THE Kelantan traditional wayang kulit or shadow play is literally going into the shadows of time, losing out with new forms of entertainment in 21st century Malaysia.

For centuries, the wayang kulit troupes complete with their own orchestra would go from village to village and regale the audience with tales from the Hindu epic Mahabharata but action and comedy films in a number of cinemas and film downloads have now taken the audiences’ attention.

So, fewer numbers are turning up to watch such wayang kulit shows in Malaysia, especially in its home base in Kelantan, forcing the number of wayang kulit troupes to plunge from 54 in the early 1990s to just eight today.

But a group called Fusion Wayang Kulit (https://www.facebook.com/FusionWayangKulit/) is out to revive the wayang kulit, with a twist to the tale.

It has come out with new characters and the epic tale called Peperangan Bintang which is adapted from popular space action film Star Wars.

Begun in 2013, the latest wayang kulit flick is a big sensation attracting new generation in each of their shows. – April 6, 2017.