have successfully wrapped up Wasurenagusa, the joint production with the Japanese you were supposed to have done here and the Sinagpore tale "'Go, Thaddeus" before your untimely passing.

But we do so miss you.

A thousand thanks for stirring up the insipid and moribund local film industry and cinema scene with your brilliant work. 

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Kluang's Little Bangsar

Kluang's Little Bangsar
Click To Visit

Kamini's Indian Wedding - Click To Visit

Kamini's Indian Wedding - Click To Visit
I attended my neighbour's daughter's Indian wedding dinner at the Sentul HGH Convention Centre. Click for a peek

Yasmin Ahmad - Click To Visit

Yasmin Ahmad - Click To Visit
Yasmin Ahmad was arguably Malaysia's best story-teller, filmmaker and advertiser. She was well known for her Petronas commercials and had won numerous international awards including the Golden Lion award for the 'Tan Ming Hong In Love' commercial. Her feature film Sepet not only garnered her several international awards including for Best Asian Film but also drew multi-racial audiences that rarely happens for a local film.

Genting Highlands - Click To Visit

Genting Highlands - Click To Visit
Genting Highlands Is A Popular Retreat With A Casino

Batu Caves - Click To Visit

Batu Caves - Click To Visit
Malaysia's Famous Landmark. Note The Statue Of Lord Muruga And The 272 Steps To The Temple Cave In The Background

Petronas Twin Towers And KLCC Park - Click To Visit

Petronas Twin Towers And KLCC Park - Click To Visit
Petronas Twin Towers Are Still The World's Tallest Twin Towers

Some Early Morning Views Of KL City Skyline - Click To Visit

Some Early Morning Views Of KL City Skyline - Click To Visit
Some early morning views of the KL city sykline I took from the 3rd floor of the KL Court with a low-pixel hand-phone camera

Kluang Town - Click To Visit

Kluang Town - Click To Visit
Kluang was a sleepy hollow, but is fast becoming a bustling town. You can't miss the bust-shaped gunung Lambak lording over the place and the town is well known for its tv brand coffee powder

Kluang RailCoffee

Kluang RailCoffee
The Kluang railway station coffee shop, now re-branded Kluang RailCoffee, is well known for its cuppa of coffee and the charcaol grilled piping hot buns oozing with butter and kaya...It used to attract standing-room only crowds. It still does, but the last time I was there it wasn't a good experience for me. The famous coffee had somewhat lost its oomph and even the buns...The shop has a long and noted history being first opened for business in 1938 and the place is now run by the 3rd generation LIm family. I hope the next time I return, the coffee would regain its oomph. Click to read more...