Soffi Jikan is the director and also main character of "Gangsterock: Kasi Sengat".

Actor Soffi Jikan's first directorial debut feature film, "Gangsterock: Kasi Sengat" is now showing at cinemas.

Despite the movie being his first full-length film, the actor-turned-director is no stranger to directing as he previously directed several short films and telemovies.

"Gangsterock: Kasi Sengat" follows Shake, an aspiring musician who goes to Kuala Lumpur to chase after his dream and establish himself as a rock star. There, he meets Bromo, who is also an aspiring musician and they both work together towards their dreams.

However, due to the intervention from the gangsters in Kuala Lumpur, who are determined to control the music distribution trade with music piracy and eliminate any remaining opposition from rockers, Shake and Bromo have to fight back to secure their dreams of thriving in the rock music industry.

At the gala premiere of "Gangsterock: Kasi Sengat" at Cathay Cineplex, eCurve, the actor reveals some background information regarding how the film came about.

Soffi Jikan at the gala premiere of "Gangsterock: Kasi Sengat" at Cathay Cineplex, eCurve.

Where did you get the inspiration to make this film?

I think the answer is very simple, I'm known for acting in gangster-themed and also rock-themed movies. It is as simple as that, but it is also because deep down I'm a true rocker with a little bit of gangster style, so, the concept of the movie is natural.

The idea of artistes fighting against piracy was inspired from the movie "Kembara Seniman Jalanan". So, if you watch the film, you can sort of sense the continuity.

What about the cast? Did you hand-pick them? Or was there an audition?

There was an audition. Previously I did "KL Sengal", a feature length film which I used for the audition. So, what I did was I called all of the artistes and I asked them to work with me in "KL Sengal". So a lot of the footage from "KL Sengal" was also used in "Gangsterock". The shortlisted actors were the ones I picked for this movie.

Some of the cast and crew of "Gangsterock: Kasi Sengat".

In your opinion, how is this film different from the other local movies in Malaysia?

Usually, the movies in Malaysia have simple stories, but they have a lot of gimmicks and drama. My movie is slightly complicated in the beginning but towards the end, as the story becomes clearer, it turns out to be very simple.

Also, it is quite a challenge to have multiple cast, multiple main characters and multiple sub-plots in the movie. I have like three plots in the movie; the gangsters' revenge, the sisters' bond, and the rockers' ambition. Also, there are a lot of sub-plots because each character has their own plot.

So, how do I tie it all up? This is a big challenge. But InsyaAllah, as long as you stay with the movie from the start until the very end, you will definitely get the clearer picture of the movie.

So, what sort of audience do you think this movie would appeal to?

Definitely to an all-ages audience. The movie delivers a very clear message and it is easy to grasp the whole picture as long as you watch it from the start and stay until the end.

Soffi Jikan talks about his movie.

But some scenes of the film seem a bit complicated and sudden.

The story is actually very simple. Some tricks were played to make it look slightly complicated and confusing, so that it is more interesting. If you show everything clearly from the very beginning, then where's the fun in that? There's no challenge. I want the audience to think, to anticipate for more. It is a simple yet interesting plot. We took five years to study, do research, prepare the script and see how people respond to it.

Do you have any upcoming projects?

Yes, let's just say that before this movie's performance influences me in a good or bad way, I already started shooting my next film, because I don't want to be affected by the comments.

Souvenir presentation to sponsors.

What kind of movie will that be?

It's an action comedy, inspired from my popular telemovie, "Taubat Seorang Samseng". Similarly, the story is about a gangster who wants to quit his old ways.

What is the title and who makes up the cast for this film?

I cannot reveal the title because I haven't decided on one yet. But the cast includes Khir Rahman, Sobri Anuar, and Along Ezyendy. Basically, most of my actors came from ASWARA (National Arts Culture and Heritage Academy).