KUALA LUMPUR: Veteran actress Ruminah Sidek or Mak Mah was paid RM4,000 for playing a supporting character in Tan Sri P. Ramlee's popular 1968 film Anak Bapak.
Ruminah, 78, the mother of actor Adlin Aman Ramlie, said in a news report yesterday that she managed to purchase a durian orchard with that money.
"I was only on the set for eight days, yet I was paid pretty good at that time. Gold bracelets were worth RM60 then," she said.
The veteran actress recollected her experiences in the 1960s for the Legasi Podcast on YouTube, which was conducted by Adlin and producer Datuk Khairul Anwar Salleh.
Ruminah also said that even though she was a "golden girl" of Malaysian cinema, she planned to star in dramas and films as long as she remained healthy.
"I love my work and I readily share my experiences with my juniors in the film industry.
"There is a lot they can learn from actors and actresses back then — good teamwork, passion and dedication, regardless of the pay," said Ruminah.
Ruminah has starred in more than 50 movies and her latest big screen appearance was in the horror film Sumpahan Jerunei last year.