NAM RON AS RAZAK

Before we begin, tell us why you chose your stage name, Nam Ron?

Actually it’s not something I chose, it was given to me. Back then in university, there was a tradition to be given a nickname, so my seniors would never call you using your real name, and mine was Nam Ron, because they asked if I could speak Siamese, and I said I could, to which they then asked me to say something. Nam Ron was the first thing I said, which means ‘hot water.’

Tell us a bit about the character you play, Razak.

Ok, Razak is actually a bit way off from my own personal character, I’d say almost the opposite of me. He’s the adopted son to a Tan Sri, and is a millionaire businessman who is bit conniving and sly. And once the Tan Sri passed away, he was entrusted to look after the rest of the family, especially his daughter, played by Sharifah Amani. He’s an interesting character, who’s also funny, when he’s together with Azman, which is played by Amerul Affendi.

What were your challenges in playing Razak?

Overall it was a fun yet challenging role to play. It was difficult because the plot is dialogue driven, so there’s plenty of lines that need to be delivered perfectly, and you as a viewer will need to pay attention to what we’re saying. So although there’s not many scenes, it’s all packed with meaning.

Because it’s a stage play that’s adapted to film, the structure remains somewhat the same, so you can’t forget your lines, because you need to start from the top.

How did you prepare for the role?

Before the shoot, we had plenty of rehearsals, just like stage plays, practising everything from the blocking to the dialogue, everything. These were some of our preparation process. I didn’t have a specific character reference to go by, I just tried my best to put myself into his shoes, to think how Razak would behave in the situation. I call it the ‘Magic If,’... If I was Razak, I would... And this is also aided by the director.

The good thing is I’ve also watched the initial Malay play staged by Al Jafree in The Actors Studio, at Dataran Merdeka. That plus the Western version of the play, which I then merged with my own life experiences to flesh out the character.

What was your favourite scene within the film?

There’s plenty honestly, so many moments I like. Especially the scene between Razak and Azman, but even with the rest of the actors and actresses, I truly enjoyed how professional and good they are. An example would be in the final scene, which is quite funny, and it’s difficult not to react, but everyone kept their calm and held their character so well.

“OVERALL IT WAS A FUN YET CHALLENGING ROLE TO PLAY. IT WAS DIFFICULT BECAUSE THE PLOT IS DIALOGUE DRIVEN”