In this episode of ContentAsia’s Greenlights & Ground Truths, producer Lina Tan discusses her new film, Khadam, and how Red Communications fuses Malay folklore with its signature women-centred storytelling — using horror to ask a universal question: who are women really slaves to?

Set in the 1950s, against the backdrop of Malaysia’s independence and the rising optimism sweeping the country, Khadam follows a woman who inherits her family’s saka — a dark spiritual legacy — after her mother’s death. As its grip tightens, she races to protect her young daughter.

The horror drama stars Indonesia’s leading scream queen Aghniny Haque alongside Malaysian A-lister Remy Ishak, and is directed by Shamyl Othman. The film is produced by Red Communications and Komet Productions, with partners China’s Sil-Metropole and India’s Applause Entertainment. Indonesia’s MAGMA Entertainment also serves as executive producer.

Khadam was one of four films showcased at JAFF in Jogjakarta at the end of 2025, spearheading what organisers described as a “Nusantara” wave — highlighting the growing creative synergy between Indonesia and Malaysia. The other titles were Munafik (the Indonesian remake of the Malaysian horror franchise from Skop Productions and Syamsul Yusof), Khurafat Indonesia, and Badut Gendong.