A Peranakan tale
Actress YingLi Tan tells Tahir Alhamzah about her role in upcoming period film Nyonya Ronggeng
FOR YingLi Tan, Malaysia’s colourful history ought to be shared with the world, especially the story of a culture of which she is a part of — the Straits Chinese. “My paternal grandmother is a Peranakan Chinese from Penang, so I do know a bit about the community,” says Tan, who hopes to capture this story in an upcoming feature film titled Nyonya Ronggeng.
Tan, 43, a former beauty queen who represented Malaysia at the 1996 Miss Tourism Queen of the Year and Miss Chinese International the next year, says the desire to tell a story revolving around this sub-culture stems back to the time when she was asked to describe about Malaysia and its people.
“Representatives from other countries always ask what Malaysia is like.
“The Baba-Nyonya culture is almost unique to our country (as it’s also found in Singapore and Indonesia). I figured it would be a great idea to highlight this as part of the fabric that makes up Malaysia.
“For me, this film would be a good opportunity to highlight the customs, life and food of this particular culture. If it’s not us, who else will share the story to the world?”
PERFECT FOR THE ROLE
Tan, who takes on the lead character of a ronggeng dancer named Rose, spent 18 months doing research to develop the story.
“I’m glad that when I presented this to Datuk Seri K.C. Lee, the producer from ZLK Production, he immediately saw the potential and agreed to collaborate on this project,” says Tan, who is also the film coproducer.
Lee, with over 20 years of experience in the travel industry, agrees that there is a market for the film.
“The way I see it, whatever is pumped in towards making the film is also a longterm investment in our tourism industry,” says Lee, who has forked out RM6 million for the project.
Of the amount, RM2.8 million was spent on building a replica of a Baba Nyonya house which will be the main setting for the film.
Once the film is released, Lee hopes to turn the mansion into a gallery of sorts.
“We also hope to open up the space to those interested to come and enjoy an afternoon tea, in an ambience recreated to look like a grand mansion of a Peranakan family in the olden days,” adds Lee.
Nyonya Ronggeng tells the story of sacrifices made by Rose. Each time she falls in love with a man, they will meet resistance from the man’s family members.
“This is a period drama, following Rose’s life between 1942 and 1975,” shares Lee, adding that the film will also re-enact some historical incidents including the Sook Ching murder in Singapore (in 1942), Malaya’s Independence (1957), and the May 13 riots (1969).
Meanwhile, Tan says she is thrilled to play Rose, a character with a colourful background and culture.
While part of her lineage comes from the Straits Chinese community, her paternal grandfather is a Chinese from mainland China, and her mother is of Thai origin.
“Coming from a diverse family background, it was easy to relate to Rose,” says Tan, who has acted in various productions in Hong Kong, China and Singapore.
The Kedah-born artiste says that the production team of Nyonya Ronggeng is currently finalising the cast line-up, with filming set for September.
The film will be directed by Raja Mukhriz Raja Ahmad Kamaruddin.