It was alleged to have been based on one of the most notorious murder cases in the history of modern Malaysia which involved black magic and a politician whose body was hacked into pieces. The case is surely a great recipe for a supernatural thriller. And as problems continue to plague the film, the more superstitious folk would probably think the film is jinxed in some way.
Berita Harian report (in Malay)
Official trailer (YouTube)
The Star Malaysia's report on the film and the Mona Fandey case (in English)
The controversy never ends for Malaysian horror film Dukun (Shaman). First. it was reported that the families involved in the real incident on which the film was allegedly based, were unhappy with the idea of the film being made. Then there were rumours of threats of legal action. Then, the film's release date was pushed back more than once.
And now rumours are circulating once again that Dukun will never be released at all. The film's official website has also been removed. Dukun's fate, according to a report in the Malay language daily Berita Harian, continues to hang in the balance, despite it having piqued a lot of interest with a riveting trailer.
The paper quoted Tengku Datuk Anuar Mussaddad, executive director of Astro Shaw, the company that produced the film, as saying that no decision has been made about the film's release. He said the company is currently "reviewing" the film's content to make sure that it doesn't offend any parties.
"We're reviewing the film comprehensively to make sure that audiences do not get the wrong perception or misconstrue the true meaning of why the film was made," he told Berita Harian.
Anuar also denied that Dukun was ever based on any real events. (The trailer has the words "Based on a true story." Also, read The Star's July 30, 2006 report linked above.)
"This film is more about how a lawyer defends a case and the ensuing court proceedings. That's all," he told the paper.
He also denied that the company had received any letters of complaint from the families of the people involved in the real case.
The film completed production in July last year. What this "review" by Astro Shaw is about is anyone's guess. Will they recut the film? What will they do?
I tried to get in touch with the producer Dominique Hee, but she has since left Astro Shaw to pursue other interests, and declined to comment on the matter. The film's director, Dain Iskandar Said, is currently in Jakarta.