Irfan Zaini Aims To Bridge Malaysian, Global Film Industries

By Mohd Afiq Zulkifli

KUALA LUMPUR, July 16 (Bernama) – Behind his calm demeanour and modest smile, rising actor Irfan Zaini harbours a big dream—not just to be known on the local screen, but to serve as a bridge connecting the Malaysian film industry to the international stage.

Irfan, whose full name is Muhammad Irfan Mohamed Zaini, 30, achieved an impressive milestone by appearing in three Tamil films alongside renowned star Thalapathy Vijay, 51, who is also actively involved in politics in Tamil Nadu, India.

The young actor from Kuala Lumpur made his debut in the film Kuruvi (2008) at the age of 12, followed by Greatest of All Time (GOAT) (2024), and is now working on Jana Nayagan, which is currently in production and expected to be released early next year.

According to Irfan, the opportunity to act in India did not come easily. It required nearly five years of back-and-forth travel, meeting directors and    producers, and even being scammed by individuals who made false promises.

“People think I went there and immediately got acting roles, but the truth is, I lost a lot of time, money, and energy. Many are still waiting for their chance, but I consider myself lucky because I was desperate to act in India,” he said in an interview with Bernama recently.

He said that in trying to break into the Kollywood industry, there’s no set strategy to follow, but his deep passion drove him to work hard and patiently wait for his chance.

“Maybe others would have given up halfway,” he added.

Irfan, who gained recognition among Malay audiences after starring in Blood Brothers: Bara Naga, said acting in India opened his eyes to the vastly different work culture, with productions managed in a more professional and structured manner.

“In Malaysia, a film might have only two to four assistant directors. But in India, they can have over 20.

“Each has a specific role—some handle the filming locations, others coordinate hundreds or even thousands of crew members, and some focus solely on planning complex sets like large-scale action scenes. Everything needs to be managed efficiently and quickly,” he explained.

He added that most film crew members in India are part of a film workers’ union that protects their welfare, including compensation in the event of injury or death during filming.

“But in terms of quality—like camera work and storylines—I think Malaysia is already on par with India, even though our films are mostly made with smaller budgets,” he said, expressing his determination not only to make a name abroad but also to open more doors for collaboration between the Malaysian and international film industries.

He pointed to the Indian film industry’s recent focus on pan-India films, which bring together actors and crew from different regions such as Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, and Malayalam, and are released in multiple languages simultaneously—creating a nationwide phenomenon.

“If they can bring together actors from different cultures and languages, I believe we too can start collaborating with neighbouring countries like Korea, Thailand, or Indonesia.

“So when foreign actors appear in our films, our market will grow even bigger,” he said, believing that such a model could elevate Malaysian cinema on the global stage.

— BERNAMA