Malaysian singer Ah Niu (Tan Kheng Seong) rose to fame with the song 'Look Over Here, Girl Across the Street', and became well-known in Hong Kong after starring in the movie 'Summer Holiday' with Richie Jen and Sammi Cheng. Recently, he appeared on Malaysian YouTuber CCY's show to promote his new album 'Nebula', sharing his journey from skyrocketing fame to hitting rock bottom in life, and the hardships of insisting on his filmmaking dream even at the cost of being a million in debt.
In the interview, Ah Niu candidly admitted that in order to make his first film 'Ice Kacang Puppy Love', where he was the writer, director and lead actor, he endured enormous pressure and even had to put aside his pride to seek help from crew members. He recalled that his audition for 'Summer Holiday' still feels unbelievable – going together with Michael Wong, and working for the first time with stars like Richie Jen and Sammi Cheng. For his very first scene, he was so nervous that he couldn't perform normally.
"I couldn't say my lines at all, and my ears felt so hot..." Ah Niu said. Luckily, the director and actors were all very friendly, which allowed him to slowly relax. That invaluable experience not only opened the Hong Kong market for Ah Niu, but also planted an important seed for his future movie dream.
Although his music career was at its peak, Ah Niu always had a director's dream in his heart. To direct a movie full of Malaysian flavor, 'Ice Kacang Puppy Love', he invested all his savings and even went as far as selling his house, ending up a million in debt. Facing a funding shortfall, he could only muster the courage to explain to the crew that he could not pay their salaries: "I'm sorry, I don't have money. Please help me, I’ll repay you with my singing income in the future."
This passion and dedication to film deeply moved many friends around Ah Niu, who all expressed their support for him, and in the end, this work was completed. He said, "At that time, I also mortgaged my house; whatever could be mortgaged was mortgaged." The movie premiered in Malaysia, Hong Kong and other places in 2010. He originally thought the response would be good, but the box office in every place was not very impressive, so Ah Niu ended up in a period of debt: "The money I owed was enough to buy around 3 cars." He is, however, very grateful for the support from friends and family.
Source: Liberty Times Entertainment