Finding Ramlee

An endearing retro dramedy set in swinging seventies Kuala Lumpur. Destitute and deep in debt, Zakaria is offered a lifeline by his loan shark Yusef: impersonate the Malaysian screen icon P. Ramlee in order to entertain his homebound, time-warped sister.

Small-time performer Zakaria makes a living impersonating the Malaysian actor, singer and filmmaker P. Ramlee. It isn’t a dream job in 1970s Kuala Lumpur: the real Ramlee has just passed away at 44 and his art has already been declared old-fashioned. When Yusef offers Zakaria a chance to repay his debts and entertain his sister, who believes she lives in the 1950s, under the guise of Ramlee, all is forgiven.

After Jigarthanda Double X (2023), colourful mobsters, fake filmmakers, snazzy cars and retro fashion return to IFFR, this time on a gentler note with Megat Sharizal’s endearing period dramedy Finding Ramlee. The filmmaker plays the rotund, ruthless Yusuf himself, and his high-theatrical acting style is the perfect foil to Tony Eusoff’s touching turn as Zakaria, an unapologetically decent man out of step with his world and times.  

Recreating the high life of the swinging seventies in flamboyant detail, Finding Ramlee takes many shapes, from a zany farce to a tender romantic comedy and finally, to a bittersweet drama about lovable misfits finding solace in one another.

–  Srikanth Srinivasan

Trailer

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