DELVING into another universe of its own, Viu Malaysia recently held a one-of-a-kind exclusive behind-the-scenes and interview session of the upcoming series, W: Two Worlds, at Bandar Malaysia on June 27.
The proudly presented Malaysian adaptation of the Korean series features an incredible line-up, including Daiyan Trisha, Hun Haqeem, Elizabeth Tan, Mierul Aiman, Faizal Hussein, and Tony Eusoff.
In this special adaptation, W: Two Worlds revolves around the captivating tale of Izara, whose life takes an unexpected turn when her father, the author of the comic W, mysteriously vanishes. Fate intervenes as Izara finds herself transported into the webtoon universe, where she becomes the saviour of the main character, Aliff.
The story takes a turn when Izara’s actions carry consequences, entangle her deeply in the narrative, and blur the boundaries of fiction and reality. Simultaneously, Aliff, who has spent a decade seeking revenge for his family’s murder, starts unravelling a perplexing link between Izara and his own destiny.
Great casting
The cast line-up intended for this series truly comes to life with the amount of chemistry and charisma that pops off onscreen and offscreen. It is safe to say that every casting choice was the perfect match-up.
Starting off with Daiyan Trisha, she plays Izara Yusuf, who is a compassionate doctor who possesses a strong determination to fight for her convictions. However, her life takes a massive turn when she is unexpectedly drawn into the world of the comic by Aliff.
During her interview, she happily exclaimed, “Honestly, this is the best production team that I have worked with. It’s because they’re so good at covering every base. I feel very taken care of here. They take good care of timing, set, and look. I think the whole team, crew, and stars, respect each other and give our best. That’s what makes the dynamic on set great.”
Then, we have Hun Haqeem, who breathes life into Aliff, the hero of the comic, weighed down by a tragic past. After being driven by his unwavering determination, he dedicates his entire being and existence to finding the identity of his family’s killer.
When it was his turn to be interviewed, he voiced out, “Safety is always first and foremost. Everything that has to do with the body, especially regarding hydration, can cause a heart attack. There are a lot of small things that can disturb a lot of other things. Thank God, I have a lot of friends who help me with this. When on set, I can do it properly. Dieting and training for the right amount of calories.”
Elizabeth Tan beautifully portrays Hanna, a carefully composed and successful individual who is torn between her responsibilities and matters of her heart. Hanna is at odds with the soft spot she has in her heart for Aliff and her own hardened individuality.
When asked about her experience with the cast, she said, “Working with the cast is great. I’ve never worked with them before. I learned so much from them all. It’s an amazing experience. I am solely focusing on this series, but I do feel a bit nervous and afraid that I can’t do the character justice, and I don’t want to disappoint anyone. We are all trying our best.”
Next, Mierul Aiman takes on the tough role of Ghazi, a devoted and highly perceptive bodyguard for Aliff. Ghazi is resilient, street-smart, and straightforward. He is steadfast in training Aliff and devoutly stands by his side in his battle against criminality.
Instilling Malaysian ideals
When interviewed on his biggest challenge while filming, Aiman said, “We want to remould the Korean ideals, transforming them into the Malaysian ideals and making them our own. That is the hardest part. There is a lot of range that we have to cover: action, comedy, and love. The emotion has to be up there. We had to standardise every single emotion. That’s basically it.”
Furthermore, they also cast a veteran and experienced actor, Faizal Hussein, who takes on the role of Omar Yusuf, Izara’s father, who gained fame and success through his comic, W. This success would then steadily become a nightmare when Omar realised that Aliff had gained a life of his own within the comic.
Keeping it light, he said, “It’s fun, but this is my work. I have to take care of what I eat. I can do the motions and the different angles. I want to do it because I can do it. To them, it’s a bonus. The cast all work hard. They do every requirement, like the training, and action scenes, until some of their hands get cut. From that, I can definitely see they work hard.”
Additionally, the incredible Tony Eusoff plays Musa, a character that transitioned from a lawyer to a politician and served as the public prosecutor during Aliff’s murder trial. Utilising the attention garnered from the case, Musa leveraged it as an opportunity to propel himself into the realm of politics.
In his interview, he stated, “As long as it’s in a safe space, we all know our strengths and weaknesses. The highest priority should be our safety. But at the same time, we have done our best for the production. We needed to make everything convincing, and we did.”
W: Two Worlds is a series that is directed by the respected Datuk Yusry Abd Halim, and it will be premiering on the Viu platform at the end of November 2023.
