Lady luck sure is smiling on Aprena Manrose as the actress have successfully made her big screen debut not with just one, but three movies in one go this year! After appearing in the recently released Datuk A. Aida-produced "Ratu Kala Jengking: Puteri Keranda", now Aprena stars in the horror comedy "Jodoh Syaitan" opposite male lead Soffi Jikan. In the Ismail Bob Hashim-directed movie, Aprena plays the female lead, a beautiful young woman named Mawar who also happens to be a 'Pontianak' (the Malay folklore equivalent of a vampire). However, the actress, born Wan Syahera Putri Aprena Wan Syahman, revealed that she plans to slow down for now when it comes to her career, as she wants to focus on growing her currently two-membered family after four years of marriage. Cinema Online had the chance to talk to Aprena during the recent gala premiere of "Jodoh Syaitan", which was also attended by the director and other members of the cast, at mmCineplexes eCurve, Damansara. Take a look at our interview with Aprena Manrose below.
Cinema Online: How does it feel like to receive an offer to star in a horror comedy as your feature film debut? Aprena: Initially I was reluctant to accept the offer because I didn't even know the basics when it comes to acting in movies. I was worried that I would not be able to do it and thought of pulling out. But the late Abang Asey gave me a lot of confidence. He picked me without going through any audition. Without him, I wouldn't have been involved in this movie and I feel sad because I did not get the chance to thank him. At the same time, I also received an offer to star in a drama but I thought to myself, if I were to accept that offer, I would only continue starring in dramas. So, this was my chance to try something new. Alhamdulillah, I think of this as a blessing for a new actress. What challenges did you face starring in this movie? Honestly, I am a scaredy-cat, especially when in the dark. In the final scene, I was very scared because I had to sit far from the other cast members at night. Apart from that, to play a 'Pontianak', I had to climb trees and that was very challenging for me because I'm not that active. Bob was worried but I said it was okay, I wanted to do it and I had to fight that fear. Another challenge was I had to endure two hours of makeup to transform into the 'Pontianak'. Are you satisfied with your acting in the movie? As an actor, there will always be this feeling where you won't feel quite satisfied, feeling like I could do better. Nonetheless, I only followed what the director wanted. Alhamdulillah, I have done my best and I am satisfied with my work in this movie. How was it like acting with Soffi Jikan and the late Abam Bocey? Soffi is a very creative actor. Whenever a scene we were working on didn't work out, he wanted to redo it based on his idea. Our characters are quite the opposites, his is more towards comedy and mine is more towards horror. So, it was very challenging acting with him because I have to stop myself from laughing at his impromptu dialogues. Meanwhile, the late Abam was a very good person. During the early stages of filming, I was resting and eating while waiting for my scene. Suddenly, he approached me and took a photo with me. He then immediately uploaded it to his Instagram. Even though we had only just met, he was very down to earth. Since then, we became closer. His passing really shocked me. Did you refer to any movies to play your role? All horror movies are pretty much the same. The stories are all the same. Most of the movies that I referred to were horror comedies like "Nang Nak" and "Pee Mak". What will you be working on next? Actually, my resolution for 2020 is to slow down with my career since my marriage is entering its fourth year. I've achieved everything else that I wanted so now it's time for me to focus on trying to conceive. My husband and I have done fertility tests and are still waiting for the results. Alhamdulillah, I'm happy because this year there are three movies that I starred in that will be released in cinemas. Apart from "Jodoh Syaitan", there are also "Ratu Kala Jengking" and "Bulan & Pria Terhebat" that will open soon. Aside from that, I will also be involved in the filming of a 26-episode drama called "Kalung", which will be aired on RTM. Then in April, the drama "Whatsapp Dari Jordan" will be aired on TV Okey. Don't miss out on the horror of "Jodoh Syaitan", now showing in a cinema near you since 5 March!