I’m obsessed with Indian movies and love everything about them.
PETALING JAYA: They say language is not a barrier to art and film. Amid the Korean drama craze, a Malay woman fell in love with Indian movies at first sight, perhaps even more passionately than some Indians.
More than just a casual viewer, 43-year-old Shariza Osman is a seasoned critic whose love of South Indian cinema has earned her 21,000 Facebook followers.
Her fascination with Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu and Hindi films was sparked by the many Indian neighbors she grew up with in Kuala Lumpur.
Initially, she would post summaries of the movies she watched on Facebook. But when Indian movie buffs started requesting reviews, she was happy to oblige. Ironically, most of the fans are Malay.
“As time went on, I realized that I also had a lot of Indian followers who wanted to read what I had to say.”
She further added, “Most of them were surprised by my interest in films in their native language.” However, Shaliza admitted that Malays have long been fans of South Indian films, especially Tamil films.
The movie that started it all for her was ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ starring the iconic Shahrukh Khan. “I remember her father taking her mother to the theater to see her ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ in 1998.”
When she entered college, Shaliza finally got to watch a Bollywood classic on DVD. And she was hooked. “From then on, I started looking for her DVDs of every Indian movie,” she said.
After completing her degree in civil engineering in 2004, Shaliza found herself glued to the television screen, basking in the antics of popular Tamil comedian Vadivelu.
However, being self-employed, the hustle and bustle of life quickly took over and movie marathons were relegated to limited television slots. Then along came the game changer: Netflix.
Netflix’s endless options, combined with pandemic-induced stay-at-home orders, have turned her living room into a haven for movies, making Shaliza’s movie buff status official.
Shariza’s family, who now live in Shah Alam, bond over movie nights. “Sometimes my siblings watch it with me when we gather at the kampung on holidays. My mother also likes Tamil films, especially comedies,” she revealed.
When asked about her favorite, Shaliza said, “Honestly, it’s difficult to choose a favorite out of thousands of Tamil and South Indian movies.”
However, she revealed that Jyothika was her favorite actress because of the strong and spunky roles she played in Tamil films. In fact, she confessed that the thriller Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu starring Jyothika-Kamal Haasan might be her favorite movie.
Her favorite actor is a 72-year-old Malayalee named Mammootty.
“Apart from his looks, I respect Mammootty because he brings unique characters with his own style. He is a method actor who can play any character effortlessly.”
But what was it about these films that attracted her more than others?
“I love honest portrayals of society, especially South India, by Indian filmmakers,” she says, adding that she is drawn to issues such as poverty, injustice, brutality, love, harmony, action and corruption. he added.
“This is a unique experience as these films also showcase Indian celebrations and rituals and we get to learn about their culture as well. I also try to learn Tamil while watching the films.”
With a growing multicultural fan base looking forward to weekly reviews on Facebook, Shaliza doesn’t take this task lightly.
“I focus on correct spelling and grammar so that readers around the world, including my followers from India, can understand my reviews written in Malay through automatic translation,” she said.
“I try to review films fairly without favoring actors. I also like to discuss the issues raised in films and the lessons viewers can take away.”
So, if you’re looking to dive into Indian cinema for the first time, why not visit Shaliza’s Facebook page? Start with Jailer, her top Tamil film of 2023 .
In her words, “You rarely see heroes execute their own children. It’s all because they are true to the principles of justice.”
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(Tag Translation)Entertainment
