Actor Irfan Zaini takes on his first leading role as Malaysia’s rally champion Karamjit Singh in the upcoming biopic ‘Terbang’, set for September release.
PETALING JAYA: Actor Irfan Zaini’s first leading role in a Malay-language feature film has proven to be his most demanding challenge yet. He plays Malaysia’s rally driver Karamjit Singh in the biographical picture ‘Terbang’, set to be screened in local cinemas in September.
Describing it as an opportunity to introduce the motorsport legend to a new generation, Irfan, 30, whose full name is Muhammad Irfan Mohamed Zaini, said portraying the character came with its own challenges as he had to immerse himself in the unfamiliar world of rally racing while bringing to life the story of one of Malaysia’s greatest rally icons, who remains active in the sport today.
“I’m very grateful for this role because it’s such an iconic character. At first, I actually felt guilty because I only knew Karamjit as a drifter and stunt performer, when in reality he’s a rally champion.
“I felt this was a story that deserved to be shared with audiences, especially Gen Z, who may not know him as the national rally hero that he is,” he told reporters after the launch of Astro X3 and Astro’s new entertainment content lineup here yesterday.
To authentically portray the role, Irfan, who starred in the action film ‘Blood Brothers: Bara Naga’, spent time with Karamjit to study his mannerisms, walking and driving styles and speech, as well as the emotions that shaped his career.
One of the film’s most remarkable aspects, Irfan revealed, is that Karamjit performed several of the high-speed driving sequences himself, serving as the actor’s stunt double.
“I played him on screen, but he became my stunt double. That’s extraordinary because there are certain driving stunts that ordinary people simply can’t pull off,” he said.
Irfan, who also acted in the drama series ‘Luka di Hujung Setia’, admitted that being with Karamjit during filming only deepened his admiration for the 64-year-old champion.
“His driving is on a completely different level — it’s absolutely crazy. I’ve been in the passenger seat with him and honestly, it’s terrifying, but at the same time incredibly impressive,” he said.
Aware of the responsibility that came with portraying such a respected figure, Irfan underwent three months of rally driving training as he had no prior experience in the sport.
The challenge was even greater, he said, because several of his co-stars, including Zizan Razak and Jack Tan, already had backgrounds in motorsports as racers and drifters.
“I told the director that if I still couldn’t do the role justice after training, I’d rather it is given to someone else because I didn’t want to ruin the character. Thankfully, the director was happy with my performance, both behind the wheel and as an actor,” he said.
To make the story more engaging, Irfan said dramatic elements that go beyond the racing world were also incorporated into the story.
The production also featured Karamjit’s actual rally cars and filmed at authentic racing locations, including in New Zealand.
“I hope this film helps more people appreciate Karamjit’s immense contribution to Malaysian motorsport,” Irfan said.
Produced by Astro Shaw alongside several production partners and directed by Chiu Keng Guan, ‘Terbang’ also stars Jack Tan, Zizan Razak, Namron, Shweta Sekhon, Michael Helfman, Diana Danielle, Luqman Hafidz and Qasrina Karim.
