Jaa Suzuran says he is now more suited to serious roles

PETALING JAYA: Actor Jaa Suzuran says he is open to taking on a range of roles beyond comedy in the productions he stars in.

Jaa, whose real name is Mohamad Faizal Ahmad, said he constantly looks for chances to improve his acting because he fears appearing flat if he only plays the same type of character.

"I have no problem taking on serious roles. In fact, I now feel I am better suited to serious roles. With comedy, I worry it will come across as flat. I feel I am no longer as good at making jokes as I used to be, now that I am in my 30s," he said.

Filming at -9°C

Jaa said his role in Tiket Sehala was a heavy one, with the weather during filming also affecting his emotional performance.

"Imagine temperatures reaching -9 degrees Celsius. I am a Kelantanese, and I had to speak in English. It really took time to get used to," he said.

While he does not consider himself a great actor, he said he learnt a lot from co-stars such as Sharifah Sakinah.

"During rehearsals I spent a lot of time with Sakinah. She opened my eyes to understanding this character. My character is not just about making jokes. There are different layers of emotion," he said.

Injured during action scenes

Jaa revealed he sustained several injuries while filming action sequences in the film, directed by Rahila Ali.

"I was stepped on and actually slapped in the face by Ainee. We wanted the scene to look realistic. She did not want to do it, but I told her it was better to hurt once than to repeat it many times," he said.

He added that he would like to learn martial arts if given the chance, after being thrilled by the action work of Ainee Mustafa and Noki.

International collaboration

Jaa hopes the film finds a place with audiences. "This is a Malaysia-Korea collaboration, with actors from several other countries too. The visuals are also very beautiful," he said.

The film also stars Noki K-Clique, Sharifah Sakinah, Sheila Mambo, Ardell Aryana, Hasnul Rahmat, Zaki Yamani, Ainee Mustafa and Saha Champ, alongside actors from South Korea, Thailand and Indonesia.

It tells the story of a group of Malaysians who fall victim to a job scam syndicate while seeking a living in South Korea, and opened in cinemas on Aug 6.

Quotes translated from Malay.