Dashing mob
Local actors play schoolboy gangsters in Cantonese triad movie Kepong.
IF you enjoy watching homegrown stars and starlets in local productions, here’s another Chinese flick to look forward to – Kepong.
According to producer Eddie Tiger and director Teng Bee, the movie will be filmed in Malaysia and released later this year.
The action-packed triad flick stars local hunks Melvin Sia, Henley Hii, Hero Tai, Rayz Lim and Billy Ng.
Dubbed the “Five Tigers”, the strapping quintet portrays secondary school students who end up joining gangs for different reasons, including protection from bullies, financial problems, power struggles and various other temptations.
To add to the aesthetic appeal, the girls in the movie include Taiwanese singer-vjactress Linda Liao and local actresses Tracy Cheong and Agnes Lim.
Produced by Mahu Pictures, the movie also features veteran actress Lai Meng and singer/ actors Jovi Theng, Wilson Tin and Lenny Ooi.
Eleven of the main cast and various crew members were present at the lensing ceremony held at the scenic Sheng Fu Miao Chinese temple in Kepong, Kuala Lumpur.
A brief interview and photoshoot with the five gregarious actors amid firecrackers in the background, turned out to be a boisterous affair.
Most importantly, would they be doing anything special to flesh out their gangster roles, seeing that they may be hampered by their boyish good looks?
Singer-actor Hii, who was recently seen in Singaporean horror flick 23:59, said earnestly: “I feel it’s all in the eyes. We’re used to watching triad flicks like the Young And Dangerous series (1995-2000) and recent ones like Laughing Gor (2009, 2012). But, a bigger concern is speaking in Cantonese, so I’ve put in a lot of hours watching Hong Kong television series to brush up on my Cantonese.”
Model-actor Tai, who is a certified nutritionist, added: “I feel everyone has a good side and a bad side, innately. So, in this movie, we’ll get an opportunity to do things we’d never do in real life, like beating people up, stabbing others, and even jumping off buildings.
“The director asked whether I could do it myself or if I required a stuntman. Since it was only the first or second floor, I agreed to take it on as they usually have mattresses and cardboard boxes to cushion the landing.”
Award-winning actor Sia, who also stars in Singaporean lunar new year movie Dance Dance Dragon, said: “In this movie I play a very nasty bad hat.
“So, I’ve got to dig deep into the recesses of my inner bad guy to make that happen.
“Sometimes, I worry that I can’t tell the difference between the character I’m playing and the real me. I’ve also tried to get a tan but cannot manage to get such a deep tan as Henley’s.”
Making their big screen debut in Kepong, Ng and Rayz said they were thankful to director Bee for casting them as main characters in the movie.
Acknowledging that he felt some pressure as he was the one with the least experience, Ng said: “But I have done my part in preparing for my role.
In this movie, we’ll get an opportunity to do things we’d never do in real life, like beating people up, stabbing others, and even jumping off buildings
— HERO TAI
I also had to take a month’s break from my freelance projects to focus on this.”
The other four were quick to reassure him, and added that since he already looked the part, all he had to do was act as himself.
Rayz, who has previously featured in both Malay and Chinese television dramas, shared: “Unlike the other four, my character is the total opposite.
“He’s not rowdy like them, but very much a scaredy cat. But being the target of constant bullying made him decide to hang out with the bad guys for protection.”
Apart from flexing their biceps and baring their abs, there is talk that these pin-up boys may be showing more in intimate scenes.
For the romance bit, Sia will be paired with Liao and revealed that there would be some hot scenes in the bedroom and car.
Also present at the media interview were two of the girls – Cheong and Agnes – who did not agree that their roles in the movie were merely as eye-candy.
“I play this really sad girl, so I’ve got lots of crying scenes. She even gets raped by the mean character played by Lenny. That’s a big challenge for me,” stressed Cheong.
“My character was initially supposed to be a stripper, but I didn’t have enough time to learn pole-dancing, so we had to settle for diao hua chang (where singers are garlanded by customers who are pleased with their performances),” Agnes revealed.