A new hero in Jibril

A new local TV series hopes to deliver mystery, thrills and suspense in a smart way that also features a legal setting, writes Aref Omar

ACUTeLY intelligent. A keen eye for detail. An uncanny ability to connect things together. Brusque, direct and full of idiosyncrasies. Solves crimes. Sound familiar? The name Sherlock holmes comes to mind. But those involved in the production of a new local TV series have hopes that a new name will spring to mind when those attributes are put forth.

Titled Jibril, the 10-episode series features a lawyer with autism spectrum disorder who never loses a case. Although hard to deal with and practically OCd when it comes to certain things, Jibril never misses a clue and is always ahead of the curve. Oh, and he also looks dashing and is impeccably dressed.

Jibril, a collaboration between Media Prima TV Networks (MPTN) and streaming service Viu, sees 29-year-old Johorean Aeril Zafrel taking on the titular role.

When met, together with the cast and crew, on set at the charming d’Mass Villa resort in the serene and luscious green environs of hulu Langat, Selangor, the hunky actor, whose real name is Suhairil Sunari, said that it was all “elementary”.

“Of course the main reference for this type of character would be Sherlock holmes, so I watched the TV series and movies. There’re also courtroom drama scenes here, so I caught some hollywood legal series as well.

“That said, this role is a very interesting and challenging one for me. Jibril has lots of quirks. I had to make him different but at the same time, likable,” said the hunky husband of actress Wawa Zainal, and star of such dramas as Patahnya Sebelah Sayap and Cinta Jannah.

Jibril also stars Lisa Surihani, Tony eusoff and Sangeeta Krishnasamy, who were all excited about the fresh concept and layered storyline of the series.

Multiple award-winning actress Lisa, who has been in showbiz since 1997, jumped onto the project right after reading the script. “After being in the industry for so long I had wished for stories like this. It’s got elements of investigation, deception and mystery. The characters are very human, quite real and raw, I just couldn’t say no,” said the 32-year-old KLite, known for Ombak Rindu, Istanbul Aku Datang

Dendam Orang Mati.