Silat the country's best costume dramas before the genre began to decline in Malaysia after the early 2000s. Aside from period dramas, authentic silat is often featured in other genres, such as the Indonesian series "Mawar Merah" and the made-for-TV children's movie "Borobudur". In Malaysia, various styles of silat are regularly showcased in martial arts-themed documentary serials like "Mahaguru", "Gelanggang" and "Gerak Tangkas". Other instances of silat on television include the following. Silat in the literary tradition can be traced back to the old hikayat or epics which became popular as literacy spread among Southeast Asian commoners, specifically commoners from the
Indonesian martial arts popularity of radio shows featuring pencak silat experts in the old Indonesian kingdoms of Pajajaran and Majapahit circa the 14-15th century. Historical epics such as "Saur Sepuh", "Tutur Tinular" and "Misteri Gunung Merapi" have been adapted both for TV and film. Indonesian cinema differentiates this from modern action films or "laga". The latter may or may not include traditional fighting styles, but the modern setting makes it distinct from the silat genre proper. While Indonesian movies and TV series have always had a large following in neighbouring Malaysia and Singapore, it was the 2009 film "Merantau" that brought international attention