GEORGE TOWN, June 16 (Bernama) — Set to hit cinemas on June 19, ‘Mencari Ramlee’ is not a heavy art film but rather a fictional account of the legendary Tan Sri P. Ramlee.
Director and actor Megat Sharizal Mohamed Yusoff said the storyline of his directorial debut is easy to understand and has the potential to spark an interest among the Alpha generation (those born from 2010 onwards) to get to know the nation’s iconic artiste.
“Usually, our people are more comfortable watching horror or action films. Don’t be afraid to watch ‘Mencari Ramlee’… it’s an entertaining film but more importantly, it will enable the younger generation to find out who P. Ramlee was.
“Many from the Alpha generation today don’t know who P. Ramlee is. So when they watch this film, it might trigger their curiosity to learn more about him and revisit his works. At the same time, we must also appreciate the artistic talents that came after him,” he said at the film’s recent premiere screening here.
He urged the younger generation and fans of Malay cinema to support his debut work by watching the movie at the nearest cinema as the first three days are critical in determining the film’s continued screening.
“Under the compulsory screening scheme, each cinema must achieve an audience attendance of at least 15 percent of total seat capacity, and if it falls below that, the screening can be withdrawn,” he said.
Megat Sharizal also admitted to feeling nervous as he awaits audience reactions but remains optimistic that the film will do well at the box office despite being made on a minimal budget.
Citing the success of films like ‘Imaginur’ and ‘Babah’, he said both productions achieved box office success even with small budgets, and he hopes for the same outcome for his film.
As an independent filmmaker, Megat Sharizal acknowledged that funding limitations were the main reason the film was shelved for two years. However, he is thankful for the RM1 million he received under the Digital Content Fund from the National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (Finas), which helped him complete the project and secure a release date.
‘Mencari Ramlee’ begins its story the day after the passing of the late P. Ramlee on May 30, 1973.
The film stars Tony Eusoff and Datin Sofia Jane in the lead roles as Zakaria and Zaiton, with Mimi Lana as Yasmin and Megat Sharizal himself playing Yusuf, a mafia character.
The story revolves around Zakaria, a P. Ramlee impersonator who faces financial troubles due to the declining popularity of the legendary artiste. Desperate to settle his debts with Yusuf, Zakaria agrees to pose as P. Ramlee to cheer up Zaiton — Yusuf’s sister — who suffers from amnesia and is a devoted fan of the late actor, mistaking Zakaria for the real P. Ramlee.
Produced by Playground Film Sdn Bhd, the movie also features Han Zalini as Salleh, Abi Madyan as Joned and special appearances by actors such as Azhan Rani, Beto Kusyairy, Amerul Affendi, Bront Palarae, Sharifah Amani, Vanidah Imran and P. Ramlee’s granddaughter Najua.
— BERNAMA