Ex-Miss Malaysia sprints her way into period drama

QUITE the sprinter during her secondary school days, former beauty queen Thanuja Ananthan, 31, even participated in national-level championships.

It was a long time ago for the television host and actress, but this experience of running-to-win came in handy when she was offered the role of Devi, a track and field athlete who ran in the 1971 Southeast Asian Peninsula (SEAP) Games, in the TV drama series, Anak Merdeka.

“I haven’t run competitively for a long time. When I got the offer to play Devi, I knew I had to do some serious physical workout to look the part. I even had a personal coach to get me fit for the role,” said the 2009 Miss Malaysia World at the launch of the drama in Kuala Lumpur recently.

Prior to filming, the gym became her daily haunt where she did weight lifting to tone her muscles. She stayed clear of comfort food to look lean.

Devi is one of the three main characters in Anak Merdeka — the others are Boon (played by Elvis Chin) and Salleh (Remy Ishak).

They play childhood friends who meet on Aug 31, 1957, face tribulations in the nation-building process, and emerge successful in their own right.

“Devi, Boon and Salleh represent the major races and their life journey is a continuous interaction with historical events.

“Each has a dream, and Devi’s is to be a successful athlete.”

Co-directed by Matt Lai and Shamyl Othman, playing Devi brought Thanuja memories of the time she was a sprinter.

While Thanuja identifies with Devi, they have a big difference — Devi is from a poor family, and lacks confidence after losing a few competitions.

“I’m a lot luckier that way. Nevertheless, Devi’s story is that of our forefathers who toiled to make a difference.

“Playing Devi required accuracy, and Matt made me wear an oversized T-shirt like the real SEAP athletes. He made sure everything was retro!”

Anak Merdeka is Thanuja’s second screen role after Temuan Takdir last year.

“Anak Merdeka is an account of how our forefathers struggled to give us a better tomorrow.

“As my first time being the heroine, it’s challenging but fun — I even ‘aged’ by wearing a latex mask!” By Dennis Chua