A war drama rooted in one of the most significant periods in Malaysian history is heading to cinemas nationwide. Peluru Senja: The Ghost & the Gun has officially confirmed an August 28, 2026 theatrical release in Malaysia, timed deliberately to the country’s Independence Day weekend. The film’s first trailer has also been released, giving audiences their first look at the story.
The film will open in cinemas across Malaysia on August 28, distributed locally by MSK Cinemas. The film is in Bahasa Malaysia, making it one of the few recent war productions told entirely in the national language. Saradha Sivalingam of MSK Cinemas said the company was drawn to the project because of its powerful storytelling, authentic Malaysian setting, and strong emotional core, believing it deserved to be experienced on the big screen.
Peluru Senja is set in 1948 Malaya, during the difficult and dangerous years following the end of World War II. The story follows two soldiers—Iz, a Malay soldier, and Abe, a British soldier—who are left behind when the British military withdraws from the region. Already carrying the psychological scars of war, the two men are forced to confront an old enemy, Chin Liu, a former ally who betrayed them during the war and has now returned to lead a violent group threatening their village. It is a story of survival, betrayal, and the trauma that war leaves behind long after the fighting has ended.
The film is directed by Anshul Tiwari, a Singapore-based Indian filmmaker making his third feature. His previous films include Before Life After Death and Bayaar, while the screenplay was written by Abhi Kumar. Tiwari has spoken openly about why the story resonated with him, noting that while there are many World War II films, very few are centred on people from this part of the world, and even fewer explore the chaos and human cost that followed the British military’s withdrawal from Malaya. That gap in storytelling is exactly what drew him to the project.
One of the most remarkable aspects of Peluru Senja is how it was made. The film was shot entirely in Bali, making it one of the first war features to use the Indonesian island as its primary filming location. The production team built 14 separate sets across Bali to recreate 1940s Malaya. Beyond the locations, the film brought together cast and crew from Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, India, Bangladesh, and the United Kingdom. Post-production was completed in Malaysia, further anchoring the film to the country whose story it tells.
The film is produced by Debasmita Dasgupta of FilmsPositive, Tim Willrich, Bo H. Holmgreen, and Mikail Chowdhury. Executive producers include Jessie White of Misfit Studios, Mohsen Ashraf of Friendly Felix Studios, Tanveer Ali, Amreen Bashir of Amra Bangladeshi, and Tahmid Khan of Auras. White described the film as a deeply human story set against the backdrop of an important chapter in Malaysian history.
The timing of the release is no coincidence. Malaysia’s National Day (Merdeka) falls on August 31, and releasing a film rooted in Malaysian history during the Independence Day weekend adds another layer of significance. Set during the years when the country was searching for its identity after colonial rule, the film’s release has been deliberately timed to coincide with the national celebrations.
Peluru Senja: The Ghost & the Gun opens in cinemas across Malaysia on August 28, 2026. Its combination of historical storytelling, an international production team, and a release timed with Merdeka celebrations makes it one of the notable Malaysian theatrical releases of the year, bringing a lesser-explored chapter of the nation’s past to the big screen for contemporary audiences.
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