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The Star
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
Malaysia's iconic superhero Keluang Man finally soars to the silver screen
This film tells the story of Borhan, a psychiatric patient in Kluang, who lives a double life as the mysterious vigilante Keluang Man. Photo: Keluang Man/Instagram After decades of nostalgia and years of anticipation, Keluang Man, Malaysia's original animated superhero, has finally made his live-action debut in cinemas nationwide. Released on May 29, the big-screen adaptation breathes new life into a local legend, blending action, humour and heartfelt storytelling in true Malaysian style. Directed by Anwari Ashraf, the man behind Polis Evo and Project: High Council , Keluang Man is not just another superhero flick. It's a tribute to Malaysian pop culture, a reinvention of an iconic character from the 1990s, and the start of the Astro Shaw Cinematic Universe (ASCU). This film tells the story of Borhan, played by Nas Muammar Zar, better known as Nas-T, a psychiatric patient in Kluang who lives a double life as the mysterious vigilante Keluang Man. Haunted by a voice in his head which is voiced by radio icon Halim Othman, Borhan finds himself pulled between delusions, memories and justice, especially when confronted with his estranged brother Shamsir, played by Datuk Remy Ishak. The story unfolds with a quirky cast of characters including Shweta Sekhon as Dr Malini, Borhan's psychiatrist, and Anwaar Beg Moghal as Inspector Sahab, her relentless brother who is hot on Keluang Man's trail. Datuk Rosyam Nor rounds out the cast as Ahmad, Borhan's aged but wise mentor. Speaking at the movie's gala premiere, lead actor Nas-T admitted that stepping into Borhan's complex world was both a challenge and a triumph. 'It's all thanks to director Anwari Ashraf, who wrote and directed it, and I entrusted everything to him. 'He moulded my character, and I followed his direction faithfully,' he said. In a particularly emotional twist, beloved radio host Halim returns not in body, but in voice. Lending his 1990s-era persona to a voice inside Borhan's head, Halim shared how surreal the experience was. 'Anwari told me about a superhero film with a character inspired by me, tied to the golden days of Roda Impian . 'I was touched by the director's imagination in wanting to capture Malaysia's memories from around 1998 to 2000,' Halim said. For Halim in particular, Keluang Man is considered a generational bridge that would bring people together. 'This isn't just a superhero film, it's a creative journey connecting nostalgia with a new generation,' he said. Shot in Kuala Lumpur, Kluang, Klang and Ipoh, Keluang Man took over two years to produce, with a reported budget of RM13 million. It represents the first full-fledged live-action adaptation of a local animated icon, originally created by the late Kamn Ismail. Director Anwari described the film as a love letter to fans and a vision of more local heroes to come. 'I hope audiences will embrace this film and help reignite the spirit of the superhero Keluang Man, so that his legacy can be passed down from one generation to the next,' he said. – Sinar Daily
New Straits Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: Perfect live adaptation for Malaysia's caped crusader
MALAYSIA'S first original superhero Keluang Man may sound like he is a local version of Batman, but the only similarity they seem to have is that they are both caped crusaders. For starters, Batman became a masked vigilante by night, fighting crime in Gotham City, because criminals made him an orphan. Keluang Man, however, did not know who his parents were as he was rescued from a child-trafficking syndicate and raised by a skilled silat master named Ahmad. And while Batman's alter ego Bruce Wayne inherited his rich parents' vast fortune and used it to come up with state-of-the-art crime-fighting devices, Keluang Man's alter ego Borhan lives a miserable life in the mental hospital of his crime-infested city Tumpoi, a thinly veiled reference to Tampoi in Johor Baru. An iconic superhero created by the late Kamn Ismail in the 1990s, Keluang Man was a hugely popular animated series during that decade and also had his own comics. And it has taken Anwari, the brilliant visionary behind the 'Polis Evo' film trilogy to script and direct it for the big screen. Keluang Man's movie stays 100 per cent true to the cartoon and depicts our hero as a man full of cheeky humour. As in the cartoon, 'Keluang Man The Movie' follows Borhan (Nas Muammar Zar alias Nas-T of 'Kami The Movie', 'Air Force The Movie' and 'Tanda Putera' fame), a psychiatric patient who regularly escapes his asylum. But when his past returns to haunt him, the man with dissociative schizophrenia embarks on a vengeful path, unaware that this journey will transform him into Keluang Man. Nas, an underrated actor who has been active since the 2000s, is brilliant as Borhan/Keluang Man, for he looks like his animated character and imitates his mannerisms meticulously. Like his animated character, Nas' Borhan breaks the fourth wall, expounds his thoughts in bubbles, takes viewers into his mind and listens to strange voices in his head. Nas' knowledge of self-defence, which helped him greatly in 'Air Force' and 'Kami', also comes in handy for his Keluang Man role, as our hero is more physical than Batman, having learnt silat from Ahmad (Datuk Rosyam Nor). And as a patient, Nas infuses Borhan with an awkwardness that allows him to blend in nicely with his fellow inmates. As for Rosyam, the character of father figure Ahmad is tailor-made for him, as Ahmad is a stern yet compassionate mentor who always has Borhan's back. Datuk Remy Ishak also has his character Shamsir tailor-made for him. If Batman had The Joker as his formidable foe, Shamsir is Keluang Man's answer to the clown prince of crime, even if they do not resemble each other. Shamsir is destructive, and plants explosives all over Tumpoi, just as Jack Napier/The Joker does in Gotham City. However, Shamsir is ruggedly handsome and was once Borhan's best friend. No Keluang Man adventure is complete without Inspector Sahab Singh and his younger sister Dr Malini, and first-timers Anwaar and Shweta are perfectly cast. While Sahab is somewhat like Spider-Man's Jonah Jameson, who at first detests him, he gradually warms up to Keluang Man and begins to play the role of Commissioner Gordon. Dr Malini is the only character who cares for Borhan and always motivates him to believe that he is not crazy but unwell. As for the supporting characters, Amelia Henderson is great as Kathy, the fearless television reporter who becomes Keluang Man's ally along the lines of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' April O'Neill. The most interesting cameos are provided by Naim Daniel, a young fan who might become Borhan's sidekick Tiong Man, and Senario's Wahid Mohamad and Azlee Jaafar as two "nice" inmates. A love letter to the generation that grew up in the 1990s, 'Keluang Man' has everything for viewers. Filmed in the Klang Valley, Kinta Valley, Tanjung Malim and Kluang with superb cinematography, this movie is perfect. Fans can expect many famous cameos from Malaysian movie history plus throwback hits from the 2000s. NOW SHOWING KELUANG MAN DIRECTOR Anwari Ashraf STARRING Nas Muammar Zar, Datuk Remy Ishak, Datuk Rosyam Nor, Shweta Sekhon, Anwaar Beg Moghal, Halim Othman, Amelia Henderson, Sham Sunder, Dennis Yin, Naim Daniel, Mierul Aiman, Nadhir Nasar, Daniella Sya, Wahid Mohamad, Azlee Jaafar, Delimawati, A Galak
New Straits Times
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: Amerul Affendi plays slick action hero in '6 Jilake'
VERSATILE actor Amerul Affendi is back on the big screen, and he is playing an action hero for the first time. Amerul, 36, said that it was a "tick" on his bucket list, even though his character was more of a funny hero than a serious one. "My latest character is Mr Big Ears, better known as Kuping, and he is a war veteran who fought the Dutch in Melaka and now has to return to his home state Perak to confront them again," said Amerul, who is the star of director Aziz M Osman's latest action-comedy '6 Jilake'. "I've never imagined myself as an action hero, as I'm more of a character actor. Nevertheless, I love being versatile and the action hero role has always been something I've wanted all along. "Thank you, Abang Aziz for casting me in '6 Jilake', it was a superb adventure from the word go." WACKY Amerul admitted that he prefers to be a slightly wacky hero as opposed to a no-nonsense one, for he is a "funny guy" at heart. "I'm not into characters who are smooth and perfect, I love flawed characters who can be irritating yet heroic at the same time, and that's who Kuping is," he said. When asked about working with Aziz, Amerul said that he had always admired the director. "'6 Jilake' marks the first time that I'm meeting Aziz and working with him. "He told me that he was a big fan of my movies such as 'Bunohan', 'Polis Evo', and even 'Pekak'," said Amerul. "It is an honour and a dream to work with Aziz who is a great storyteller. "I immediately said yes when he cast me in his movie." STAR-STUDDED Amerul is familiar with Aziz's best known movies such as 'XX-Ray', 'Leftenan Adnan' and 'Juang'. He admitted that it was easy to work with Aziz because he was good at communicating with the cast and crew of '6 Jilake', which has a star-studded ensemble cast. The cast includes Bell Ngasri, Saiful Apek, Datuk Remy Ishak, Ayda Jebat, Asmidar, Datin Maria Farida, Datuk Fauziah Nawi, Datuk David Teo and Aziz himself. "While I had to do many physically challenging stunts, it was not stressful at all on the set. "Aziz always had things under control and knew what he wanted. "He understands each character and actor in and out. "And best of all, he is very energetic and youthful on the set," said Amerul. When asked about working with Saiful for the first time, Amerul said that he had always wanted to meet the 'Senario' comedian. "Since I was small, I have always dreamed of meeting Saiful Apek. He is a great comedian, and working with him was really cool. "He is very helpful and friendly, a happy-go-lucky man by name and nature." SILAT Amerul had to display slick silat skills while playing Kuping. While he did take silat lessons during his secondary schooldays, these did not last long. "It was only during my 20s that I relearnt silat under an experienced silat master, and it was one to one," said Amerul. When asked about future action movies, Amerul said that he is game for them. Amerul would love to star in a Syafiq Yusof movie too, as he has "fallen in love" with the iconic director's top movie of 2025 'Blood Brothers: Bara Naga'. Amerul admitted that the fight scenes he had in '6 Jilake' were not the major challenges that he faced during filming. Instead, he had to endure a massive heat wave that hit Gopeng, Perak. "Never have I filmed under such a hot, roasting climate. It was 37 degrees Celsius," said Amerul. Amerul would love to star in romantic comedies with strong ensemble casts, such as the iconic British movies 'Love Actually' and 'Four Weddings And A Funeral'. "Romantic comedies are fun, and one helps me recharge after an action movie." Amerul, who has a theatre background, still appears in plays, but only at the end of the year. "Every year end, I make sure that I appear in at least one play, be it in English or Malay. "This year, I'm going to star in a Malay language play by Revolution Stage," he said.
