ACTOR Fred Chan is happy to be back in an Indian movie, with a much meatier role than before.
In the historical film ‘120 Bahadur’, which is now showing in cinemas, Fred delivers a commanding performance as the principal antagonist Captain Aimer.
Film critics have praised his portrayal of Aimer as “memorable and compelling”.
Fred is one of two Malaysians in the movie produced by Excel Entertainment and Trigger Happy Studio. The other is his drama teacher and theatre actor, Seng Soo Ming, who plays Major Memeti.
“I had seven scenes, adding up to 10 or 15 minutes,” said Fred in a recent interview.
“These were largely combat scenes; to film them we had to climb hills repeatedly.”
Fred described the process as tiring but enjoyable.
“The air in mountainous Ladakh region was very thin and as a result I got out of breath.”
WEAPONS
Fred had to carry heavy weapons and held his first AK rifle, a process which he described as “exciting and worthwhile”.
Fred began acting professionally after more than a decade working as a teacher.
In his university days, he was in stage productions and played the lead role in a musical production in his final year.
“It wasn’t until 2019 that I made the pivotal decision to reconnect with my interest in the performing arts.
“Since then, I’ve taken on a variety of projects across film, television, and theatre, regularly participating in acting classes and workshops.”
Fred, the third of four siblings from Penang, graduated with a degree in counselling from Universiti Malaya.
His most famous big screen role is that of Wong, the patriarch of the family in the crowd-funded, dystopian movie ‘Pendatang’ (2023).
After making his acting debut in 2019, Fred appeared in several stage productions, plus Singaporean dramas such as ‘Titoudao’ and ‘Emerald Hill — The Little Nyonya Story’.
He was also featured in various commercials.
Fred’s first Bollywood movie ‘Jigra’ came last year, and he played a corrupt police officer with a few minutes of screen time.
ONLINE
When asked about auditioning for ‘120 Bahadur’, Fred revealed that he learnt of the casting from Seng.
“I then sent recordings of myself online as requested.
“I had to act out several scenes as a soldier taking orders and receiving news from his superiors,” he said.
Filming took 10 days, even though he spent a month in India.
“It was great working with the director, Razneesh Ghai. He gave me room to develop my character, and another interesting thing about him is that his brother actually served in the Indian Army and told him about this story,” said Fred.
TICKET
Being part of the cast was Fred’s ticket to see the beauty of Ladakh, regarded as one of India’s most scenic regions and located in the Himalayas.
“The people were very friendly, though I could only speak few words of Hindi.”
Outside of acting, Fred trains in the Brazilian martial art of capoeira and is currently a seasoned practitioner with eight years of experience.
“I have also participated in a professional stunt workshop jointly organised by the National Film Development Corporation of Malaysia (Finas) and the Malaysia Professional Stunt Association (Promasta),” he said.
Fred enjoys doing vocal impressions of well-known singers — a talent that showcases his singing ability.
“I enjoy singing Chinese songs and starred in a musical in Johor Baru not long ago.”
IRAN
Fred watches all types of movies, from India, China, the United States, Europe and Iran, among others.
“As for Indian actors, my favourite is Aamir Khan. He is a great character actor and my favourite movies which star him are ‘Dangal’, ‘Like Stars On Earth’ and ‘3 Idiots’,” he said.
He also admires Farhan Akhtar, the main star of ‘120 Bahadur’. Farhan directed ‘Don 2’ in Kuala Lumpur.
DRAMA
Next year Fred will be involved in a play in Johor Baru and a drama series in Singapore.
“I don’t have any particular dream role, but I’d love to play and excel as different characters, be it a hero, a villain or a funny character,” he said.
‘120 Bahadur’ brings to cinematic life the stories of soldiers of the 120-strong Charlie Company, led by Major Shaitan Singh Bhati.
The film, starring Farhan Akhtar and Raashii Khanna explores themes of courage, solidarity, and national pride.
Based on true events, it offers a cinematic tribute to the legendary Battle of Rezang La during the 1962 Sino-Indian War.
The production collaborated with international creative teams from Japan, the Czech Republic, and the United Kingdom.
Key scenes were shot on actual historical sites where the events took place.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
