KUALA LUMPUR: Filmmaker Syafiq Yusof has described his latest film Penunggang Agama as a "worthy challenge".
The man behind action-comedies Abang Long Fadil and Abang Long Fadil 2 and thriller Desolasi said that it was his first Islamic film, which made him do a lot of research to come up with the script.
"The biggest challenge of coming up with an Islamic-themed film is its extensive research. I had to read widely the works of various Islamic scholars who highlighted how religious charlatans operated and deceived people," he said in a news report yesterday.
Syafiq, 29, said that the story behind Penunggang Agama was how "false teachers" of religion had emerged by the hundreds in modern times, and how people were easily misled by them.
"They are found all over the world, and in all religious communities, and use their 'gift' of deception to cheat millions and lead them astray."
Syafiq said that even though the budget for Penunggang Agama was not as big as his previous films, its message was what mattered most to him.
"Budgets do not matter when it comes to making a good film with an important message for viewers. Many good films have made it big even with small budgets. It is the message that counts," he said at the film launch at MM Cineplex, E-Curve, Mutiara Damansara, Petaling Jaya yesterday.
Starring Zul Ariffin, Azira Shafinaz, Nasir Bilal Khan, Sabrina Ali, Salina Saibi, Datuk Jalaluddin Hassan and Johan As'ari, it is about a religious couple whose children are disturbed by supernatural forces, and hire a faith healer to "cleanse" their house.
The elderly faith healer soon reveals himself to be a charlatan who inflicts severe harm on the family.
Penunggang Agama, jointly produced by Astro Shaw and Skop Productions, will be screened on Astro First on Thursday.
The trailer for Penunggang Agama