“I was just a 13-year-old who loved anime more than playing outside. Now look where we are.”
That one line spoken with a grin and eyes full of fire is exactly who Sanadtkumar Ganesan is.
A dreamer. A doer. And now, one of Malaysia’s most inspiring young filmmakers.
The Boy Who Swapped Playgrounds for Purpose 🎬
While most teens were busy gaming or lepak-ing, Sanadt was glued to movies and animated TV Shows hungry to learn how stories were made.
At just 13, he walked into ET Ideas, a business incubator platform in Malaysia that helps develop entrepreneurs to step out of the system and solve world problems, and told them he loved movie and instead of laughing, they gave him an opportunity to work with ET Boost Productions, a PR and personal branding firm where he helped to assist on shoots, simply carrying lights, and helping with recordings
By 14, he was editing music videos for his friend Heerraa Ravindran, who eventually became a member of the Recording Academy for the GRAMMY’s. By 15, he was shooting real content, learning on the ground, failing fast, growing faster and discovering one truth: When young people get a platform, they don’t grow, they explode.
Four Teenagers. One Movement. 55,000 Lives Changed. 🌍✨
At 15, Sanadt and his friends Heerraa, Harsha, and Mathura created Ascendance, now one of Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing youth organisations.
From Sabah to Sarawak to Johor, Sanadt met students who felt unseen, unheard, and underestimated. That hit him hard.
Malaysia didn’t need Hollywood superheroes. Malaysia needed Malaysian role models, young, raw, real, and relatable.
And that’s how his documentary journey was born.
WANTED: Shades of Life → One of Malaysia’s Most Heart-Hitting Documentary Series 🎥❤️
Sanadt could’ve gone into commercial films or TV dramas.
But he chose stories that create better humans.
His documentary series, globally known as WANTED: Shades of Life, has already delivered four powerful films following the stories of:
Mathura Kannan, a 19-year-old former CEO of Ascendance’s unfiltered rise, premiered to over 140 young adults in Menara Hap Seng in 2019.
Agnesmary Selvaraj, the Bharatanatyam dancer who survived in Chennai by herself to learn the art, only to lose it to the stresses of daily life. In her 30s – Agnesmary put on her Salanggai again to dance, and to teach underprivileged kids who yearn for an opportunity to up on stage.
Genkeswaran Muniyan, a former convict who became a national hero by winning the Bronze Medal in the SEA Games in 2013.
Artist Janet Lee, a Malaysian painter who struggled with life-long epilepsy and went on to impact the world for the better.
Each premiere ended the same way:
Tears. Goosebumps. Silence. Then applause.
Because these stories hit straight in the heart.
The Tough Part? Being Young. The Winning Part? Never Giving Up. 💥
Many adults doubted the vision of Ascendance.
People said, “What can a 15-year-old teach us? With zero budget but 100% heart, he and his team crowdfunded, worked on developing systems, and built a strong foundation with the teacher and student community. Eventually, ministries, U.S. foundations, and global partners are lining up to work with the same “kids” they once rejected.
What’s Next for This 25-Year-Old Malaysian Visionary? 🚀🎞️
“Bigger productions with bigger budgets? It’s coming,” he says with that signature smile.
But right now, he’s focused on what he does best: Telling untold Malaysian stories.
Building young leaders.
Proving that you don’t need to wait until 30, 40, or 50 to change lives.
Final Word
Sanadtkumar Ganesan isn’t just a filmmaker.
He’s a movement, a loud, fearless reminder that when young people get a stage, they don’t just perform
They change the world for the better.
And at 25, Sanadt’s just heating up.
Malaysia, watch closely. A whole new generation of storytellers is rising and he’s leading the way. 🔥
