Sharifah Amani also marks her first team-up with Rosyam Nor in crime thriller Motif
AWARD-WINNING actress Sharifah Amani has worked with many leading men on the big screen but Datuk Rosyam Nor seems to have eluded her until now. A fan of the actor whom she describes as exemplary for his “3Ds” (discipline, diligence and dedication), Amani’s wish to act alongside him finally came true in Motif.
Directed by Nadiah Hamzah, the action film sees Amani playing a tough police officer who is investigating a major crime. Rosyam plays the prime suspect whom she pursues relentlessly.
“He’s always been a role model for me, and we’ve met many times over the years,” said Amani recently. “When I first met him a decade ago, I felt a little intimidated because of his strict, no-nonsense look. His muka (face) is really garang (fierce).”
The respected actor and producer however proved to be chatty, witty and relaxed. He even sounded youthful, a far cry from his Inspector Roslan character in KL Special Force.
“His humility and friendliness were magnetic. He showed great appreciation for his juniors in the industry. And, best of all, he looked forward to co-starring with me,” says Amani.
Despite being an A-list actor, Rosyam attended sessions conducted by the film’s acting coach, Amani’s mother Fatimah Abu Bakar. “He was there every day to help my mother guide the younger actors but he also sought her feedback on scenes involving intense confrontations between his character and mine. He’s really a gentleman!”
Asked about scenes in which she fought with Rosyam, Amani explains that they made her feel “on cloud nine”. “There are some scenes where we had to fist fight. He told me to imagine I was battling his infamous KL Gangster character Tailong, the vile ‘snake man’, so I went all out to pulverise him until the director yelled ‘cut’!”
Amani says Rosyam likes to see actors “depart from their comfort zones”. “He admitted that he was surprised when he learnt that I took up the protagonist’s role. He later congratulated me for a job well done.”
Below Rosyam, Amani, Nadiah and co-star Taqim Zaki speak about their experiences filming Motif.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR CHARACTERS
Rosyam: I am Hussein, the father of Anna, who is missing. He is an influential businessman and philanthropist in the small town of Tanah Merah. He is respected but a scandal causes people to lose respect for him. He is facing two crises at one time. First, his daughter has gone missing and second, he has had an extra-marital affair.
Taqim: I am Inspector Rizal, who lives and works in Tanah Merah. He is good friends with Inspector Dewi from Bukit Aman, KL.
Amani: I am Inspector Dewi, a tough and no-nonsense policewoman. She is sent to investigate the disappearance of Hussein’s daughter Anna in Tanah Merah. Dewi and Rizal are equally passionate about their work but Rizal appears to have a soft spot for Hussein, while Dewi thinks Hussein has something to hide.
HOW IS THIS CHARACTER DIFFERENT FROM THOSE YOU HAVE PLAYED IN THE PAST?
Rosyam: Hussein is an ambiguous person. Neither hero nor villain. I love such roles because viewers can discuss the story and come to their own conclusions about the character. In the real world there are no clear-cut good guys and bad guys.
Taqim: Rizal is rather laidback and does not have much regard for rules. He is a bit like Jason Bourne in The Bourne Identity.
Amani: Dewi is brave and fearless. She is also in an unhappy marriage with a polygamous businessman. Her husband likes to control her life and always pesters her on the phone when she is on duty. Dewi is actually “married” to her job. It is her way of escaping from her insensitive husband. She detests sexism in the workplace and speaks her mind, something the male police officers are not comfortable with.
WHAT WERE THE MAIN CHALLENGES YOU FACED?
Rosyam: The challenge was to make Hussein as “realistic” as possible. This means he has to be someone viewers can relate to. The story is told from his and Dewi’s points of view. As for the relatively young cast, I had no problems working with them. They were all disciplined and committed to their work.
Taqim: I was a bit nervous working with Rosyam and Amani. Fortunately, they were very cooperative and guided me. I like working with seasoned stars because it helps raise my standards.
Amani: I’ve never played a police officer before so it was quite a challenge to be a convincing one. Luckily, there were officers on board to show us how they communicated with each other and with the public. It was pretty tricky to be “two Dewis”, the no-nonsense cop and the vulnerable, unhappy wife at the same time. Thank God Nadiah gave me clear instructions on how best to play both.
WAS THIS ROLE YOUR FIRST ALONGSIDE THE OTHER ACTORS?
Rosyam: Yes, with most of them. Only Sherie Merlis, Azhan Rani and Iedil Putra have worked with me before. We got along great on the set.
Taqim: I’ve done theatre with Amani and television dramas with Azhan Rani. But it is the first time with the rest of them. Great guys and girls, very down-to-earth.
Amani: Besides Rosyam, it’s a first for me and Emma Tosh, who plays Hussein’s secret girlfriend Yasmin. She has a dance background, but she’s pretty good for a first-time film actress. She was very focused and worked hard to give life to her character. She also took some acting lessons from my mother, and really got into her role as a “rich man’s secret love”.
WAS IT YOUR FIRST TRIP TO FRASER’S HILL FOR FILMING?
Rosyam: It’s a cold and lonely place, but the air is very fresh. I’ve filmed a couple of television dramas there, but that was a long time ago. Motif and Misteri Delaila are my only two films shot in Fraser’s Hill, both this year. The place has not changed much, which is good since it looks great that way.
Taqim: I thought filming would be in Tanah Merah, Kelantan. But then, Fraser’s Hill is also good. In fact it’s a good getaway from the hot and stuffy Klang Valley.
Amani: I don’t remember visiting Fraser’s for a film, but I might have for television dramas some time back. It’s a cool getaway, but it’s also quite haunting and lonely at night. It is just the location Motif needs because a dark, lonely, misty place gives thrillers a chilling backdrop.
DID THE POLICE GIVE YOU TRAINING TO PREPARE FOR YOUR ROLE?
Rosyam: I did a few stunts, but there is not much action in this film.
Taqim: No, not much. But the police taught us how to address their officers and how to issue statements when we make arrests or report to our superiors in the force.
Amani: Just a few scenes where the bad guys floored me. Police training was mainly interrogation techniques and communication with superiors, as well as witnesses. The week-long training we received was a lot less than what the Gerak Khas guys went through. I was tired but satisfied that I had tried something new.
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE THRILLERS?
Rosyam: I like Lenjan, which was screened in 1998. I also like Misteri Delaila and Cape Fear.
Taqim: Yes, I love Misteri Delaila, Mystic River and M. Night Shyamalan’s The Sixth Sense, Signs and The Village.
Amani: I love them, especially Gone Girl, the Taken film series and The Bridge.
ANYTHING NEW LEARNT ON THE SET?
Rosyam: Yes, script reading with the new actors. We tend to see things differently, and that compels us to discuss our characters all the time. This shows that give and take, and exchanging views are very necessary when actors work together.
Taqim: Yes, if any actor has problems on the set, we all have to help him or her resolve things as a team. And it is always important to solve problems faced by an actor in one scene, before we move on to the next.
Amani: Learning about police work was an eye-opener for me. I really admire them, they work round the clock, they are incredibly patient, and they are very meticulous in their investigations. The boys in blue display very good self-control.
HOW IS IT LIKE WORKING WITH NADIAH?
Rosyam: She is a fantastic director who always discusses things with the actors. She is also full of ideas and widely read. After Datin Paduka Shuhaimi Baba, Erma Fatima and the late Yasmin Ahmad, I would say Nadiah is the woman director to watch.
Taqim: Nadiah is warm and friendly despite being a perfectionist. She is a strong believer in teamwork and is a good listener.
Amani: We are old friends, and are both passionate about getting stronger female roles in the cinema. Working with her is always a joy, we readily exchanged ideas, not only on Inspector Dewi and her journey but also on the other female characters.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR UPCOMING PROJECTS.
Rosyam: I’ve just completed J Retribusi. There is also a Singaporean film called Deleted as well as Proksi which will be out next year. In November, I will be filming Polis Evo 3.
Taqim: I’ve got two telemovies coming up and in December I will be in Gemilang The Musical, which is produced by Aswara, my old alma mater. It is a reunion concert of sorts for me and my college mates.
Amani: If all goes well, my film Mencari Rahmat will be coming to the cinemas. It is a Malaysianised version of Oscar Wilde’s play, The Importance Of Being Earnest.
NADIAH, TELL US HOW YOU CAME UP WITH THE SCRIPT AND STORY BEHIND MOTIF.
Nadiah: I am into Scandinavian crime thrillers such as The Bridge, The Fall and The Missing. Motif is based on my interest in them, but it is a wholly Malaysian story. It is a police investigation into the disappearance of a young girl, and her rich businessman father is the suspect, but there are plot twists here and there and things are not what they seem to be.
Many Malaysians are ferried across the border for marriage purposes. This inspired me to include the topic of cross-border marriages in the script.
WHAT MADE YOU PICK AMANI, ROSYAM, TAQIM AND AZHAN?
Nadiah: I am a big fan of all of them, especially Rosyam and Amani. I have always wanted to see Rosyam and Amani team up. Amani and I have worked in telemovies before and playing a detective has been one of her dreams. Azhan is one of our most promising actors, he is a very convincing villain, but he can also play good guys and complex characters. Taqim has a theatre background and is a versatile character actor.
WHAT WERE THE MAIN CHALLENGES YOU FACED?
Nadiah: We shot this film in 14 days in KL, Fraser’s Hill and Nilai. Time was an important factor, since half of the story takes place during the day and the other half at night. We had to work fast and wrap up 105 scenes. As for the fight sequences, there were not many, but we had a good fight choreographer to help the actors.
WHAT IS IT LIKE WORKING WITH THE MAIN ACTORS?
Nadiah: They are amazing. They all brought their talents centrestage and discussed character development with me all the way. And they got along great with each other and the production crew.
HOW DID THE POLICE HELP YOUR TEAM?
Nadiah: The police sent an inspector to help us as a consultant. He looked through the script and gave feedback to make sure the police were portrayed in a good light. He educated us on police investigations and procedures and taught the actors how to address officers. As for firearms, no training was involved.
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR LEARNING EXPERIENCE ON THE SET?
Nadiah: I’ve learnt how the police work on various cases, and I greatly admire them for being able to work 24 hours. They are our most unsung heroes. Our special effects team made use of a smoke machine and it was rather difficult to handle. Nevertheless, it produced great results, giving some of the eerie scenes real smoke.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR upCOMING PROJECTS.
Nadiah: I’ll be making a horror film next. Horror is always popular with viewers.