Inspiring tales of a ‘supercop’ from the 1970s
Producer Zainir Aminullah tells Dennis Chua about his new drama series, the adventures of a fearless woman police officer
POPULAR actress Sangeeta Krishnasamy won the hearts of Malaysians in 2017, playing a real-life English teacher who inspired under-achieving students from a small-town school to excel in the language.
Sangeeta is back in action, this time playing an equally inspiring but much more challenging heroine, who is also based on a real-life character.
Her name is Vash and she is a fearless, no-nonsense police inspector from the Klang Valley, who takes on dreaded crime lords in the heart of Malaysia and triumphantly defeats them.
FROM PASKAL DIRECTOR
The adventures of Vash, a woman ahead of her time, form the subject of a new drama series aptly titled I Am Vash.
Produced by 108 Media and Revolution Media, it also stars award-winning actor Bront Palarae, and is directed by Adrian Teh, the man behind recent action films Paskal and Wira. I Am Vash will begin filming in several locations around the country this month. The series will hit the small screen next year.
OUTSTANDING POLICEWOMAN
Executive producer Zainir Aminullah, the chief executive officer of Revolution Media, said: “Vash may be a fictitious character, but she is based on several outstanding women police officers who served in the force with distinction in the 1970s and 1980s.”
Zainir added: “Our heroine hails from Klang, which at that time was a pretty ‘dark city’ where secret societies and drug barons were on the rampage.”
PHENOMENAL RISE
Describing Vash as a tough, brave and dedicated policewoman, Zainir said that she confronted two major crime gangs in the Klang Valley, and thought out of the box, often in defiance of her superiors.
“The story follows Vash’s rise in the police force, which is phenomenal. Here is a female Indian Malaysian police officer tasked with investigating some major cases, and she does so with gusto, always moving several steps ahead of some ruthless killers intent on creating carnage.”
HIGHLY ACCOMPLISHED
Zainir added that the idea of a “double minority” protagonist gave a challenge for the character to overcome her own obstacles internally as well as physically.
“We chose Sangeeta to play Vash, as she is a highly accomplished actress who truly shined in Adiwiraku as the compassionate school teacher Cheryl Ann Fernando.
“Sangeeta is incredibly versatile and dedicated, always willing to take on challenging roles, such as those involving police training and stunts, and she has superb work ethics,” said Zainir.
BEST LEADING MAN
Zainir said Bront, who played her superior, was a credible and popular household name who appealed to Malaysians of all ages.
“Bront is one of our best leading men on the big screen, and one of the country’s most recognisable faces in international cinema.
“We are confident that he will shine in this series, just as he did in his previous television series The Bridge and Halfworlds.”
REAL CRIME CASES
Zainir added that the new series would have a lot of references to real crime cases and criminals, who were notorious in the 1970s.
“We will be using real events that happened in Malaysia in that turbulent decade as the backdrop.
“The juxtaposition of fiction and fact will be an added excitement for the audience,” said Zainir, adding that the props would be “retro” despite the use of state-of-the-art technology.
GREAT SENSE OF DRAMA
Zainir said it was the first time Revolution Media was collaborating with Teh, and described the director as a visionary who was well known for his exciting visuals and great sense of drama.
“There will be lots of stunts involved, likewise world class stuntmen,” said Zainir.
“As for the title, it is meant to be dramatic and catchy as it presents a clear focus on our protagonist.”
SOUTHEAST ASIAN MARKET
Zainir said I Am Vash primarily targeted the Southeast Asian market, but his company hoped that it would also appeal to international audiences given the production quality.
Sangeeta said: “Vash is a very challenging role, but she is one of my dream characters. She marks my first major action heroine, and I love her because she is a woman ahead of her time.
“Furthermore, she is based on real persons, and represents the capabilities and achievements of Malaysian women in what was then largely a men’s world.”
BREAKING BARRIERS
For Bront, he is thrilled to team up with Zainir, Adrian and Sangeeta in an inspirational story as this.
“I Am Vash highlights the fearless and dedicated women police officers and how they broke barriers and excelled in their work. It is a truly Malaysian and Asian story that deserves to be told and shared.”
dchua@nst.com.my