KUALA LUMPUR: Award-winning actress Maya Karin almost drowned while filming the romantic comedy Duyung 16 years ago.
Maya's Duyung co-star Saiful Apek said in a news report yesterday that the actress who played the titular character, a friendly mermaid who lived beneath the Sulu Sea near Semporna, Sabah, had her "mermaid hair" entangled in a fishing net while she was swimming around the water village which served as the filming location.
"Maya let out a scream. I saw her struggling in the water, and soon learnt that the net had caught her by the hair.
"I was also in the water and I quickly came up to her and helped free her wig from the net," said Saiful.
Saiful added that he helped Maya swim away from the bottles and further into the sea. It was then that she could finally breathe properly.
Saiful, 55, whose real name is Saiful Azam Yusoff said that the incident traumatised both of them, and he saluted the actress for her courage in reprising her role as the mermaid in Duyung Legenda Aurora.
Duyung Legenda Aurora, the sequel to Duyung, also stars Anna Jobling, Ayie of Floor 88, Yasmin Hani, Yassin Yahya, Datuk Yusry Abdul Halim, Nadia Brian, Aniq Aqil, Aidilia Huda and Zero.
Duyung Legenda Aurora will be filmed from Sept 13 to Oct 13, and will premiere in the third quarter of 2025.
The first Duyung movie was produced by KRU Films and directed by Professor Datuk Dr A. Razak Mohaideen.
Starring Maya, Saiful, Yassin, Yasmin and Datuk Awie, it told the story of a mermaid named Puteri (Maya) who befriended a Bajau water villager named Jimmy (Saiful) who excels in recycling and keeping his village clean.