Comedian Nabil Ahmad and action hero Johan As’ari come together for the first time in action comedy Bo-Peng, writes Dennis Chua
JOHAN As’ari and Nabil Ahmad are often seen as poster boys of serious action movies and wacky comedies, respectively.
However, the two friends admit they share each other’s traits, and their first movie together has turned out to be a hilarious misadventure from the word “go”, with serious lessons on human values dotting its landscape.
Johan and Nabil are known as Bo and Peng respectively in their new action comedy aptly titled Bo-Peng.
Opening in cinemas nationwide on Dec 22, it sees them play best friends and pizza delivery boys who unwittingly help the police resolve a kidnap case.
Johan, 29, says: “Bo-Peng refers to ‘bopeng’, a landscape full of holes. Our two heroes metaphorically ride along a bumpy road to help the police resolve a crime case.”
Nabil, 33, says: “It’s not that the boys like to be crime fighters. They are forced by circumstances as Peng’s favourite customer Mira Idora Senrose gets kidnapped.”
Johan adds: “Peng fears for Mira’s life because her kidnapper, Base, is known to have strangled a businesswoman Hana to death a few weeks earlier.”
JOHAN IS FUNNY AT HEART
While he is usually a serious hero on the big and small screens, Johan longs to be a funnyman.
He is thankful to producer Pencil Pictures And Records, executive producer Datuk Normashayu Puteh, and director Helmi Yusof for giving him an opportunity.
“Many often think I’m serious and no-nonsense because of my portrayal of troubled reform school inmate Botak in Kabir Bhatia’s hit series Juvana and the three Juvana movies which formed the series’ sequels,” says Johan.
“I love Botak, because he is an honest man who strives to be a better person, and I like anti-heroes. Botak is like the Star Wars’ Han Solo to Harrison Ford — roles which kick-started our movie careers.”
Johan is happy to wear the nickname Botak as a badge of honour, and does not mind fans greeting him “Hello, Botak!” in the street.
“Botak even won me the Popular New Actor award at the Anugerah Bintang Popular Berita Harian 2011. That’s why that moniker doesn’t bother me,” he says, adding that Helmi encouraged him to develop Peng’s character, and he came up with a Peng who is big-hearted and willing to go the distance to save his favourite customer.
“I made Peng a nice guy who is devoted to Bo as well as Mira. He and Mira are actually more than friends because they lend each other shoulders to cry on in times of loneliness via social media.
“Peng is also protective of Mira, and always advises her to beware of ‘alligators’ on social media who pretend to be gentlemen.”
Johan spent 16 days filming Bo-Peng around Kuala Lumpur and Kuala Selangor two years ago. He learnt a lot of jokes and tips to become an effective comedian from Nabil and Pilih Kasih 1 graduate Zulin Aziz who plays Mira.
He says: “Nabil and Zulin are natural comedians and they kept me in stitches throughout the filming period. They contributed lots of ideas to the director, and while I’m not as good as them, I did manage to create some funny moments such as making Zulin splash paint out of her kidnapper’s car boot.”
Johan, the second of four siblings, sees the danger of finding friends via social media as the main lesson for audience of Bo-Peng. He says: “There have been many cases of naive youngsters falling prey to abusive adults whom they accidentally befriend via social networking.”
Johan and his elder sister, Farah Alya As’ari, manage a two-year-old production company, Kaleidoscope Productions.
“Right now, I merely assist her, but in the long run I’d like to become a successful producer and director. If I’ve got a chance to pursue a filmmaking course in the UK or the US, I’ll go for it,” he adds.
His next movie in March is Bade Azmi’s Kanang Anak Langkau, a biopic about the legendary Sarawakian soldier who fought communist terrorists in the peninsula.
“I spent two months undergoing army training to prepare for my role as a soldier friend of Kanang. It was painful and tiring, but at the end of the day, I grew stronger and more appreciative of the sacrifices made by the men in green,” he says.
Johan want to star in more non-fiction movies that celebrate our heroes. Born in Bukit Mertajam, he admires badminton player Datuk Lee Chong Wei and hopes to one day star in a movie about the country’s sports heroes.
NABIL HELPS WITH THE SCRIPT
Whenever he plays a lead role in a movie these days, he goes the extra mile to help the director better his script.
“Comedians should learn to take charge of the script they follow. Comedies should be educational as well as funny — it is important that funny movies carry lessons for the benefit of the young ones,” he says.
Nabil is sensitive to feedback — he takes into consideration bouquets and brickbats via social media for his television performances.
“Whenever there’s something funny I want to say, I seek the permission of the producer and director, lest I say the wrong thing and offend others.
“As a host, I only crack jokes which my sparring partner is familiar with,” he says.
As for playing Bo, Nabil says he is the straight guy to Peng’s crazy guy. “Bo is sympathetic and sensitive, he may be taller and bigger than Peng but he is a softy at heart. He is easily moved by the suffering of others and readily chooses to help rescue Mira.”
This year saw him turning more “spiritual”. He hosts Islamic reality show Ceria I-Star on Astro Ceria and Maya HD.
“Viewers are used to seeing me host programmes like Gegar Vaganza, so this is something new. I am happy to take on this challenge,” says Nabil who looks up to his mentor Datuk Aznil Nawawi.
“He’s brilliant. He is able to draw your attention and not leave you feeling bored. That is one trait I admire and I would like to be like him some day,” says the father-of-two.
ZULIN TOUGHENS UP FOR ACTION ROLES
Zulin is known as a happy-go-lucky comedienne with a rapid-fire wit. While she is comfortable with this image, she wants to toughen up and play action heroines in future.
For this, the 27-year-old is attending a physical fitness boot camp conducted by Tanda Putera actor and model Ahya Ulumuddin Rosli, a family friend.
She says: “Ahya is a strict taskmaster and training under him is tiring. However, I believe that drill sergeants like him bring the best out of me and military discipline makes me a focused and motivated actress.”
As a result of the boot camp, Zulin feels stronger when faced with stressful moments.
“While I don’t plan to give myself a 100 per cent makeover, I believe that looking slightly trimmer makes me healthier and more alert,” she says.
Zulin got along fabulously with Nabil and Johan on the set of Bo-Peng because the trio had a great sense of humour.
She says: “Nabil is the most vocal, while Johan is the most subdued. I’m somewhere in between them but nevertheless, I have the loudest laugh.”
Zulin thanks Helmi for casting her as Mira, because she feels it is time that plus-sized girls play leading ladies.
“American actress Melissa McCarthy is a fantastic comedy actress. I loved her in Spy and the remake of Ghostbusters. While I don’t enjoy all of her jokes, I look up to her as a successful big girl of Hollywood.”
As for her celebrated co-hosting of events with fellow comedienne Sherry Al-Hadad, Zulin admits they are still close friends. “We are busy with our respective commitments this year, but come next year, we may do some shows together.”
TRIBUTE TO HOLLYWOOD BUDDY MOVIES
Bo-Peng is Helmi’s second film after 2013’s Bikers Kental. This RM1.4 million film is his tribute to American buddy movies which are enjoyed by viewers of all ages.
“Nabil and I worked on the script of Bo-Peng together. We added several parodies of Malaysian popular culture in it,” he says.
“As for Hollywood movies, we had one scene, where Zulin poured paint out of Soffi Jikan’s villain Base’s car, that was almost like Halle Berry’s 2013 action movie The Call. The only difference is that the paint in our movie is white, whereas the paint in the American movie is red.”
Helmi salutes Zulin for being the “strongest” of his actors. “She spent more than an hour inside the boot of a car, with only one hole to stick her arm out,” he says.
“And when she was out, she had the surprise of her life when Soffi tried to lift her up unsuccessfully.”
Helmi plans to have a second Bo-Peng movie, where the best friends join the police force and help solve more criminal cases with their teamwork.
“Johan, Nabil and Zulin are all for a second Bo-Peng movie, with twice the action, twice the laughs and twice the adventure of the first,” he says.
Wanna Ali, 20, the daughter of Normashayu, is pursuing a business management degree at the University of Nottingham in the UK, but has somehow found time to play Bo’s love interest, Wanna, in the movie.
“My character is a minor one, but nevertheless, she is a social media buff whose photos of Base’s car greatly help Bo, Peng and the police to rescue Mira,” she says.
Previously, Wanna starred in Aku Ada Kau Ada and Tokan, as well as the telemovie Di Kayangan with Adi Putra. She also sung the duet, Tak Mengapa, with hip-hopper Juzzthin, who plays Bo and Peng’s boss Zakaria.
The film also stars Dira Abu Zahar, Ellie Suriaty Omar, Fauzi Nawawi, Radhi Khalid, Kilafairy and Eyzendy Aziz.
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
BO and Peng are best friends who work in Opiel Secret Pizza. Peng (Johan) is chatty and sociable while Bo (Nabil) is reserved and efficient at delivering pizzas to customers.
One day, Peng’s favourite client, Mira (Zulin), informs him that she has been kidnapped and is locked up in the boot of a car.
Peng and Bo promptly make a police report to Inspector Anuar (Fauzi), after which Peng, a follower of crime novels, tells Mira to remove the car’s brake light and stick her hand out of the boot to attract attention.
With help from Bo’s friend Wanna (Wanna), a social media enthusiast, the police obtain photographs of the car Mira is in. They instruct her to empty a tin of paint in the boot on the road, in order for them to trace her kidnapper, Base (Soffi).