The film, a debut for first-time feature-filmmakers Khairi Anwar and Tan Meng Kheng, was also a top-five finalist in the Kuman Pictures Feature Challenge 2020.
“Mentega Terbang” tells the story of a schoolgirl named Aisyah, played by Syumaila Nur Rania Salihin, who embarks on a journey to learn more about different faiths and the afterlife as she prepares for the imminent death of her cancer-stricken mother.
She is accompanied by her funny and faithful friend, Suresh, played by Arjun Thanaraju.
Age no deterrent
Syumaila, who delivers a delightful performance, was only 15 when filming began, making her the youngest cast member.
“When I first got the script, I read it many times and imagined what the scenes would be like,” the now 16-year-old tells FMT, adding that she found the script very informative as it contained many facts she didn’t know about other cultures and religions.
Her mother was her go-to person when she needed help with certain scenes. “She was always willing to give me her thoughts and feedback,” Syumaila says, crediting her mum for nudging her into the entertainment industry.
“My first theatre show was when I was nine or 10,” she shares, revealing that, funnily enough, it was a production that also featured “Mentega Terbang” director Khairi.
She also expresses her gratitude towards Arjun. Simply hanging out and talking with her co-star helped her to be comfortable in her role.
“I don’t think I would have played Aisyah as well if Suresh had been played by anyone else,” she says warmly.
The duo have known each other for a while, having met during a theatre production. Indeed, one of the highlights of the film is the natural chemistry between Aisyah and Suresh as they banter yet support each other, which clearly stems from their real-life friendship.
The ‘accidental’ actor
Arjun reveals that he joined the project as part of the writing team alongside Khairi, Visshnu Varman and Ti Teng-Hui.
“I was never supposed to play Suresh. That was never the plan,” the 24-year-old says. But Khairi could not find the right person for the role of Suresh, despite having held an open audition.
“Then one day Syumaila came in and Khairi suggested I do a screen test with her,” Arjun adds, explaining that they ended up “just being themselves on screen”, which likely led to the director realising the easy camaraderie that existed between them.
Arjun was cast as Suresh that very day.
“Mentega Terbang” marks his first foray into film. Previously a theatre actor and writer, his plays “Emergency” and “Arranged” have won awards at the Short+Sweet Theatre festival hosted by the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre.
“I knew there was going to be a lot of learning involved,” Arjun admits, acknowledging the different acting skills and techniques between film and theatre.
“For instance, in theatre, I am used to acting ‘big’ and having to project my voice to the last row of the audience. With film,the cameras are not that far from you, and I had to get used to it.”
Arjun also explains how different it was for him to play Suresh compared to writing him as a character.
“When we wrote the script, we approached it as adults. But playing Suresh, a 15-year-old, what stood out for me was having a childlike sense of wonder and the fearlessness to question.
“That’s because when you’re 15, you don’t have filters in your thought process,” he says. “If it comes to mind, you will seek the answer.”
Don’t miss Syumaila and Arjun in the final screenings of ‘Mentega Terbang’ in the Klang Valley until Dec 19 at GMBB, Kuala Lumpur, before it moves on to other states. For tickets, click here.
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