Tidbits on S'kali

Honestly, what I thought of my own movie? Seeing it six times in total doesn't make it any easier for me to answer that question. But I'll see what I can come up with, despite the likelihood of digressing.

The cast knew that the film was very performance-driven, and that we had to give it our all to keep the script afloat. That being said, it was an absolute joy watching Derek, Jayaram, Angeline and Zimy in their element. Each of them have their own set of idiosyncrasies and method of execution which I love looking out for on screen. If they'd ever consider acting as a career, then I'm quite certain they'd go very far indeed.

My most anticipated scene was the infamous one featuring Jason Lo. I always laughed out loud at the comedic timing and character interaction. "David Bahawi"? Pure genius.

I can't lie and say I'm over the moon about the censorship of two otherwise lovely scenes. I put a lot of effort into it as an actor, and I feel they turned out really well. To not get any closure by not being able to watch the fruits of my labor is anti-climatic to say the least. Not that there was any full-on making out that was shot anyway. Does a remotely intimate scene from Malaysian film make deem it more likely to corrupt the minds of the local innocents? I just saw a Hollywood flick yesterday that featured a long, passionate, uncensored snog. Go figure.

The fight scene is agonizing to watch even long after I detach myself from the scene. At the time, I drew frustration and sadness from the sudden demise of my dog, which happened just the week before. After that, the emotions took on a life of their own. We did the scene in two takes - one from outside the car, the second one shot inside. What was selected for majority of the scene was the first take, and I'm surprised at how Jayaram and I managed to pull it off. It is one scene that I always watch with a half-eyed grimace. Both Jayaram and I had never screamed like that at anyone else in our lives before, and it scared us s***less. Anger is never a pleasant place to visit.

Yasmin Ahmad's scene was the last one shot for the film. Even though I was not involved, I made a special request to tag along and watch from behind the camera. Awaiting her arrival, eyeing every incoming white car from the rooftop and expecting it to be her... the buzz amidst the crew was pure madness. And when she finally made her arrival, it was like magic. She brings with her an amazing air of warmth and regality. She also happens to read people like books. (I hardly spoke to anyone on set at the time, and she made comments to the filmmakers about me that were so spot on, I could easily accuse her of espionage.) Both Jason Lo and Yasmin's scenes were two of very few that strayed quite far from the original script, and consequently both scenes turned out very nicely in terms of flow and spontaniety.

With Yasmin & Jayaram


I loved the soundtrack, very acoustic-driven. Gave it a down-to-earth urban feel.

In terms of scriptwriting, direction and technical aspects, I have no expertise and therefore limited rights to having a credible say, but I think the critics have been fair enough in offering constructive opinion.

Kakiseni

Think Online

CinemaOnline

Malay Mail

Friends have asked what's next in the pipeline for me. There's the 2-week rehearsal and one-weekend staging of Broken Bridges the Musical in Ipoh next month, but unfortunately the plans to re-stage the production at KLPac in December have recently been called off. So after Ipoh, I'd probably just take a breather til the end of the year. There has been proposal and brief discussion of projects in 2007 that would keep me overtly occupied on top of my full-time job again. But talk being talk, I'd rather stay mum and keep my fingers crossed for now.

I hope I'll carry forward what I've learnt from this production to perform better in future stints. To everyone who came to watch S'kali, again I express my immense gratitute. For those who didn't get the chance, look out for the DVD that's coming out soon.