RAMLI SARIP CAST AS HOLY MAN

PAPA rock Ramli Sarip will be cast as renowned religious figure Imam Bukhari in PLSB Media & Network Sdn Bhd's debut movie soon.

Haven't heard of PLSB Media & Network Sdn Bhd? Well, it is the company that made headlines recently when it offered RM1mil to singer Siti Nurhaliza to act with Bollywood's No. 1 hero Shah Rukh Khan in their first movie Jerat Percintaan.

Since Siti Nurhaliza has rejected the offer, this Kulim-based company is shelving Jerat Percintaan for the moment and is going ahead with their next project titled Imam Bukhari, based on the true story of a collector of hadith (religious teachings based on the Quran).

The movie will chronicle the different stages of Imam Bukhari's life from childhood to his twilight years.

"Ramli Sarip has agreed to act in the movie. In fact, he was overjoyed when we offered the lead role to him. We are also getting composer/singer M. Nasir for this movie while the female lead will be played by a famous Uzbekistan actress," discloses PLSB Media & Network Sdn Bhd's general manager Rahmat Mohd Zainal who spoke from his office in Kulim, Kedah.

He adds: "The shooting will be conducted mostly in Uzbekistan as the story requires a desert backdrop and animals like horses and camels. Veteran Uzbekistan director and film activist Ali Khamreav was here recently to discuss the project."

According to Rahmat, Khamreav has also promised to lend his expertise to this project which is expected to cost around RM3mil and is touted as one of the most ambitious projects ever handled by a Malaysian film company.

"We are giving the movie an international appeal as it will also be dubbed in several languages."

Religious teachers Dr Mashitah Ibrahim and Dr Amirin Kasimin have been called in to check the accuracy of the historical facts.

The script and screenplay of the movie have been completed while the research work is being conducted by a team. The research work alone, says Rahmat, will take up 25% of the total cost of production.

Imam Bukhari will be directed/scripted by veteran director Othman Zainuddin. A grand launch is expected to take place sometime next month in Kulim.

Other projects by PLSB Media & Network in the pipeline are Fajar Lebaran Yang Kudus, Percintaan 2000 and the 10-episode documentary Terumbu Karang. The company's first effort Suratan Sepi Seorang Perindu by Othman has just been completed.

BY ZIEMAN - PUBLISHED 27/3/200