He told FMT that, despite having truly enjoyed his time studying for his degree in the United Kingdom, he’d felt it wasn’t home.
“Yet, I didn’t feel at home in Malaysia, either, because there are many things here that are determined by my race and ethnicity,” said the 40-year-old, who was born and raised in Seremban.
“There are a lot of inequalities, things that [Indian Malaysians] can and can’t do because of their race. This documentary aims to give them a voice by depicting their reality and lived experiences.”
The hour-long film will be primarily in English and is scheduled to be released next year. Mogan explained that it will be broken down into two parts, the first featuring interviews with the Indian Malaysian community throughout the country, across age groups, social statuses, ethnic subgroups, gender and sexuality.
Questions will be asked about their childhood, struggles, opinions on racism, as well as how they feel about statements such as “pendatang” and “balik India”.
“Everyone’s voice matters, so I want to speak to a diverse group of people,” Mogan added.
The second part will feature interviews with experts from the economic, political, and social sectors regarding matters that concern the community.
“They would give us the facts and figures, which would corroborate, inform or contradict the opinions of Indian Malaysians,” he said.
“There’s a lot of misconception about the community, so at the end of the day, I hope this documentary will get people thinking and to start having conversations.”
Crowdfunding
To help finance the project, Mogan started a crowdfunding campaign on July 15 with the goal of raising RM15,000, which will be used to cover travel expenses, post-production, as well as promotional and screening costs.
Although it’s a small sum, he is confident it will be sufficient to cover the entire project. “If I don’t reach the target, I’ll use my own money and complete the post-production myself, although the final product won’t be as good as with a professional team,” he explained.
The campaign runs until Oct 15, and those who are interested can donate any amount via PayPal or bank transfer. He has thus far collected RM2,400.
Of the support he has received, Mogan said: “It has been overwhelming; many are enthusiastic about the project, and some have even offered me lodging while I do the interviews.
“I appreciate that people are contributing even though we’re undergoing a cost-of-living crisis,” he shared, adding that contributions have been received from Singapore, South Korea, Europe, and the United States.
As it is a non-profit venture, any excess funds will go towards social enterprises that help the needy Indian Malaysian community. And upon completion, Mogan plans to conduct public screenings and roadshows to facilitate more face-to-face discussions among Malaysians.
Then, about a year from release, he will make it available on YouTube so it can be watched by anyone, and for the conversation to continue online.
‘A moving experience’
Mogan, who has conducted a few interviews for the film so far, cites speaking with a woman from the lower end of the B40 community as an “extremely moving experience” that “almost brought tears to my eyes”.
“It wasn’t easy for her to share her hardship, and it wasn’t easy for me to process,” he said.
Ultimately, he hopes the documentary will quash misconceptions and stereotypes portrayed in the media as a step towards the betterment of the Indian Malaysian community.
“The film is non-polemic, it doesn’t take sides. My aim is to show things as they are, and for Malaysians to form their own opinions,” he concluded.
For more info on ‘Don’t Rock the Boat’ and to support its crowdfunding campaign, click here. For enquiries, email Mogan at [email protected].
Do also check out its Facebook and Instagram profiles for updates.