Jit Murad (1960-2022), one of the country’s foremost playwrights, whose influential theatre works and scripts resonated far beyond the stage, will be celebrated at the inaugural JitFest 2025 at PJPAC from January 17-19. Photo: Filepic/The Star
The enduring legacy of Jit Murad (1960–2022), a cherished figure in Malaysian theatre and performing arts, takes centre stage in JitFest 2025.
Through a series of three thoughtfully curated events, this festival pays tribute to his influence on the arts, celebrating the wit, creativity, and cultural impact of one of the nation’s most iconic storytellers.
Organised by DramaLab, JitFest 2025 will take place at the Petaling Jaya Performing Arts Centre (PJPAC) from Jan 17-19. The shows will take place at the theatre venue's main Stage 1 and Nero Event Space.
Following the theatre shows at PJPAC, additional festival programmes - including workshops, satellite events, and both small and large-scale productions throughout the year - will be announced by DramaLab later this month.
Reflecting on his personal connection with Jit, Datuk Zahim Albakri, founder, artistic director, and executive producer of DramaLab, recalls directing the award-winning film Spilt Gravy On Rice, a collaboration that stands as a testament to Jit’s creative genius.
Zahim’s film, renamed Spilt Gravy: Kemana Tumpahnya Kuah for local cinemas, is based on Jit’s 2002 theatre play which won four awards at the inaugural Cameronian Arts Award in 2003 in KL, including best director and best original script.
Harith Iskander (seated), Na'a Murad (yellow shirt) and Jit Murad discussing a scene on the set of the Spilt Gravy On Rice film. Harith and Na'a are set to appear at JitFest 2025. Photo: Handout
To add to the backstory, in 1993, Jit co-founded Dramalab with Zahim, an offshoot of Instant Cafe Theatre that became a key platform for nurturing new writing and introducing emerging theatre talent.
“I’ve had the honour of calling Jit my best friend. He didn’t just contribute to Malaysian arts – he transformed it. Through his brilliant storytelling, evocative plays, and boundary-pushing satire, Jit held up a mirror to our society. He challenged us to see the beauty and absurdity in our daily lives,” said Zahim, who hopes to make the JitFest an annual event on the Malaysian theatre calendar.
JitFest 2025 begins on Jan 17 with What A Load Of Jit, an evening dedicated to revisiting Jit’s unforgettable works.
Renowned actors Sharifah Amani, Ghafir Akhbar, and Datin Sofia Jane will perform excerpts from his plays on the PJPAC stage.
The festival’s opening evening will also bring together Jit’s closest friends and collaborators, including Zahim, his younger brother Na’a Murad, and Jo Kukathas. Joining the celebration are comedians Harith Iskander and Datuk Afdlin Shauki, as well as composer Saidah Rastam, promising a night filled with humour and music.
For film enthusiasts, the second day (Jan 18) of JitFest 2025 features a special screening of Spilt Gravy: Kemana Tumpahnya Kuah.
'I’ve had the honour of calling Jit my best friend. He didn’t just contribute to Malaysian arts – he transformed it,' says Zahim. Photo: The Star/Glenn Guan
Spilt Gravy On Rice, released in cinemas in 2022 – more than a decade after it was filmed – made a significant impact, sweeping seven awards, including Best Film, at the Malaysian Film Festival (FFM32) in December 2022.
Years on, Jit’s poignant and humorous exploration of family, heritage, and the complexities of modern Malaysian society resonates deeply across generations.
With three film screenings scheduled at JitFest 2025, Spilt Gravy On Rice will feature exclusive content, including deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes footage, and a Q&A session with director Zahim.
Continuing the legacy
The closing day of JitFest 2025 (Jan 19) will spotlight local playwrights with rehearsed readings of the winning entries from the Jit Murad Playwriting Competition. Launched with an open call last year, the competition was created to encourage playwriting among Malaysian creatives.
In its inaugural edition, the judging panel awarded a tie, naming Ridzwan Othman’s Disappear The Mountain and Leysha Al-yahya’s Aku, Kau & Dia as the winners.
Zahim notes that the judging panel – Ann Lee, Fasyali Fadzly, Jo Kukathas, June Tan, and Susah Philip – had a tough task evaluating the 17 entries.
Playwright Ridzwan Othman (in yellow top) and director Ghafir Akbar (holding notes) review the script of 'Disappear The Mountain'. The cast for the rehearsed reading includes Ghafir, Jerrica Lai, Sharifah Aleya, Ruby Ooi, Ahmad Mior Faiz, and Firdaus Yusof. Photo: The Star/M. Irsyad
“Although they were quite different in their chosen subject matters and themes explored, both playwrights displayed a strong sense and knowledge of theatre in their writing. Choosing not to have a theme or subject that the playwrights had to adhere to, both plays had individual traits that you could associate with elements of Jit’s writing, thus keeping his spirit alive,” says Zahim.
Ridzwan, 55, describes his play Disappear The Mountain as the story of Agnes and Cempaka, who take on a mysterious job from the dark web to "disappear the mountain." As they begin their preparations, tensions arise from their differing interpretations of the task. One believes it involves counterfeiting currency, while the other thinks it requires literally demolishing a mountain, leading to intrigue as their conflicting perspectives unfold.
“This play turned out to be an exploration of loss on a national level – what we (as a country) have lost in terms of our people, our standards of excellence, morals, direction, purchasing power, natural resources, etc,” says Ridzuan.
“The people who showed up in my mind to tell the story were the Governor of Bank Negara who is preoccupied with the latest redesign of ringgit notes, his assistant, and two other individuals who have taken on a job on the dark web to 'disappear the mountain'. As a playwright, I'm also motivated by the possibility that playwriting might be one of those things that will permanently disappear from Malaysia,” he adds.
Leysha’s work titled 'Aku, Kau & Dia' revolves around a newly married couple as they move into their first home together. Photo: Handout
Meanwhile, Leysha’s work titled Aku, Kau & Dia revolves around a newly married couple as they move into their first home together. They’re very hopeful but soon they realise they aren’t alone in their home as they come face to face with ghosts of their past and futures.
“I wanted to write this story to address the inherited scars we all carry, as well as the very real impacts of anxiety and depression, both of which I’ve personally dealt with,” says Leysha, 32.
A writer and director of six short films, several of which have been showcased at international film festivals, she brings a deeply personal perspective to her work.
"I wrote this play during the first lockdown as a way to capture the feeling of being trapped in both space and time – between two people and two phases of life. At its core, though, I wrote it for my mother and grandmothers, and unknowingly, for my daughter, Aadya. I didn’t realise the impact she had on me, even then," she concludes.
JitFest 2025 runs at PJPAC from Jan 17-19. It is a collaboration between DramaLab, ArtsFAS, Yayasan Hasanah and The Ministry of Finance Malaysia.
