The team behind Malay-language comedy La Luna, Singapore’s representative film for the 97th Academy Awards, reunites for a new project co-produced between Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.
Entitled Badak, the upcoming film is a family drama about fathers struggling to relate to their children. Shaheizy Sam stars as Badak, a deaf single father who raised his daughter, Mirah (Aida Amron), all on his own. But trouble brews when Mirah becomes a hip-hop sensation, as Badak struggles to adapt to this change in their dynamic. On the flip side, Wan Hanafi Su plays Abah, a father who struggles to communicate with his deaf son.
Produced by Singapore’s Clover Films and Papahan Films, and Malaysia’s Golden Screen Cinemas, in association with Sinemart Indonesia, Juita Viden, One Tree Holdings, ACT 2 Pictures and Dropkick, Badak brings back Sam and Su with director M. Raihan Halim since the award-winning film La Luna was released last 2023.
Halim expressed his excitement and confidence with his cast members, saying “I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say that there’s only one person who has the discipline and dedication to play Badak. That man is Shaheizy Sam.”
Sam underwent a physical transformation for the role of Badak—starting off by gaining 30kg, then spending 6 months shedding the weight for the second part of the shoot. “It truly makes me happy to portray two distinct physical forms in one film for the first time…It has significantly boosted my confidence, proving my passion for acting is still strong after 30 years,” shared Sam.
Badak promises a thought provoking watch that juxtaposes loudness with softness, hearing and listening, and communicating beyond boundaries and sound. Catch Badak in Malaysian cinemas on October 2 and in Singapore on October 16, with details of the Indonesian premiere to be announced soon.