19 Sep – Famed director Bade Hj. Azmi is set to helm a new movie based on the classical Malay dance and folklore, ulek mayang. The director, who appeared at the media conference to announce the new project, shared that the idea came following a short film collaboration with scriptwriter, Nur Hussain. "Nur suggested the idea, and the process went about a year since 2022. She then submitted the first and second drafts to me. I think Ulek Mayang is a strong subject, so my team and I would like to take it to the international level," he said. It is noted that the Ulek Mayang is synonymous with Bade, as the filmmaker once shot a scene involving the song and the dance for the1990 movie, "Fenomena" back when he was a cinematographer.
"So, it is a dream of mine to do this movie in a different form," he added. As for the actors, Bade said that he hopes to find a fresh face to play one of the lead characters, which is Mayang, though stated that he would focus more on the actress' ability to act than her popularity. The movie will begin filming after the monsoon season in Terengganu, being that the dance originated from the state. The original ulek mayang is said to be about the ancient tale of a sea princess who abducts the soul of a fisherman of whom with she had fallen in love.