A COUPLE of years ago, Nabil Ahmad had spoken about expanding his career as a director, producer and scriptwriter.
His dreams have become a reality following the release of his first telemovie, The Hantus.
“This is my first ever ‘baby’ and I’m so proud of it. It’s a dream come true to be able to share it with everyone,” said the popular actor-comedian-host who sits in the producer’s chair for the first time.
Directed by Helmi Yusof, this horror telemovie is inspired by popular ghost stories such as Hantu Kak Limah the mystery surrounding Mimaland, and Volkswagen Kuning. But in true Nabil fashion, he injects the scary movie with a dose of comedy too.
Working on the project and landing a slot on Astro First (where the telemovie is available for viewing) wasn’t an easy feat for Nabil, although many assumed it would be the other way around.
Having been labelled Astro’s “golden child” after hosting its popular shows such as MeleTOP, HBO Sentral, Ceria Megastar and Gegar Vaganza, it was natural for people to assume he had landed a slot easily due to his strong footing in the company. But Nabil has denied that was the case.
“There’s no shortcut for me. My production team had to go through the same procedure as the rest to get the green light from Astro.
“It’s true that I know many people in Astro and many thought I didn’t have to work hard to get Astro on board with my idea, but that’s not true.
“I wasn’t given special privileges. In fact, I had to pitch my idea to Astro like everybody else. Thankfully they liked it,” he said in a recent interview.
Nabil’s determination to ensure his first project measured up to his standards saw him sacrificing time, energy and money.
“I’d like to thank my wife for not putting up a fight each time I came home at 6am after filming ended for the day. She has been a real sport and motivates me everyday to achieve my dreams.
Nabil also shared that he had to fork out thousands of ringgit just to
rent a theme park, besides paying the fees for 120 extra cast members.
“I don’t mind going the extra mile for this project as I want it to be what I had envisioned it to be. I want it to be unique, fun and extraordinary,” he said.
And indeed it is, as the telemovie’s storyline is unlike other existing ones. It’s funny, scary, romantic and sad.
It stars Alif Satar, Hanna Delisha, Faizal Hussein, and Khatijah Tan. The movie follows the journey of a group of ghosts in their spiritual realm.
“Although it is funny and scary, if you read between the lines the messages behind the storyline are actually deep and meaningful.
“That’s what I love about this story, it’s more than just a comedy-thriller.”
Having been in show business for a decade now, Nabil plans to produce films, and sharpen his skills as a director, producer and scriptwriter.
“The Hantus is a stepping stone for me to achieve more. It is bound to have flaws but that’s okay because I need to learn and grow.
“I’m happy to be where I am right now in my career,” he said.
What other dreams does he want to achieve?
“To produce my own stand-up comedy on platforms such as Netflix. I was inspired when I saw Harith Iskander’s stand up show on Netflix.
“It proves that nothing is impossible. Everything you want in life is just a dream away. You just have to work hard.”