WHEN Raysha Rizrose discovered that Hefny Sahad would be playing her on-screen lover in the romantic television series Cintaku Di Bumi Izmir, her only thought was, “Well, this is going to be awkward.”
Why? Because Raysha’s elder sister Uqasha Senrose was previously involved in a romantic relationship with Hefny. However, the duo apparently called it quits in April this year.
Playing the on-screen lover of her sister’s ex-boyfriend certainly had Raysha feeling anxious.
But since playing pretend is what actors do, it was a breeze to brush off the awkwardness when the cameras began rolling.
“I was shocked when I saw his name in the cast list. Besides him being involved with my sister romantically, I’ve come to know of Hefny as a brother. To play his love interest on screen therefore took some time to digest.
“Luckily, Hefny made me feel comfortable on set so there were no awkward vibes. Building the chemistry on camera wasn’t hard and everything was smooth sailing,” she said.
Hefny too had no problems working with Raysha. He said he had maintained a close relationship with Raysha’s family despite not being on good terms with Uqasha.
“Uqasha and I may have ended our relationship but that doesn’t mean I can’t be on good terms with the rest of her family.
“Both Raysha and I are professionals so we don’t let personal issues get in the way of our acting,” he said.
Commenting on Uqasha’s rumoured new relationship with fellow actor Ben Amir, Hefny wishes her well in her new relationship.
“I’ve not been in touch with her since we ended things but I think that’s for the best. I’ve moved on and I am much more calm after performing my umrah,” he said with a smile.
LOVE IS IN THE AIR
Cintaku Di Bumi Izmir is set in Izmir, Turkey, and follows the romantic journey of Aidid (Hefny) and Suzan (Raysha). The two meet when Aidid travels to Turkey for a conference. Suzan, who is Malay-Turkish, acts as his tour guide and translator. Soon, they develop feelings for one another and plan to take their relationship to the next level.
However, Aidid’s overbearing aunt wants him to marry another woman. Will their love conquer all?
LOVE FOR THEIR CHARACTERS
Both Hefny and Raysha say their characters are very close to their hearts.
“I love Suzan for her determination in getting what she wants and working hard for it. She loves Aidid wholeheartedly and that’s a trait I can relate to,” said Raysha.
As for Hefny, he loves that his character is very much a family man, just as he is.
“He respects his aunt a lot as she brought him up. His family is everything to him. However, that brings trouble too as he doesn’t know how to say ‘no’ to his aunt,” he said.
Raysha had to learn the Turkish language for her role but she is glad that she did. “I am not familiar with the language at all, but Creative Skill Solution (the producers) sent us for language classes. I fell in love with the language,” she said.
NOT WITHOUT CHALLENGES
When we see actors travelling to exotic locations for an acting project, it’s hard to not feel envious. But while they’re lucky enough to see the world while working, bear in mind that working in other countries doesn’t come without its challenges.
The entire crew had to fast for over 16 hours in the hot weather in Turkey as filming took place throughout Ramadan.
Singer-actress Nabila Razali, who plays Fara, revealed it was her first time being away from her family during the fasting month.
“Back home, I may be always on the road as well but there’s comfort knowing that I’m in the same country as my family.
“To welcome Ramadan while being away from family for the first time was quite an emotional moment for me.
“Luckily, technology allows us to stay in touch through video calls. Also, being surrounded by the production crew was fun. We have all become one big family,” she said.
Catch Cintaku Di Bumi Izmir on HyppSensasi channel 116 at 9pm every Monday and Tuesday.