Early days for Neelofa and Alif drama

Will the new Red Velvet series on TV develop into a viewer favourite or will it fail to embed itself in our hearts, wonders Syahirah Mokhtazar

AFTER actress Noor Neelofa Mohd Noor created a phenomenon in her role in the hit TV series Suri Hati Mr Pilot, it is only natural fans have the same expectations for the new TV series Red Velvet in which she takes the lead.

This is a comical, romantic love story that boasts a cheeky, fun storyline. Directed by Hadith Omar, the story is about Helena( No or Neelofa) who plays a stubborn, spoiled brat who is in love with a married man Fareeq (Hafidz Roshdi) and plans to marry him even though it goes against her parents’ wishes.

As her father threatens to send her away, Helena plans to elope with Fareeq but he bailed on her at the last minute. Heart broken and nowhere to go, she wanders around in a deserted area in planning her suicide. This is where she meets the obnoxious, hardheaded Izzat (Alif Satar) who saves her.

Izzat brings her home to where he lives with his mother and sister. Despite a reluctance to help Helena, Izzat continues to help, as advised by his mother. Helena starts a new life with Izzat’s family, helping his mother out with her nasi lemak business.

Izzat, who is on the verge of losing his bakery, is always ill-tempered and is annoyed by Helena. But will that eventually change into love? We can only wait and see as the series only premiered last Monday.

So far, Neelofa has been criticised by viewers for not being able to deliver her character well. Alif, on the other hand, is a natural in front of the camera. His badtempered character feels real.

I wouldn’t say Neelofa’s acting deserves a thumbs down. Perhaps we can give some time for her character to further develop in the story.

The plot stands apart from the usual love triangle on TV. It does keep viewers entertained with the antics of Helena and Izzat.

But the actors playing Helena’s parents appear too young. They can pass off as her older siblings instead of her parents.

It’s still far too early to tell whether the TV series will be a hit but the storyline is interesting so far.