Namewee’s controversial banned movie “Banglasia” was originally slated to be released in 2014 during Chinese New Year, but due to its sensitive content, it was kept hidden for more than 6 years.
Now the film, which has been renamed to “Banglasia 2.0”, can finally see the light as the ban has finally been lifted. The film will be meeting its nationwide audience on 28th February 2019.
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Though some changes have been made to the new version to make it more relevant, it doesn’t change the core message of the movie.
Here are 5 reasons why you need to catch “Banglasia 2.0” in cinema!
It was banned for 5 years
A lot of us already know that the film is well known for being the first local movie to be banned from the country. Though most of us basically know why it was banned, we still wonder how far the film actually went to make the previous government so disapproving of it.
It’s nothing but pure comedy
For those who have watched Namewee’s previous films such as “Nasi Lemak 2.0” or “Hantu Gangster”, you would know that the filmmaker’s basic ingredient is comedy. Sure, there are other elements involved in the movie, but at the end of the day, the intention of the movie is to make people laugh and have fun.
So let’s not take it too seriously.
Only Malaysians will get the jokes and references
The movie is made purely for Malaysians (and probably Bangladeshis in Malaysia as well) as there are plenty of inside jokes and references about the country’s political situation, latest trends, and cultural diversity. Also, since the movie was made 5 years ago, those who are not familiar with the country’s political condition at that time may not fully grasp the jokes.
Multiracial star-studded cast
Leading the movie is Bangladeshi actor Nirab Hossain who is said to be the Andy Lau equivalent of Bangladesh, and actor Namewee himself who is also the director and scriptwriter of the movie.
Other famous cast include comedian and former member of Senario, Saiful Apek; one of the founding members of Alleycats, David Arumugam; Malaysian-based Singaporean actress Atikah Suhaime, Singaporean comedian Lao Zha Bor; local Indian actor-director Shashi Tharan; and more.
Unity is the core message of the movie
The main objective of the movie is basically to spread the spirit of unity and peace. As the movie is set in a fictional Malaysia where a war is going on in one area of the country, Malaysians of different races must unite to fight against foreign invasion with the help of a Bangladeshi worker.
Though the movie has a serious theme, it is still a comedy, so Namewee hopes that the audience will be able to watch the movie with an open heart.
