“I

love to play dress up. I especially like photo shoots when the styling team gets creative and allows me to play a certain role. I have the highest regard for magazines that are truly imaginative and provides an original insight on how they perceive a certain personality and translate that into a powerful cover or a fashion spread.” And what does he think about being seen as an object of desire by his fans, or the Malaysian public for that matter? He laughed and said, “Flattered, of course. I suppose I fit into the role. But maybe that is a much better question for my wife.”

And with that, the bomb dropped. Bront was married in 2013 at a private affair without any media attendance. For someone who could really get any woman he wants, Bront decided to marry his long-time girlfriend and collaborator, whom he calls “my fiercest critic.” “She hates the limelight. We don’t really like to discuss the topic of our marriage to the media, but somehow, whatever I am writing about, there’s always an underlying thread, which is something about her or about our relationship. It’s a good balance she provides me with and it works from more than one angle – like a blurred boundary. I am a very happy married man. Had I known it would be like this, I would have taken her hand a lot earlier.”

Kolumpo, 2013, an anthology film consisting of three multilingual short stories about the reality of urban life and the kaleidoscope of surprising human connections, was co-produced by Bront’s wife and saw Bront as a co-producer, co-writer, and co-director. Released to critical acclaim, it went on to receive numerous awards both locally and internationally. “But it didn’t do very well in the box office. All of us involved with the film took pride in the knowledge that we are offering the general public a movie that could be perceived as different from the usual run-of-the-mill theme.”