Farid Kamil: "Remp-It 2" is the start of my own production company

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Farid Kamil: "Remp-It 2" is the start of my own production company

Writer: Nisa Irina

Farid Kamil will also feature his son Muhammad in "Remp-It 2".

After his long absence on the silver screen, this year actor-director Datuk Farid Kamil will be making a comeback through his latest movie, which he helmed and produced through production company FKX Film, "Remp-It 2".

The movie serves as a continuation to the 2006 Ahmad Idham-directed "Remp-It". Among the original cast members that are returning in the sequel is Farid himself, Cat Farish and Julia Hana.

"Remp-It 2" is Farid's fourth directorial effort, following his three previous movies, "V3: Samseng Jalanan" (2010), "Kongsi" (2011) and "PE3" (2012). It also marks his first time producing, alongside his wife, actress Diana Danielle.

Cinema Online recently had the chance to interview Farid during the launch of "Remp-It 2" teaser trailer and Sifu International Enduro Championship 2020 at Route 77 Harley Davidson of Kuala Lumpur.

Read on below for our interview with Farid Kamil.

Cinema Online: What's the latest update on "Remp-It 2"?

Farid: Alhamdulillah, "Remp-It 2" is now sent to the Film Censorship Board of Malaysia (LPF). It was very quick, the filming was done in August last year for 53 days at several main roads around Kuala Lumpur, Johor and Pahang. The movie will be a continuation of the first movie and it is expected to screen in cinemas this August.

Why did the sequel take 13 years to make?

Those 13 years actually show how far I've come in looking for a chance to make the movie. While selling the script of "Remp-It" to David Teo, I was determined that if I ever received the chance to produce a movie one day, "Remp-It 2" will be the start of my own production company.

Who are the actors involved in the movie?

I kept some of the original actors such as myself, Cat Farish and Julia Hana. The rest of the cast is made up of new actors. At first, I planned to hire Nabila Huda as the female lead, but during the filming, she faced scheduling conflicts and I had to replace her with new actress, Ahirine Ahirudin.

The character Spark also stays, except it's no longer played by Zul Huzaimy since he has declined to be involved in the project. I then picked Niezam Zaidi. A lot of changes can take place in 13 years, so I made the initiative to change Spark's character and make this movie to the best of my abilities.

Niezam Zaidi is an actor who can ride the motorcycle well. He has also participated in several Malaysian Cub Prix races before this but at the time, I didn't have the chance to get to know him as an actor. However, I'm confident that he will be a breath of fresh air to "Remp-It 2" and I am very grateful for that.

What challenges did you face in making this movie?

"Remp-It 2" is the first movie to be produced by FKX Film. I take on three important roles: producer, director and actor. My first challenge was, of course, being a first-time producer, I was hoping the movie will not go over budget and it will be once of the most anticipated movies. The overall cost to make the movie was RM3 million but Alhamdulillah we still have a lot left over.

How did the casting of your son Muhammad come about?

The decision was made because the script required a child actor. When I discussed it with Diana to cast Muhammad, she agreed and encouraged it. Muhammad's role is one of the important plots in the movie. So I hope that Muhammad did his best because this is a rare chance.

How was it like directing your own son in a movie?

I was sceptical at first to hire a child actor, furthermore Muhammad was only six years old at the time. So I took the initiative to send him to an acting class by Dr. Norzizi Zulkifli for a month so we didn't miss anything important. Alhamdulillah, when Muhammad arrived on set, he was already fully prepared.

A little challenge when it comes to directing Muhammad was when filming had to be done late at night and he began to feel sleepy. So we had to reshoot his scenes. I think of Muhammad as a newcomer that's set to brighten up the film industry but for now, he will only be involved in our productions first.

Does your current situation interfere with the movie's production?

What happened to me a couple of years back has actually become my motivation to produce this movie. Even though on the surface it seemed like it was interfering with the production, there is a silver lining to everything that's happened. I've dreamed of becoming a producer for 10 years and the incident gave me the chance that I've been hoping for for a long time. It did interfere with our preparation to release the movie earlier, which is on 20 February. Luck was not on my side and we had to delay the release to August.

What other projects will you be working on next?

At the moment, FKX Film and I will focus on the release of "Remp-It 2" since it is also my family's project, with Diana joining as a producer and Muhammad as a cast member. Only after that will we begin to plan for our next movies.

Aside from that, I will be acting with Nora Danish again in the telefilm "Puyah dan Putat", after six years of not working together. Even though Nora knows her fellow actor has personal issues off set, she is still professional when on set. The telefilm will be aired on Astro Citra this 22 February.

Cinema Online, 17 February 2020