by Amir Hafizi
Forget Hang Tuah. Malaysia is rich with
traditional folklore and stories that can and should be adapted to more modern
mediums.
A lot of these ‘fairy tales’ (which contain
very little in terms of fairies) are almost forgotten - some don’t even know
the difference between Pak Kadok, Pak Pandir and Lebai Malang. Go on, admit it.
1. Naga Tasik Chini
Pix Credit: Akarakingdoms
And if he meditates long enough, he’ll have Plutonium Scales. That, or just mould.
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1. Naga Tasik Chini
The Lore:
There are two dragons in Tasik Chini, not just one. And they fight other dragons from other places such as Thailand. This is all captured in Aripin Said’s book Juara Yang Tewas which retells the oral tradition of the story.
The two Malaysian dragons are Seri Pahang (with silver scales) and Seri Gumum (with iron scales). Seri Pahang died fighting Seri Kemboja - the Thai dragon with bronze scales - due to Seri Kemboja cheating with an ancient Thai king, shooting Seri Pahang with 100 silver cannons.
Seri Gumum is now levelling up to gain the ultimate form - a dragon with golden scales - in order to avenge Seri Pahang’s death.
Recent Appearances in Modern Media
Naga Tasik Chini - sans any reference to scales - appeared in KRU’s Magika.
Possible
Future Adaptations
The story of these dragons can be adapted
as comic books, TV series or films. I mean, it’s dragons. As long as the
special effects don’t make them look like giant salamanders, the concept is an
easy sell, either as hero, villain or supporting characters.
2. Sang Kelembai
The
Lore:
Sang Kelembai has powers equivalent to the
Gorgon Medusa in the sense that he can turn people into stone. He’s not as ugly
(or sexy) as Medusa, and turns people into stone whenever he mentions them in
any way - making him very dangerous on Twitter.
Pix Credit: Simon Howden
One time, Sang Kelembai went to Rome... hilarious hi-jinks ensue
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Recent Appearances in Modern Media
None.
Possible
Future Adaptations
There are lots of potential with Sang
Kelembai, either as a villain, a superhero like Thor or even a study into the
monster within all of us like Ang Lee’s Hulk. Imagine that - a brooding loner
cursed with cursing people into stone. That sounds like a psychological
tour-de-force into today’s world of social media and urban alienation. Like
Social Network meets Too Tired to Die.
Then again, it really could be like Ang
Lee’s Hulk. So, maybe this is not a good idea.
3. Pak Pandir, Pak Kadok, Lebai Malang
The
Lore:
These are three old men who embody the
anti-thesis of the ‘wise old man’ archetype. In other words, these are fools.
Though Pak Pandir is sometimes the Trickster, the rest fail in their tricks.
There is also Si Luncai and Mat Jenin , completing a Power Rangers set of five
idiots.
Recent
Appearances in Modern Media
A suspicious amalgamation of the three was played by Aznil
Hj Nawawi in KRU’s Magika.
Possible
Future Adaptations
Imagine if Quentin Tarantino is given these
three characters. They would be sitting down at the local watering hole,
drinking tuak, recounting their adventures in a weird combination of Rashomon
and Reservoir Dogs. Damn cool, right?
Sorry, my Photoshop skills as well as this joke, is a bit lame |
Or perhaps a re-imagined Pak Pandir where
he is actually a bumbling genius. Lots of potential, lots of possibilities.
4. Kuda Hijau
The
Lore:
Literally the ‘Green Horse’, the legend of
Kuda Hijau is almost as complex as the Mahabharata. Or Snow White and the Seven
Dwarfs. It involves two princes, an ailing king and an evil stepmother who
cursed the eldest into a horse.
Pix Credit: Evgeni Dinev
Umm... dude... is
it contagious?
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Due to the inherent magical properties of
the prince, instead of a normal horse, he gets turned into a green one. With
wings. And he can talk.
Thus begins a magical quest with the
younger brother riding the green horse to a far away kingdom, getting hitched
with a princess, and going back to slay the evil stepmother with a new army.
Recent
Appearances in Modern Media
None
Possible
Future Adaptations
Imagine a trilogy on the scale of Lord of the Rings, or maybe a 3D movie like Avatar, only this time instead of blue cat-people, we have a talking, flying green horse.
3 comments:
adib said...
This is interesting. I've always fancied a local movie about mystical figures with a dead serious tone. No disney bullshit. A really dark movie about a mythical monster, chini dragon, being investigated. I believe that we are capable of this already. And maybe I would differ with you a bit on the giant-slamander part. Doesnt have to be colorful, just really dark grayish figure, like something out of The Shadow of the Colossus.
MAHSURI BINTI MD DESA said...
interesting
MAHSURI BINTI MD DESA said...
interesting