Malam Takdir is a new opera in Bahasa Melayu by Johan Othman, that is inspired by the Mahabharata. The story revolves around an imagined conversation between a king who was born blind, and his advisor, on the eve of a predestined war that would see all his 100 sons killed in battle. What unfolds is an argument that brings to the fore a story of hope and betrayal, fate, and human volition. We find out more about Five Arts Centre’s new opera, which employs a combination of music, movement and the national language, from the production's director Chee Sek Thim, and performer Nur Hilyati Ramli.