Farid Kamil stars as Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in 'Anwar: The Untold Story'. Photos: Handout
Local actor Farid Kamil had no doubts about the challenges he’d face portraying Malaysia’s 10th Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in Indonesian director Viva Westi’s biopic, Anwar: The Untold Story.
After all, bringing to life an influential political figure onscreen is no easy task, especially when people have high expectations.
Nevertheless, it was a challenge Farid was ready to take on.
Speaking to StarLifestyle at a press conference, the 41-year-old actor shared that he had no hesitation about accepting the role when local executive producer Zunar – whose real name is Zulkiflee Anwar Haque – approached him with the offer.
“I definitely feel honoured to have received such a huge opportunity,” Farid said.
“Of course, there have been moments when I sat by myself thinking if I had the capability to portray such an iconic person because this is my first time playing a non-fictional role. But, in that particular moment when Zunar first came to me, I knew I had to accept it,” he added.
Risky move
Produced by Yusrych Global, Anwar: The Untold Story tells the journey of Anwar in battling bribery and corruption.
It charts the period from when he was first appointed as Finance Minister in 1991 until his termination from the cabinet in 1998, and the “Reformasi” campaign which contributed to his imprisonment that year.
To reenact such a historic occasion is undoubtedly a huge responsibility to bear, which is why the initial four actors who were offered the role rejected it, Farid said.
'Anwar: The Untold Story' is a RM10mil joint project by Malaysia and Indonesia.
“Four Malaysian actors were meant to play the role, but none of them accepted it as the character carried lots of responsibilities.
“This is a present-day leader we’re talking about,” Farid said.
“I also want to add that when the production team first approached these actors, Anwar had not been appointed prime minister yet, and to accept such a role was a risky move, especially since there is a huge chance of being blacklisted by other production companies if he (Anwar) lost the election,” he further explained.
During a more recent media conference attended by StarLifestyle, in which Anwar was present, Farid revealed that he considered moving out of Malaysia if Anwar did not win the election.
“I had to keep my trip to Indonesia a secret, at least until filming ended,” said Farid.
“I feel blessed that I was able to return to Malaysia because when I went (to Indonesia for filming), I told my wife there was a huge possibility we might have to move there.”
The film follows one man's journey in battling bribery and corruption.
When asked why he was willing to gamble his career for this role, the Remp-It star said it was because he wanted the character to be played by a Malaysian.
“Since this movie is a joint production between Malaysia and Indonesia, I was sure that the director would’ve picked someone else from another country if I didn’t accept the offer. And I want a political icon from Malaysia to be played by a Malaysian,” he reasoned.
Political hero
Anwar: The Untold Story, distributed by DMY Creation, was shot in Malaysia and Indonesia.
The biopic was filmed from August to October last year, meaning that Farid had to live with the character Anwar for three months.
Farid says Anwar has been his political hero for a long time. Photo: Azlina Abdullah/The StarNonetheless, the actor admitted that he was excited to explore the journey of his political hero in battling corruption.
Farid shared that he first got to know about Anwar in 1998 during the “Reformasi” movement, and he has been supporting the politician’s journey ever since.
“When I was 17, fresh out of secondary school after completing my SPM, our Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim got fired.
“He was arrested and, days later, he had this really terrible bruise on his eye.
“Being a curious person, I naturally dug a little deeper into how he got that bruise and found that, ‘Oh, it’s because he was being vocal about the bribery and corruption behind the government then.’
“That was when I started admiring him. In this movie, audiences will be able to see not just the efforts Anwar puts into handling bribery but also how he rejects it,” Farid said at the film’s launch.
Anwar: The Untold Story is a RM10mil project that also stars Acha Septriasa as Wan Azizah and Hasnul Rahmat as Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Anwar: The Untold Story is set to open in cinemas nationwide on May 18.
