ACTION AND COLLABORATION APLENTY

“It’s not exclusivity. If others perceive it as such, that is something beyond my control,” explains the actor whose reserved nature is sometimes mistaken for unfriendliness.

His unsmiling brooding looks may also keep some fans at at a distance. However, the moment he warms up and smiles at you, you know that he is not as aloof as some may perceive him to be.

SHADOWY FIGURE

To promote the latest film, Interchange, Nicholas recently met up with the Press, along with his Malaysian co-stars Shaheizy Sam and Nadiya Nisaa.

While the Press were interviewing Shaheizy, the Indonesian actor sat quietly, waiting his turn, not looking totally comfortable, but not fidgeting either.

When it came to his turn, Nicholas earnestly shared his experiences, taking time to answer questions which were more personal.

Interchange marks Nicholas’ debut in a film outside of his home country.

“I’m honoured to have worked with Dain and the rest of the cast and team for Interchange. The ecosystem of the project was very helpful in helping the cast deliver its best,” says Nicholas who admits that he was fascinated with the story premise, about a Southeast Asian tribe’s traditional values clashing with modern ones.

Interchange is about a chain of events triggered by a true incident a century ago when Norwegian explorer Carl Lumholtz travelled through central Borneo between 1913 and 1917. Among the photographs he took was of a group of tribal women bathing in a river in an attempt to cleanse themselves of the “evil effects” of being photographed. (Dain came across that photograph in 2005 and the story took seed.)

Emotionally distraught and experiencing strange hallucinations after witnessing the aftermath of a bizarre murder, forensics photographer Adam (Iedil Putra) retreats from the world, until Detective Man (Shaheizy) arrives at his doorstep.

Another murder occurs, with undeniable similarities to the one that pushed Adam over the edge. Adam’s help is required to unravel the mystery — one revolving around corpses drained of blood, feathers and antique photographs that appear to capture Adam’s beautiful new neighbour Iva (Prisia Nasution) decades before she could have been alive.

As Adam is drawn further into Iva’s tribal world and Man delves deeper into his investigation, they discover the city’s mystical underbelly of shamans and supernatural beings, as centuries-old superstitions come to life.

Nicholas’s character, Belian, is a shadowy figure who moves secretly through the deepest, darkest parts of the city in search of glass negatives, which he hands over to an antiques store proprietor. Belian is a wraith-like character who speaks in enigmatic tones and displays superhuman strength.

NO ROOM FOR IN-BETWEENS

Like Nicholas, Shaheizy was also thrilled when Dain offered him a role in this film. “Dain is among the best directors anyone could work with. That was why I accepted the offer even before looking at the script,” says the 34-year-old who has received various awards throughout his long-acting career which began when he was 13.

Shaheizy admits that besides the meticulous director, other notable names in the entertainment industry, including the ones from our neighbouring country Indonesia, had a hand in his decision in wanting to play Detective Man, a character a little heavier than his usual fare.

“Audiences have seen me playing similar characters, with similar looks, all this time, so with Interchange, they get to see a different me,” explains Shaheizy.

He says that since he is an expressive actor, his methods sometimes clashed with Dain’s subtler approach. But knowing the director knows exactly what he wants, Shaheizy had no qualms about