Reigning Malaysian Film Festival Best actress Sangeeta Krishnasamy is playing an idealistic young school teacher yet again.
A year after she became a household name as real-life teacher Cheryl Fernando in Adiwiraku, Sangeeta is back in class as Shanti in Rise:Ini Kalilah, a new film based on the 14th general election.
Sangeeta does not fear being typecast, and is delighted because her character is independent and idealistic, just as she is off screen.
“Shanti holds strong political views and wants change in the country. However, her father, who is the principal of her school, upholds the status quo and tells her not to rock the boat.
“Nevertheless, they become closer towards the end of the story,” she said at the launch of Rise at the national Film development corporation (Finas) in Ulu Klang recently.
“As a law graduate, it’s great to be in a film about idealism. Under the guidance of director M S Prem Nath, we all worked very fast but i enjoyed every bit of it.”
Rise, which opened in cinemas nationwide yesterday to mark the 55th Malaysia day celebration, combines the talents of three prominent directors.
The100-minute film is a first-time team up for directors Saw Teong Hin (You Mean The World To Me), Nik Amir Mustapha (Terbaik Dari Langit and Kil) and Prem Nath (Jagat).
The election-inspired, unity-themed drama’s star-studded cast includes Remy Ishak (Pulang), Mira Filzah (Cinta Si Wedding Planner), Jack Tan (Shuttle Life), Shashi Tharan (Appalam) and Jenn Chia (8TV Quickie).
Other cast members include Datuk Jalaluddin Hassan, Yana Samsudin, Pushpa Narayan, Remon Lim, Moon Yoong, Sharifah Sakinah, Mark O’Dea, Mustaqim Bahadon, Thangamani, David Anthony, Azman Hassan, Hao Ren and Steve Yap.
It is jointly produced by WebTVAsia, Prodigee Film and Filmmaker Studio, and is award-winning producer Fred Chong’s most ambitious project to date.
SIX STORIES IN ONE
Chong, who also producedNasi Lemak 2.0 and Hantu Gangster, said Rise is a tribute to Malaysians who came together to vote for change, after 61 years of independence, creating history in the process.
“Our three directors directed two stories each. The film is six stories in one, but all of them are intertwined, and the main characters cross paths on the day of the election, May 9,” said Chong.
“Each story has lots of twists and turns, but everything ends with a grand finale.”
The stories, filmed in the Klang Valley, Singapore and London over 22 days, carried the universal themes of respect, hope, standing up for oneself, fighting for one’s rights, redemption and building the future.
“There is a student in London who races against time to deliver postal votes, a businessman who is imprisoned by the politics of fear, a reported who is eager to report the truth, a policeman who is trapped between doing what is best for his family and an aimless hawker in Singapore who falls for a polling agent,” he said.
“All of this is set against the backdrop of the historic GE14, and they meet at the election’s conclusion at 4.58pm on May 9.”
Saw said it was his most challenging project but also his most satisfying, since it had an all-Malaysian team working together.
“It’s my second historical film after last year’s You Mean The World To Me. While the characters in Rise are fictitious, their experiences are very real and we based them on persons we met, on social media and on the ground.”
Saw first met Chong at the New York Film Festival a few years ago.
“I’m familiar with his work and loved Nasi Lemak. While he came up with the scripts for all six stories, each director added flesh to them,” he said.
Saw directed a story about a policeman named Azman and another about a photojournalist named June.
“The police story is necessary because the boys in blue played a key role in ensuring the election went smoothly. Police officers give the story an international perspective,” he said.
As for the journalist’s story, Saw said the female lead was made Sabahan to give East Malaysians a big role in Malaysian narratives.
“It’s time we had more characters from Borneo, as Sabah, Labuan and Sarawak have been in the forefront of events over the course of nationhood.”
Each story was filmed in four days, and each director handled one story involving his mother tongue.
“I loved working with the Tamil actors especially Sangeeta. Who knows, I might just direct a Tamil film someday.”
Nik Amir said the story of Malaysians living abroad fighting against all odds to deliver ballots home “pumped him up”.
“What makes the story inspiring is that it’s about the power of common people coming together to realise that they can make a difference in their lives if they truly work hard.”
It is his first collaboration with Mira, and he describes her as a natural actress.
“Mira was cut out for the role of the Malaysian student in London. She combines intelligence with superb facial expressions and good humour.”
Prem said it was his first multi-racial film which is “Malaysian to the core”.
“It’s Malaysian in that it’s multi-ethnic with Malay, Chinese, Indian, and Sabah and Sarawak Bumiputeras, with dialogue in Malay, English, Chinese and Tamil.”
He paid tribute to Jack as a fine actor who got into character very fast.
“Little did I know he was a big singing star, and when we were filming in Singapore, many fans came to take photos with him,” he said, adding that Jack also helped him with Chinese translations.
“All of the characters are men and women with conscience, despite their differences of opinion. At the end of the day, all of the mare law-abiding Malaysians who want a better life for their loved ones.”
PATRIOTIC
Chong said the RM2 million film, shot between May and August, had as its main theme the reaffirmation of democracy in the spirit of Bangsa Malaysia.
“It is about the people’s initiative to keep it alive and work towards their dream of having a new Malaysia. Most of the main characters are initially apathetic, but soon they realise the importance of the vote, learn to be more patriotic, and also find redemption.”
Prem filmed his stories in Singapore, while Nik filmed his in London and Saw in the Klang Valley. It took a week for them to complete each story.
“Each director shot at least one story that did not involve his community or mother tongue—Prem’s stories are in Tamil and Chinese, Nik Amir’s in Malay and English, and Saw’s in Malay and Tamil,” said Chong, adding that he was impressed with Prem’s story which involved Tamil poetry.
Remy, who was directed by Saw, plays Azman, an honest corporal who does not take sides.
“Azman is a professional who goes by the book and believes in doing what is right. He has a good friend Johan who is supportive of the powers-that-be, and while they are best friends, they get into some disagreements during the election,” he said.
Working with Saw for the first time, Remy enjoyed the director’s earlier films as Puteri Gunung Ledang and had longed to work with him.
“It’s my second time playing a policeman after Evolusi KL Drift,” he said, adding that starring in historical films is his cup of tea.
Remy also said that despite the fast pace of filming, he felt the camaraderie of the actors and directors working closely together to create a heartwarming and inspiring story.
“My favourite scene is one where Azman stops a fight at the polling station involving a disgruntled voter and an overzealous official. It shows the man’s commitment to the rule of law and the integrity of the police,” he said.
Shashi, who appears in Saw’s second story, said his character Selva, is the “bad boy” who transported foreign workers to their work destinations.
“Along the way, Selva is forced to do something unethical. However, he is not corrupt, but a devoted husband awaiting the birth of his child.”
Jack, who is one half of pop duo Thomas Jack, said he played Leong, a hawker based in Singapore in Prem’s second story.
“Leong is politically apathetic and does not feel like returning home. He thinks life is better in the Lion City, till his elder brother enlightens him about why it’s important to be part of the election,” he said, adding that it was his first time directed by Prem.
“I’m honoured to star for the first time with Frederick Lee, who plays my brother. I just loved him in You Mean The World To Me where he played Teong Hin.”
Jack also said he initially felt shy speaking to Sangeeta, but when he learnt that they were neighbours, he gradually began to open up to her.
“The most interesting thing I learnt was how to chop up a roast chicken,” he said.
Jack has been acting for a decade now and has appeared in 16 dramas in Malaysia and Taiwan.
Rise is his third film,and he will be off to Taipei to film a thriller next month.
Sangeeta said Rise marked her second collaboration with Remy after Proksi which will be screened at year’s end.
“We’re both law enforcers in that film, but this time I confront him at the polling station. I’m a fan of Remy, and thoroughly enjoyed Pulang,” she said, adding that her next film was crime drama Banteras.
Mira, a first-time voter, said her character Fiza was politically apathetic, but chose to vote for the first time after being persuaded to transport postal ballots from London to Kuala Lumpur.
“She’s a law student in London, and she learns why it’s important to exercise her democratic rights. It may sound like a political film, but it’s a patriotic film that doesn’t take sides,” she said.
Mira added that Fisa had planned to return for her elder sister’s wedding, but before she planned her journey, her best friend, played by Qismina, enlightened her on the importance of the ballots.
Fiza’s story is one of two directed by Nik Amir and the other us that of June, played by Jenn.
“It’s my silver screen debut, and it’s great to be part of such an educational film.”
Its music score is created by composers and arrangers Cheng Lee, Mac Chew and Audi Mok, and its theme song is popular patriotic tune Sejahtera Malaysia performed for the first time by Datuk Sheila Majid.
The world premiere of Rise: Ini Kalilah was held at GSC Cineplex, One Utama Shopping Centre, Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya on Sept 3.
It was launched by Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo, and attended by Transport Minister Anthony Loke, Energy, Technology, Science, Climate Change and Environment Minister Yeo Bee Yin, Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, Deputy Women, Family and Community Development minister Hannah Yeoh, the directors, main cast and the film’s main investor Only World Group Holdings chairman Tan Sri Richard Koh.
For details on the film, visit riseinikalilah.com or www.facebook.com/ RISEInikalilah/
SYNOPSIS
RISE: Ini Kalilah follows the stories of six people set during the frantic days ofthe 14th General Election.
Seasoned British reporter Marcus (Mark O’Dea) teams up with Sabahan photojournalist June (Jenn Chia) to pursue a news story on the exploitation of foreign workers.
They clash over Malaysia’s political direction — one is a cynic who thinks that nothing will change while the other is passionate about change and truly believes it will happen.
Selva (Shashi Tharan) runs a foreign worker agency and his wife (Pushpa Narayan) is about to give birth to their first child.
On the day of the election, he is pressured to save his 5,000 employees, their families and his livelihood by “playing a dirty game”.
Student Fizah (Mira Filzah), who is studying in London, is asked by her house mate and fellow student Sasha (Farhana Qismina) to help bring overseas Malaysians’ postal votes back home, since she is returning to Kuala Lumpur for her elder sister’s (Yana Samsudin) wedding.
Policeman Azman (Remy Ishak) cannot help but see how a better life is awaiting his family by joining his colleague Johan (Mustaqim Bahadon) on “special duty” at a polling station. He is trapped between doing what is right and what is best for his family.
Primary school teacher Shanti (Sangeeta Krishnasamy) volunteers as a polling and counting agent, but her father and school principal (Thangamani) is a member of the Elections Commission who upholds the status quo and disagrees with her idealism.
Hot-headed, Singapore-based hawker Leong (Jack Tan) tries hard to make a fresh start in a new country but still feels lost and lonely.
On election day he decides to put up one last fight and return home, and little does he know that his homecoming may lead him to the reason why he left in the first place.