''Kami'' is a 1982
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
n Malay-language drama film. It is notable as being the only film featuring
Sudirman Haji Arshad, a successful Malay singer dubbed the "Singing Lawyer" as he was a law graduate from the
University of Malaya
The University of Malaya ( ms, Universiti Malaya, UM; abbreviated as UM or informally the Malayan University) is a public research university located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is the oldest and highest ranking Malaysian institution of highe ...
in
Kuala Lumpur
, anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera''
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(an academic background almost unheard of among Malay entertainers). The film is written and directed by Patrick Yeoh, who was notable as being the first non-Malay in several decades to direct a Malay film.
The film is unusual for its time, not following the conventional
Bollywood
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...
influenced formula that typified Malay films of the era.
Plot
The film is about two young runaway teenagers who meet in the city of
Kuala Lumpur
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after leaving their respective homes in different states. Tookoo (Sudirman) the elder of the two, who was first in the city, "adopts" Din (Zulzamri) and as their relationship develops, is both big brother and father to Din. And as the film progresses we see how Tookoo dreams of being a successful pop singer, and how he and Din survive in the city, collecting recyclable items for sale. We are touched by what these two teenagers go through in the concrete jungle of the city as they are bullied by gangs who rob them of their hard-earned money, cheated by dishonest employers who do not pay them and traumatised by over-zealous police who arrest Tookoo by mistake.
Response
The film was panned by a generation of Malay film reviewers accustomed to the typical Malay film format. However, three out of four established film critics in the country voted it the best film of the year in Malaysia in 1983. The film represented Malaysia at two international film festivals. Zulzamri who played the character of Din won the Best Child Actor Award at the Malaysian National Film Festival.
Cast
*
Sudirman Arshad
Dato' Sudirman bin Haji Arshad, (25 May 1954 – 22 February 1992), known mononymously as Sudirman, was a Malaysian singer and songwriter. His singing career kicked off after winning the Bintang RTM singing competition on 11 August 1976. His ...
as Tookoo
* Zul Zamanhuri as Din
* Osman Zailani as Tookoo's father
* Ho Kwee Leng as Tookoo's stepmother
*
Ibrahim Din as Mamak
* Shariff Babu as Pak Du
* Azmi Mohamad as Abang Husin
* Azizah Muslim
* Norhayati Yaacob
* Param Andhi
* Balakrishnan Andhi
* Ganesh Munusamy
Songs
* Budak Baru - Sudirman Arshad
* Pelangi Petang - Sudirman Arshad
* Kesepian - Sudirman Arshad
Media release
''Kami'' was reaired on
Radio Televisyen Malaysia
Radio Televisyen Malaysia ( en, Radio Television of Malaysia, abbreviated as RTM, stylised as rtm), also known as the Department of Broadcasting, Malaysia ( ms, Jabatan Penyiaran Malaysia) is the national public broadcaster of Malaysia. Establi ...
(RTM)
TV2 on 22 May 2009.
[Budiey (18 May 2009)]
Filem Kami Lakonan Allahyarham Sudirman di TV2
''Sensasi Selebriti''. Retrieved on 20 February 2017. It also aired on
Astro Citra
Astro Citra is a 24-hour Malay language version of HBO Asia, showing the local and Asian movies. The channel began broadcasting on 1 June 2009, replacing Astro Kirana (Channel 122) which ceased its broadcasting on 18 May 2009 due to low viewer ...
.
References
External links
* {{IMDb title, 0275444, Kami
1982 films
1982 drama films
Malay-language films
Malaysian drama films