As Genkeswaran Muniyan’s difficult journey from a gangster to chess champion became the subject of a multiple awardwinning documentary, he hopes it would inspire youths not to take the easy way out when faced with poverty and hardship. For Genkeswaran, 35, chess was his way out of poverty. The game proved to be a lifesaver and as a SEA Games chess bronze medallist in 2013, he proved it could be done. His journey from being a reformed gangster to a chess
grandmaster inspired the awardwinning documentary, Wanted: Shades of Life, which was locally produced last year. Among its many accolades achieved were Best Inspirational Film at Los Angeles Film Awards, Best Documentary Film at the FilmCon Awards, and Finalist at the New York International Film Awards. It was also picked as an Official Selection at the Stockholm City Film Festival. This January, it was awarded Best Documentary Feature at Festigious International Film Festival, and Best Indie Feature at the Festigious International Film Festival. Genkeswaran suffered the pangs of poverty from a young age and ended up in the wrong company while living on an estate at Carey Island in Selangor. (Pic) Genkeswaran coaching a student in one of his classes . WAN MIRZA ISKANDAR THESUN
