A FIRST FOR MALAYSIA
DIRECTOR Ahmad Idham is delighted to make Malaysia’s first realistic movie about firefighters.
He says: “We shot Qhaliq over 20 days in the Klang Valley and our 30 “firemen” were also joined by real-life “abang Bomba” who willingly showed them the tricks of the trade.”
Ahmad Idham is glad that none of the actors was hurt during filming, but he was a little worried about scenes where they had to enter a blazing house, wearing their fire suits.
“That required three days to shoot. I could have used CGI but then it would look fake. It was a risky job, but I’m thankful that things turned out right.”
The director chose firemen as the subject of Qhaliq because he believed in exposing young Malaysians to the “noble profession”.
“I love stories about heroes, everyday heroes, and some of the most underrated
of the lot are firemen.”
When asked about casting Hairul, Ahmad Idham said the role of Qhaliq was specially made for him.
“Qhaliq is a brave and fearless young man, but he’s also a “manja” son to his parents. Hairul is a versatile actor who embodies the spirit of the firefighting hero,” he said.
Ahmad Idham also revealed that Qhaliq was largely inspired by the 1991 American film Backdraft which starred Kurt Russell and was directed by Ron Howard.
“However, the only similarity between them is the fact that they are stories about firefighters. Our abang Bomba have different challenges to meet, compared to their US counterparts.”
As for coming projects, Ahmad Idham said he was about to complete Townmall which is based on a local horror novel.
Qhaliq was supposed to have been released on April 5 but Ahmad Idham chose to postpone its screening, in order to facilitate the long-awaited release of Dain Iskandar Said’s thriller Dukun.
Qhaliq tells the story of a young man (Hairul) who dreams of becoming a firefighter. Trained by a “brutal” superior (Ahmad Idham), he eventually excels in his job, and becomes a role model to his peers.
Along the way, he also learns that firemen do not merely save lives, but also educate the public on how to become rescuers in their own right.
dchua@nst.com.my