Khai and Sani partner up to take down the bad guys. Photos: Handout
It was eight years ago that actors Shaheizy Sam and Zizan Razak starred opposite one another in Polis Evo.
The 2015 film made RM18mil at the local box office and the two actors gained new fans as they played the serious Inspector Khai and the wisecracking Inspector Sani, respectively.
In 2018, they reprised their roles and this time around the sequel earned RM22.4mil in the Malaysian box office.
It makes sense that there would be a third movie.
Although Polis Evo 3 was filmed at the end of 2019 and early 2020, the film is only out this year due to several postponements caused by the pandemic.
So much so that actor Shaheizy, 40, quipped, “... it has been two years, so I can’t really remember what happened then ...” when asked about his experience making the film.
Likewise, Zizan said that he felt nervous about watching the Polis Evo 3 trailer for the first time recently.
“It was nerve wracking waiting for the film to come out after two years. When I was watching the trailer, I was excited and nervous.
“But I think all the efforts we put into making the film can be seen in the movie. So, I am very excited that fans will finally get to watch the film when it is released,” said Zizan, 39.
To prepare for the roles – again – both actors underwent rigorous training to ensure they are able to execute the stunts in the film.
“The stunts we can do as long as we trained for them,” said Zizan.
“But if there were last-minute changes like additional choreography or change of location, then there might be new challenges when doing action scenes. But as long as I practised enough, I felt it was safe for me to do the stunts myself.”
According to Zizan, the pre-production work was detailed and well planned that he wasn’t too worried when doing stunts as each and everyone in the crew who turned up on set were professionals.
Similarly, Shaheizy said that he would do the stunts himself if he’s able to handle it and especially if the action scene required the audience to believe it’s really him doing the fights.
The consummate actor who is known to go to extremes for his roles, once again hit the gym and adjusted his diet to play Khai.
“I worked out for two weeks just for the scene where I had to take off my shirt,” he said.
'Polis Evo 3' sees the detectives investigating an explosion in Penang that killed hundreds of people.
Polis Evo 3 sees the two detectives investigating an explosion in Penang that killed hundreds of people.
As they hunt for the culprit, they learn that the criminal is also after Khai for something that happened years ago.
Worse, the perpetrator is an ex-cop (Sharnaaz Ahmad) who is hell bent on getting his target.
Directed by Syafiq Yusof, the film also stars Syafiq Kyle, Fara Ali Khan, Douglas Lim, Nora Danish and Fauzi Nawawi.
Shaheizy hinted further at the plot: “Having met these characters eight years ago, you feel like you know these characters really well. But do you really know these characters?
"There’s lots more to tell ... lots of secrets behind these two characters.”
Actors Shaheizy (left) and Zizan have become closer after starring in three 'Polis Evo' movies.He also talked about how his friendship with Zizan developed as they’ve made these Polis Evo films.
“From the first movie, I felt his affection towards me. It was there in the second film as well. For the third one, I feel our friendship has become more natural,” said Shaheizy.
“We are open to each other; there is no boundary.”
Meanwhile, Zizan joked that Shaheizy had moved into his neighbourhood in Shah Alam, Selangor to reconnect and “get that chemistry back” because of the long hiatus between the films.
One thing they do agree on is that this film is the culmination of the first two Polis Evo.
Shaheizy said: “Some people love the first one and some people like the second one. Both have their own advantages.
“The first one was more fun and relaxed. Second one was a bit dark and hardcore. Third one, you have both these elements.
“So, it’s a nice blend. It’s really cool.”
Zizan added: “It has action, comedy and plenty of emotion. It’s like a balanced meal ... there is a little bit of everything.”
Polis Evo 3 is set to open at cinemas nationwide on May 25.
