Tun V.T. Sambanthan was more than a politician. He was also a role model for his people, writes Faisal Asyraf
MOST of us KL-ites would be familiar with Jalan Tun Sambanthan in the suburb of Brickfields, just a few kilometres away from the heart of the capital Kuala Lumpur. The monorail station there is called Monorail Tun Sambanthan, and there’s a building called Wisma Sambanthan in KL.
But who exactly is Tun Sambanthan? Thirunyanasambanthan Thevar Veerasamy Thevar, better known as Tun V.T. Sambanthan, was the fifth president of the Malaysian Indian Congress. He was also one of the key figures in achieving independence for Malaysia, alongside Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj and Tun Tan Cheng Lock.
In conjunction with the 57th Merdeka celebration, a biopic titled Sambanthan will be screened. Written and directed by S.T. Bala, who staged a play about this prominent figure in Istana Budaya in 2008, the film chronicles the major events in Sambanthan’s life, up to the moment when he was about to step down from his post as MIC leader in 1973. Sambanthan died on June 18, 1979.
All of the events occur during the 1950s to the 1970s. “The film highlights Sambanthan’s struggles for the Indian community and the nation — his vision and hard work,”says Bala.
“It also showcases his endearing personality and close friendship with Tunku Abdul Rahman.” Kisukumar Armum plays young Sambanthan while Vigneswaran Kannan plays the older statesman. Other cast members include Mohammad Hafizudin Mohd Ruslan as Tunku Abdul Rahman, and Muhammad Nizam Mohd Yamin and Rathikathevi Muniyandi as Tun Tan Siew Sin and Toh Puan Umasundari Sambanthan (Sambanthan’s wife).
Speaking about one of the conflicts in Sambanthan, Bala explains that during the pre-independence era, many Indians who came to Malaya harboured thoughts of going back to India after their stint as labourers here. “But Sambanthan convinced them to continue contributing their talents and skills to this land.”
“Malaysia has always had the spirit of 1Malaysia even in the old days. The strong bond between the different races is evident in this biopic.”
Bala and his team had spent eight months researching on Sambanthan who had held numerous ministerial posts. Bala says: “We spent a lot of time on research including going all the way to Sungai Siput, Perak (Sambanthan’s birthplace and parliamentary seat) to interview the locals and Sambanthan’s family. Certain events in Sambanthan are not recorded in the history books.”
Among these is the time when Sambanthan was called to chair the cabinet for a day during Tunku Abdul Rahman’s stint as the Prime Minister. He had also officiated a mosque in Sungai Siput (during his stint as Minister of Works).
Bala, who directed the movie Kaliyugha in 2012, says: “We cannot afford to make mistakes. After all, the research was done when Sambanthan’s widow was still around.”
“The challenges in filming this biopic,” says Bala, “were the sets and props. We were meticulous about these things. We designed the sets based on the photographs that we got from the National Archives.”
Bala says the lead actor Kisukumar Armum, a.k.a Kishok, caught the attention of many directors when he debuted on the stage in Istana Budaya playing the role of Sambanthan.
“It was fitting having him play Sambanthan. The biopic definitely adds another milestone to his career.”
Bala, who has 25 years of experience in stage directing, is optimistic that viewers will learn more about Sambanthan through this biopic. He says: “Sambanthan was not just a politician. He was a volunteer, coaxed into politics because he had spent so much time helping people. He even sold his own land for his people’s sake. Every Malaysian should watch this movie because only then will they learn about Sambanthan.”
The film is mainly in Tamil, with English subtitles. It is funded by Finas and produced by Fenomena Seni Produksi.