Sarah aspiring to get into the act

taken from New Straits Times 1 August 2007
By : Faridul Anwar Farinordin

Singer Asmawi Ani or Mawi with Puteri Sarah Liyana Megat Kamarruddin. They will star in M. Nasir’s upcoming film “Aduh Saliha’

KUALA LUMPUR: The thought of working with two of the biggest names in the entertainment ind-ustry has got Puteri Sarah Liyana Megat Kamarruddin all nervous and excited.

The 22-year-old part-time actress, who has played small roles in TV series including Puteri and Dunia Anita, believes playing the love interest to Mawi’s character in the M. Nasir movie Aduh Saliha is a big responsibility.

And, she does not want to disappoint.

Sarah, who hails from Damansara, is a full-time hotel management student at Universiti Teknologi Mara in Shah Alam, but will take a month-long break to be in the production, which will begin filming here and in Sabah at the end of the month.

The year-long search for someone to play the title character finally came to an end with the announcement of Sarah as the leading lady in the semi-musical fantasy.
In the last few months, the movie has been making headlines for its search for an actress to fill the role.

Some 300 people had auditioned for the part, and the list of names rumoured to have been offered the part included Sharifah Amani Syed Zainal Rashid and Fasha Sanda.

Speaking to reporters yesterday, Sarah said she received a call from Nasir to ask her to audition for the role in June.

"I had no idea what to expect when I read the script. At the same time, I was quite scared of M. Nasir because I heard he is garang (strict)."

Nasir said Sarah had the qualities of the fictional Saliha.

"I first saw her on TV last month and I realised that I had found the right person. There’s freshness to her talent and beauty that makes her endearing."

For the next few weeks, Nasir said, Sarah and Mawi will undergo acting classes to prepare for the role.

The movie will cost RM1.5 million, with a soundtrack album in the making.

Aduh Saliha, which is also the title of Mawi’s hit song after winning Akademi Fantasia season 3, tells the story about a musician trapped in the world of the orang bunian (jungle spirits) where he finds Saliha.

There’s romance, drama and conflict in the movie, which is also Mawi’s film debut.

"I hadn’t met Sarah until today (yesterday), and I believe she will make a great Saliha.

"We both have huge responsibilities in the movie and I hope fans will give us their support on this journey," Mawi said.