Kabir Bhatia started his career in the world of creative advertising in India, and from there has gone on to become one of the most reputable directors in the Malaysian film industry. What stands out about his movies is that each one brings something new to the table every time it comes out. Because of this, many of his works have won numerous accolades. Among those award-winning movies are "Cinta", "Sepi", "Setem", "Nur Kasih The Movie" and "Sembunyi Amukan Azazil". "Gila Baby", which tells the story of two friends who steal a car without realising there is a baby in the backseat, plays on the big screen this December and Kabir Bhatia is excited to have been given the chance to direct this action comedy with its amazing ensemble of cast. Read on to see what this director, screenwriter and executive producer of "Gila Baby" has to share with Cinema Online about the newly-released movie.
Can you tell us how did you get involved in this movie? What made you agree to direct it? As I tend to say, I saw a potential in the story. I'm a big fan of comedic stories. Each and every comedy scene that I film is always full of challenges. Furthermore, I was able to really immerse myself in each of the movie's character and I really liked that, which was why I decided to make the movie. Which scene in "Gila Baby" is your favourite? There's this one scene where Craig Fong acts as a Mongolian killer with a strange condition. He is on a mission to kill but because of his easily distracted nature, he keeps getting derailed and can't concentrate on the task at hand. Which scene was the hardest to film? The whole movie was a challenge to film. In fact, "Gila Baby" is one of the hardest movies I have ever directed. Not everything went as planned. Take for instance, when filming a scene involving a six-month-old infant, I wanted him to laugh and give off different expressions, but that was impossible to direct and film. That really eats up our time and energy. What about the most memorable part during filming? There was one scene where we had to film a motorcycle careening through traffic, when one of our stuntmen lost control, causing Beto to fall and he was injured. The mishap happened in the blink of an eye. We were surprised when 5 minutes after the accident, Beto said he wanted to continue filming. Even though we prepared an ambulance and he was given light treatment, he declined our offer for him to rest awhile, saying that it would delay the filming process. How was it like working with Beto? Beto is one of the best actors I have ever worked with. He is definitely a 'director's actor'. He was able to understand whatever it was that I ask of him. I couldn't ask for a better actor to work with. Lastly, who is the targeted audience for this movie? It's a movie for all. This comedy movie is perfect for the whole family and is sure to entertain everybody. "Gila Baby" stars Beto Kusyairy, Sharnaaz Ahmad, Nadiya Nisaa, Adlin Aman Ramli, Lan Pet Pet, Anuar Chew Abdullah, Chelsia Ng and many more. It was recently released in local cinemas on 4 December 2014.