THEY may not be related in real life, but many fans of actresses Emelda Rosemila Abdul Hamid and Riena Diana (whose real name is Nur Qamarina Diana Zulreal) think that they make a great "mother-and-daughter" team on the big and small screens.
Emelda Rosemila, 44, and Riena Diana, 27, are finally "mother and daughter" in a brand new drama series on popular video streaming service Tonton entitled 'Salju Rindu Di Bumi Auckland', which premiered last month.
"We love it! In fact Riena Diana plays my daughter as well as my younger self," said Emelda Rosemila, the wife of popular actor Adlin Aman Ramlie, in a recent interview to promote the drama series in Seri Pentas, Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya.
Riena Diana said: "It was a challenge for me to play Emelda Rosemila's character as well as her daughter. For her character as a young girl, I had to be rather mature for my age, and as for her daughter, I had to be rather school-girlish and naive."
DIFFERENT VERSIONS
Both actresses admitted that fans often sent them feedback to play older and younger versions of the same character.
"I don't know if we are distantly related, but one thing is for sure, we are both Perakians," said Emelda Rosemila who hails from Ipoh.
Riena Diana said that Emelda Rosemila had always been her "go to" person whenever she faced challenges as a new actress.
"She is more like a big sister to me. We can talk openly about everything that is work-related or showbiz-related, and we even share Keith Foo in this drama series!"
RELATIONSHIP ROLES
Fans knew that Riena Diana and Foo were in a relationship and they got to know each other better in 'Salju Rindu Di Bumi Auckland'.
"It's a first for me, playing Foo's love interest too," said Emelda Rosemila, who is an old friend of Foo.
In future, Emelda Rosemila and Riena Diana hoped to team up for more "family" roles, not necessarily just a mother and daughter relationship.
"We could be elder and younger sisters, or even ancestor and descendant in historical or periodic movies and dramas," said Emelda Rosemila, who admitted that Riena Diana was better as a television host than her.
'ANUGERAH BINTANG'
Riena Diana, who recently co-hosted 'Anugerah Bintang Popular Berita Harian 36' (ABPBH 36), said Emelda Rosemila had greatly encouraged her to star in plays and musicals, and she recently starred in a comedic play titled 'Andak Bertandak'.
"It was fun starring in theatre. Theatre is more difficult than TV since you have to act before a live audience, but I love challenges," she said.
When asked about their experience filming the drama series in Auckland, New Zealand, Emelda Rosemila said that the days were short and as a result, they had to work fast.
"It was very cold too, below -1°C," said Emelda Rosemila, adding that they spent two weeks in Auckland earlier this year.
Riena Diana said: "Since the days in Auckland were short, we had to be on our toes all the time, and wrap up our daily assignments fast."
BEAUTIFUL CITY
Apart from work, Riena Diana and Emelda Rosemila were mesmerised by the natural beauty of New Zealand's largest city and would love to visit with their families again.
"New Zealand is 'Middle Earth', we are both fans of 'Lord Of The Rings'," said Riena Diana.
Foo said that he was "honoured" to play the love interest of two beautiful actresses for the first time.
"Wow! I never thought I'd be playing the husband of Riena Diana as well as Emelda Rosemila. I work great with both of them," he said, adding that he was made to age with a bit of make-up.
THE VILE ONE
Veteran comedian Shamsul Ghau Ghau, who took the role of the abusive father of Riena Diana and Emelda Rosemila's characters, said he seldom played "monsters" and this was one of his most evil characters to date.
"My character is Pak Talib and he is the poster boy for tyrannical parents. I've been a villain in the past, but none has been as vile as Pak Talib."
REDEMPTION
'Salju Rindu Di Bumi Auckland' is a coming-to-age story that takes place between 2004 and 2024.
Boasting a star-studded cast headlined by Riena Diana and Foo, the drama is set against the beautiful backdrop of Auckland as a story of family, love and redemption.
Produced by Global Station and directed by Riza Baharudin, the 28-episode series also stars Kodi Rasheed, Nabil Aqil and Husna Mustaffa.
OBSTACLES
The drama tells the story of Juraini (Riena Diana), a girl who is entangled in a life full of obstacles due to her father's greed and runs away from their village in pursuit of happiness.
Juraini grew up under the supervision of her father, Pak Talib (Shamsul), who abuses her physically and mentally.
In addition to her father, Juraini is also mistreated by her workplace manager Azman, who spreads lies about her and sets her up in a scandalous situation which damages her reputation amongst her colleagues.
SPITTING IMAGE
Amid her trials and tribulations, she flees to Auckland, a city she has always dreamed of visiting, and there she meets Nathan (Foo), a kind and noble non-Muslim who helps her settle down in her newfound home.
Juraini ends up marrying Nathan and changes her name to Joanna. They have a daughter named Samantha, who is the spitting image of her mother.
After leaving her homeland for a long time, Joanna's family sends her cousin Iman (Nabil Aqil) to Auckland to hopefully bring her back to Kuala Lumpur.
It appears that her elder brother and her mother want to reconcile with her, and while she is initially reluctant to go home, her daughter is eager to establish a relationship with her grandmother, uncles and aunts in Kuala Lumpur.