Actor Sharnaaz Ahmad is excited to sink his teeth into a layered villainous role for the new upcoming web-series Devoted.
SNAZILLY dressed in extravagant threads, with well-cropped facial hair and a light blonde coiffure gracing the top of his head, Sharnaaz Ahmad casts an impressive stature as a suave and stylish gentleman.
Met during a break in between a location shoot for his latest project, he lounges comfortably on a plush hardwood bench in the historical confines of the Tun Hussein Onn Memorial in Kuala Lumpur.
Here, the 33-year-old actor from Penang talks about his latest role, a wolf in sheep’s chic clothing, in which he hopes that viewers will willingly drink his Kool-Aid.
CULT LEADER
Known for portraying anti-heroes, Sharnaaz, who is also a TV presenter and model, says that it’s a subtler and more layered character he’s now inhabiting.
Silver-tongued smooth talker, eloquent orator and master manipulator — this is the guise that he’s going for.
“To put it simply, I would say that he’s a sociopath,” says the actor of his onscreen persona, Iskandar, who is also a playboy. Yikes!
“Yeah, he’s a bit of a psycho, this Iskandar, and he recruits followers into his cult-like organisation. He sways their thinking not from a religious aspect but more from a philosophical understanding of life. His followers are mostly well heeled and educated individuals,” says the father of one baby boy.
The slippery Iskandar, who channels the charismatic personage of cult leaders like Jim Jones and the like, is the devious villain of the new Viu original web-series called Devoted.
NEW VISION
Described as a neo-noir thriller, the 10-episode dramatic series is set to premiere on the Viu sometime in March.
The Hong Kong-based video streaming service was also previously responsible for the recent edgy and atypical trio of web-series, Jibril, Salon and The Bridge.
Without wanting to reveal too much at this point, the story is said to revolve around modern career woman Eva, portrayed by Iman Corinne Adrienne, who gets entangled in Iskandar’s web of deceit and eventually has to protect her family.
“This is not your usual local drama. These productions from Viu represent a new vision and development in the local scene in terms of presenting different stories and storytelling. And Devoted has a strong story,” he says.
Sharnaaz, who won the Best Supporting Film Actor award for Gila Baby at Anugerah Skrin 2015, adds that the production aims to raise the standards to that of foreign works, like those from Singapore, Thailand or even South Korea.
FRESH AND DISTINCT
This would include the cast and the acting as well. “No typical over-the-top Malay drama acting or pushing-the-dial-to-the-max reactions here. Everything is minimalist, subtle and layered. The focus is on depth,” he says.
“So to me, it’s all very unconventional and it’s certainly something I haven’t done before. This was what makes it interesting to do,” adds Sharnaaz, who is grateful to Corinne for inviting him to be a part of the project.
Those who have seen the previous three Viu web-series will be able to suss out what to expect.
He says: “Some people turn on the TV and just want to see straightforward shows and love stories. Nothing wrong with that. But if you want to see something distinct and deeper from a local production, with a story that presents things that you will have to process and think about, then this is for you.”
WELCOME EXPOSURE
“As far as I’m concerned, as an actor, I give it my best in this role. I realise at this point what I have to do and that I can do it. So hopefully the end product will be great on my part,” says Sharnaaz, who is excited to have an exciting and meaty role.
The actor adds that it is a good thing for Malaysia to have more of the online video streaming services available locally now, such as Netflix and Iflix, which are also starting to produce original content in the Asian and Southeast Asian regions.
“There’s competition, exposure and a larger platform. Bigger budgets, bigger opportunities and on a bigger scale. What’s there not to like?” he says.
Ready to embrace possible change for a potentially better creative environment, Sharnaaz has a positive outlook and is optimistic about the future.
“2019 is going to be a very good year for me. I’m looking out for more quality works,” he says with a piercing look and slight smile.
Check out the Viu original series on www.viu.com.