Headline Love challenges MediaTitle New Straits Times Date 13 Mar 2015 Language English Circulation 149,000 Readership 447,000 Section Life & Times Color Full Color Page No 1,8,9 ArticleSize 2290 cm² AdValue RM 78,636 PR Value RM 235,908 ■ ­ mt * ♦ i iitifiM '­rTf Headline Love challenges MediaTitle New Straits Times Date 13 Mar 2015 Language English Circulation 149,000 Readership 447,000 Section Life & Times Color Full Color Page No 1,8,9 ArticleSize 2290 cm² AdValue RM 78,636 PR Value RM 235,908 Against all odds Director Bade Azmi's new film pays tribute to those with physical challenges, writes Dennis Chua ACTION hero Adi Putra, newly­ sign language specially to play whom he regards as his sifu in Malay­ wed Llyana Jasmay and bud­ Iskandar. It took him six sian movies. ding entrepreneur Fizo Omar months to master the "My first foray into Malaysian mov­ are the main stars in Isyarat Cinta, a basics. ies was the telemovie Abadi Sebuah new film directed by award­winning "Bade wants the char­ Cinta a decade ago, with Rosyam," Bade Azmi and produced by Datuk acters to be as realistic as says Adi, an engineering graduate Rosyam Nor through his company possible. Both Fizo and who hopes to pursue a doctorate in RK Screen Sdn Bhd. I took lessons and we management later, as he believes that Scheduled to open in cinemas also learnt lip reading," it is "better to be an educated actor". nationwide next Thursday, the movie says Adi who describes "I'm also a businessman, having set is a poignant and heart­warming Iskandar as a successful up two companies — a travel agency tribute to those with special businessman who is smart, polite and and an information technology com­ needs, exploring their polished, yet very lonely. pany—with friends two years ago," he feelings of loneliness, "When he meets Dhia, it is love at says. love and acceptance first sight. Both have a lot in common While movies are his first choice, despite the odds. — they are independent, resourceful he enjoys appearing in Adi and Liyana, and resilient in the face of physical drama series. "It's more who are teaming up challenges." challenging because it is on the big screen Iskandar treats Ariel as his adop­ the longer version of mov­ for the first time, tive brother and trusts him totally, but ies. As a result, I have to be play an unlikely what he does not realise is that Ariel welded to my screen role couple. is his "bridge" to Dhia's heart, and for a longer period of time Businessman unwittingly gets "drawn into it". in order to make the char­ Iskandar (Adi) is deaf "While the love triangle is a com­ acter believable," he says. and mute, while Dhia mon theme, Isyarat Cinta is more of an Adi hopes to produce (Liyana) is blind follow­ exploration into the heart and soul of his own dramas and movies one day. ing an accident two years two people with physical challenges, Last year, he co­directed the telemov­ ie SuamiAku Ustaz, withGhaz Bakar. ago. loners who long to be loved," says Adi. It also starred Nora Danish, his co­star One day, Iskandar saves Dhia "Iskandar and Dhia have happy in the movie Aku Terima Nikahnya. from getting hit by an oncom­ families and are well­looked­after, ing car and they strike up a great yet there is an emptiness in their lives VERSATILE ACTORS friendship with help from his which can only be filled with love." family friend Ariel (Fizo). Meanwhile, Liyana, the proud mother of nine­month­old Sofia Fathuddin, is Love gradually blossoms TALENTED TRIO delighted to collaborate with Adi and between the couple but Ariel also Adi is delighted to team up with Liya­ Fizo in their first feature film together. falls for Dhia. na and Fizo for the first time. " "They are two of the most versatile UNLIKELY HERO "They are extremely talented, actors today and it's an honour to star Adi says it is his second time playing a especially Liyana who is also a great alongside them in this poignant love hero with physical challenges. singer. I have always wanted to work story. Even better, it is produced by "I played a similar role in the with Bade because he knows exactly my sifu Rosyam, who discovered me telemovie Buta Kasih Suraya four what he wants and excels in movies years ago. My co­star was Elly that require intensity and emotions," in Castello a decade ago," says Liyana, Mazlein," he says. he says. who has now followed in Rosyam's The Singaporean actor, who has Adi is also delighted to team up footsteps as a producer. been in Malaysia for a decade, learnt with executive producer Rosyam Headline Love challenges MediaTitle New Straits Times Date 13 Mar 2015 Language English Circulation 149,000 Readership 447,000 Section Life & Times Color Full Color Page No 1,8,9 ArticleSize 2290 cm² AdValue RM 78,636 PR Value RM 235,908 She admits that becoming a moth­ in this story. All three are victims of cir­ September, he will pursue a post­grad­ Isyarat Cinta is a er has made her more focused in her cumstances, and reflect the realities of uate course in business at Universiti production of RK career. life and its unpredictabilities," she says. Utara Malaysia, Sintok, Kedah, for two Screen. It opens in "My husband, Fathuddin Mazlan, Filming, says Liyana, took place years. cinemas nationwide is my biggest fan," she says, adding over 25 days in Cameron Highlands, "I'll be studying part­time," he says, on March 19. that he has given her a lot of feedback especially in Brinchang. "Cameron< adding that he will also host seminars on how to be a better actress. Highlands is one of my favourite holi­ on entrepreneurship around the coun­ Liyana, who runs Mermaid Studios day destinations and it's so good to be try. with her elder sister Adriana, has sub­ back there for this movie," she says. Last year, Fizo spent 10 days mitted a short film titled Jerat to the "I want to thank Bade and Rosyam helping flood victims in his home United States' Tribeca Film Festival. for choosing this superb and scenic State, Kelantan. "While my family was The 10­minute story of people location." fortunate to be spared, many of our old "trapped" in an unlikely situation BURGER BUSINESS friends suffered losses. I'm delighted stars Nabila Huda Suhaimi and Zul Fizo is now known as the person that so many actors volunteered to Huzaimy Marzuki. behind the Hot Burger brand, which help in flood relief," he says. "It's an exciting film and I plan he founded two years ago. It now has Fizo, who appeared in Romeo Kota to produce such shorts every two 150 outlets around the country. last month, will open a restaurant months," she adds. "Only five States—Kelantan, Johor, in Pandan Indah next April, named "Next month, I'm going to film a Malacca, Selangor and the Federal Ter­ Mama Fizo. family comedy titled Bella Dan Jamie, ritories — have Hot Burger kiosks. We'll "It features traditional recipes my starring old friend Juliana Evans and be expanding to the other states soon," mother learnt over the years. I hope myself. It's light­hearted but loaded says Fizo who aspires to be a producer. toopenbranchesin other States later,'1 with life's important lessons." Liyana He is marking his first movie with he says. dchua(S)nst.com.my says Isyarat Cinta is her second movie Bade, Rosyam, Adi and Liyana with with Bade and her first as a visually­ Isyarat Cinta. "I've acted in a musical, The recent charity screening challenged. Siti Di Alam Fantasi, with Liyana in "Bade is a perfectionist, so I spent of Isyarat Cinta, organised 2010 in Istana Budaya," he says. by Association of Malaysian a lot of time observing the visually He praises Bade's works and Entertainment Journalists (or impaired, including those at work." regards him as one of his all­time WHAM, its Malay acronym), raised On her character's back story, favourite filmmakers. "His movies RM100.000 that will be channelled Liyana says Dhia is the daughter of a are memorable because of the excel­ to several relief efforts following successful businessman who lost her lent camerawork, which brings out the the recent floods in the East Coast. sight in a car accident. right emotions from its leading stars." The screening on March 4 at "Despite losing her sight, Dhia Describing Isyarat Cinta as a Cathay Cineplexes in Damansara, faces her challenges with strength and simple love story, he adds: "It's an Selangor was supported by RK fortitude, and refuses to be treated as a excellent exploration of the love and Screen Sdn Bhd. disabled person," says Liyana. lives of people with physical chal­ WHAM president Tengku "She is helpful, compassionate, lenges. They are just like you and me, Khalidah Tengku Bidin said the independent­minded and as sociable with feelings and emotions that need effort is hoped to lighten the as she was before her blindness." to be addressed. burden of the flood victims in the Her strong character and resilience "It's also an eye­opener to.all that East Coast. makes her compatible with Iskandar, nothing is impossible, if you put your "We have achieved our goal in and while she also gets along with heart and soul into it." terms of the amount raised from the Ariel, she does not realise that he, too, Fizo currently hosts religious charity screening," she says, adding loves her.