Kudrat 1968 director rejects claims film encourages bullying
The Malaysian cinema release on October 29 concludes a story also told through a four-episode series on Astro and Netflix.
Director Zulaikha Zakaria has defended the depiction of bullying in Kudrat 1968: High Council ahead of its October 29 opening in Malaysia, saying the film seeks to demonstrate the harm caused by violence, not celebrate it.
Speaking at a gala at TGV Suria KLCC on October 26, Zulaikha addressed social media criticism that the High Council franchise could encourage students to bully others. She said scenes depicting such behaviour also show its repercussions and are intended to convey lessons to audiences.
The Astro Shaw production combines a four-episode streaming series with a film that completes the narrative. It is a prequel to Project: High Council, which debuted in 2023, and follows the franchise’s Kahar: Kapla High Council.
The film centres on Abbas, played by Zarif Ghazzi, who returns to Kudrat and finds the school locked down by authorities after a concealed student death is discovered. Conflict between elite pupils and scholarship students threatens the school’s power structure.
Zulaikha, who co-directed with Khairi Asyraff, said production difficulties included limited time and resources, computer-generated imagery and visual effects for fights, and maintaining continuity between the series and film.
Astro Shaw head Raja Jastina Raja Arshad said the studio could consider the combined series-and-film format for other projects, depending on narrative and production requirements. She said its use would not be restricted to the Astro Shaw Cinematic Universe.
