MOGAN Selvakannu, a contemporary documentary photographer and filmmaker, is hoping to use his talent to spark conversations about Indians in Malaysia.

The Negri Sembilan native told The Malaysian Insight the documentary, Don’t Rock the Boat, slated for release next year, will depict the reality and experiences of the community.

The 40-year-old said the documentary is a social portrait of the community.

“The idea behind this documentary is to create a sense of belonging among Malaysian Indians. They are in a situation where they are not fully welcomed in the country even though they have been here for generations,” Mogan said.

“A home is basically a place where people feel comfortable, confident and are able to be themselves without fear.

“But for Malaysian Indians and other ethnic minorities in the country, there is a lot of stigma and discrimination.

“All this shows, generally, that this place is not home,” said Mogan.

He hopes to give the “true” side of the community’s story. 

“There are a lot of misconceptions, there is a lot of stigma about the Malaysian Indian community.

“It is important to allow Malaysian Indians to voice what and who they really are so people from outside the community can see its true side.

“Enough of the India mabuk (Indian drunkards), India gangster labels,” he said.

Malaysian Indians make up 6.8% of the country’s population.  

Most of the community are descendants of migrants who were brought into the country by the British in the late 19th century.

After British left in 1957, some Indian migrants returned home but the majority opted to stay in what was then called Malaya.

Mogan said decades of an oppressive colonial system, affirmative policies and systemic racism have put the community at a disadvantage economically, socially and politically.

Mogan said his idea for a documentary came about while he was studying for a degree in documentary photography at the University of South Wales in Cardiff.

Although he learnt new things and earned valuable experience while studying abroad, Mogan said he always “missed home”.

“I then asked myself, what is home? Is it a place, feeling, moment, a group of people?

“Once I graduated and returned, I had a reverse culture shock. The things that I had experienced before I went to study, which used to be normal to me, I started to see it in a different light.

“There was a lot of inequality and a huge divide among the Malaysian Indians, depending on their social status,” he said.

Mogan said the Covid-19 lockdowns helped with the research of the project.

“What I’ve done is look at all the facts and figures and statistics about Malaysian Indians, which to be honest, is very lacking in Malaysia.

“You can’t get a lot of recent information other than population statistics,” he said.

Besides interviewing people and asking them to share their stories, Mogan said he will also speak to experts on the history of Malaysian Indians.

Apolitical

Mogan said the documentary project is non-polemical and apolitical.

“The documentary does not take sides. I show things as they are and I leave it to the audience to make their own judgment.

Mogan said he is hoping to raise RM15,000 for the project through crowdfunding.

Mogan said if the crowdfunding does not reach the target, he would complete the project using his own funds.

Mogan said shooting for the documentary will take place across the country.

He hopes to wrap up the interviews and shooting by February and have the 60-minute documentary ready for screening by April.

“My plan is to have a public screening in Kuala Lumpur because if I release the documentary online, the conversation will stay there. It will not have the impact I want.

“We want to get everyone to come in, not only the Malaysian Indians but also the wider society.”

To contribute to Mogan’s documentary project, click here. – August 17, 2022.