Malaysian Tamil cinema
| Malaysian Tamil cinema | |
|---|---|
| No. of screens | 639 (2011) |
| • Per capita | 2.4 per 100,000 (2011) |
| Main distributors | Lotus Five Star AV Astro Shaw Tayangan Unggul Sdn Bhd |
| Produced feature films (2009) | |
| Fictional | 26 |
| Animated | 1 |
| Documentary | – |
| Number of admissions (2011) | |
| Total | 59,500,000 |
| National films | 13,130,000 (22.1%) |
| Gross box office (2011) | |
| Total | MYR 602 million |
| National films | MYR 125 million (20.7%) |
The making of local Tamil-language films is actively growing in Malaysia with many filmmakers wanting to make their mark.
Malaysia's first Tamil film is known to be Ratha Paei, starring Kalaikkumar Chinnasamy, Susheela Devi, Sivaji Raja, M. Baharudeen, Mukesh, Jaya Gowri and Malaysia Vasudevan. It was shot in Golden Studio, Chennai and directed by Mooban. Music and background score of the film was composed by G. K. Venkatesh. Shooting of the film began in 1968 and it was released on 14 January 1969.
Centered in Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Johor Bahru, the industry remained relatively small with fewer films produced. The industry is growing and faces strong competition from Tamil films from Indian Tamil cinema.