Breakout star of Malaysian film Sangeeta Krishnasamy spreads her wings with producer role
- Law graduate who stumbled into her first film role a decade ago made her name in Tamil-language movies before an award-winning Malay-language debut in 2017
- The success of that film, Adiwiraku, about an inspiring schoolteacher, led to more offers for 33-year-old, and her first stint as executive producer on a sequel
Actress Sangeeta Krishnasamy’s name has long been familiar to Malaysian Indians thanks to her many roles in Tamil-language films, but since her appearance in mainstream Malaysian movie Adiwiraku, the 33-year-old has been making waves outside her traditional audience. Malaysians from all backgrounds have taken notice of her talent and multiracial appeal.
The 2017 Malay-language film is based on the real-life experience of a rural schoolteacher, Cheryl Ann Fernando. Despite being a newcomer to Malay-language film, Sangeeta won best actress award at the Malaysia Film Festival in 2017, where Adiwiraku was crowned best film.
She won two other awards for her role in the film, an Anugerah Skrin Award and The Kuala Lumpur Film Critics Award, making her the first actress to win all three. Despite the overwhelming success of her debut in mainstream cinema, Sangeeta hasn’t let fame get to her head. She wants to learn more about filmmaking.
“I will be enrolling in an acting course at the New York Film Academy in August to enhance my acting skills and to prepare myself in case international acting opportunities come my way,” Sangeeta says in an interview with the Post. “I am also planning to enrol in scriptwriting and film production courses in the future.”
A graduate in law from the University of London, the Malaysian Indian began her film career in 2009. She stumbled into acting accidentally and fell in love with it. “I’ve always been very passionate about movies, but never thought I’d take it up as a profession,” she says.