15/07/2026

LYFE WEDNESDAY | JULY 15, 2026

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Football injury no obstacle to actor A serious ankle injury that sidelined Malaysian women’s national football team member and futsal player Intan Serah for an extended period has unexpectedly paved the way for her return to acting through Astro Ria’s upcoming drama series Premier League: I Love You . Directed by Michael Ang, the series marks Intan’s first television drama since her last appearance on the silver screen in the 2018 film Gol & Gincu 2. Intan, 26, whose full name is Intan Sarah Anisah Zulgafli, also appeared in Astro Ria’s sports travelogue reality series From KL to PL for two seasons. “With no (football) commitments, I finally had the time. So when Astro asked if I was available for ( Premier League: I Love You ), I immediately said yes. I’m really excited because this is my first television drama,” she told Bernama. The new series also stars Kamal Adli, Sean Lee, Hawa Rizwana and Theebaan G, and is scheduled to premiere on Astro Ria this August. On her ankle injury, Intan said it occurred while representing Malaysia at the 2025 SEA Games women’s football tournament in Thailand last December. “I’ll undergo surgery in August after fulfilling all my entertainment commitments, including promotional activities for the drama. After that, I’ll focus entirely on my recovery,” she said. Asked about her future plans, Intan stressed football remains her top priority as she continues pursuing her dream of achieving success with the national team. “After recovering from my injury, I’ll probably focus on football because a player’s career isn’t very long. Most of my achievements (in football) so far have come at club level and through individual accomplishments. But I want to win at least one title with the Malaysian women’s national team. That’s the goal I’m chasing first,” she said. The former Subang Jaya City Council FC player, however, is keeping the door open to opportunities in the entertainment industry and hopes to take on more challenging roles beyond football-related characters.

o Irfan Zaini to portray rally icon Karamjit Singh in new, upcoming biopic A CTOR Irfan Zaini’s first leading role in a Malay-language feature film has proven to be his most demanding challenge yet. He plays Malaysia’s rally driver Karamjit Singh in the biographical picture Terbang , set to be screened in local cinemas in September. Describing it as an opportunity to introduce the motorsport legend to a new generation, Irfan, 30, whose full name is Muhammad Irfan Mohamed Zaini, said portraying the character came with its own challenges as he had to immerse himself in the unfamiliar world of rally racing while bringing to life the story of one of Malaysia’s greatest rally icons, who remains active in the sport today. “I’m grateful for this role because it’s such an iconic character. At first, I actually felt guilty because I only knew Karamjit as a drifter and stunt performer, when in reality he’s a rally champion. I felt this was a story that deserved to be shared with audiences, especially Gen Z, who may not know him as the national rally hero that he is,” he recently told Bernama after the launch of Astro X3 and Astro’s new entertainment content lineup. To authentically portray the role, Irfan, who starred in the action film Blood Brothers: Bara Naga , spent time with Karamjit to study his mannerisms, walking and driving styles and speech, as well as the emotions that shaped his career. One of the film’s most remarkable aspects, Irfan revealed, is Karamjit performed several of the high-speed driving sequences himself, serving as the actor’s stunt double. “I played him on screen, but he became my stunt double. That’s extraordinary because

Karamjit is a famed Malaysian rally champion. – BERNAMAPIC there are certain driving stunts that ordinary people simply can’t pull off,” he said. Irfan, who also acted in the drama series Luka di Hujung Setia , admitted being with Karamjit during filming only deepened his admiration for the 64-year-old champion. “His driving is on a completely different level – it’s absolutely crazy. I’ve been in the passenger seat with him and honestly, it’s terrifying, but at the same time incredibly impressive,” he said. Aware of the responsibility that came with portraying such a respected figure, Irfan underwent three months of rally driving training as he had no prior experience in the sport. The challenge was even greater, he said, because several of his co-stars, including Zizan Razak and Jack Tan, already had backgrounds in motorsports as racers and drifters. “I told the director that if I still couldn’t do the role justice after training, I’d rather it is given to someone else because I didn’t want to ruin the character. Thankfully, the director was happy with my performance, behind the wheel and as an actor,” he said. To make the story more engaging, Irfan said dramatic elements that go beyond the racing world were also incorporated into the story. The production also featured Karamjit’s actual rally cars and filmed at authentic racing locations, including in New Zealand. “I hope this film helps more people appreciate Karamjit’s immense contribution to Malaysian motorsport,” Irfan said. Produced by Astro Shaw alongside several production partners and directed by Chiu Keng Guan, Terbang also stars Tan, Zizan, Namron, Shweta Sekhon, Michael Helfman, Diana Danielle, Luqman Hafidz and Qasrina Karim.

Irfan says he took three months to learn how to rally drive in preparation for the film. – PIC FROM INSTAGRAM @IAM_IRFUN

Raintown Short Film Competition 2026 unveils top 20 finalists THE Raintown Short Film Competition 2026 has announced its top 20 finalists after receiving a record 152 submissions from filmmakers across Malaysia, marking its highest participation since the competition began. Organised by the Raintown Film Festival, this year’s competition attracted entries following an open call in March. The total number of submissions surpassed last year’s 103 entries.

The shortlisted films will be screened publicly during the third Raintown Film Festival, which takes place in early September in Taiping, Perak. They will compete across eight award categories. Working around the festival’s theme “After the Rain”, filmmakers explore stories centred on personal journeys, family relationships and contemporary social issues while experimenting with different storytelling techniques and visual styles. The first round of judging was conducted by a five-member selection committee. The final winners will be determined by a jury. The 20 shortlisted films are Sesudah Taiping by Adam Taufiq Suharto, Far From Home by Cheun Shi Chin, What Does It Mean To Be Me? by Mei Thistlethwaite, Lingering Shadows by Sidney Chan, Memories by Chim Guan Yi, Oi-Jia by May June Tan, Sang Kercis by Nur Nazlia Nazlan, Mendung by Adam Zainal, We Remember What We Remember by Julien Chen Lip Syn, Rain Rain Go Away by John Wee, Rain Keeper by Ahmad Aiman Ahmad Saladin,

The selected finalists span narrative fiction, documentaries, animation and experimental films, reflecting the breadth of Malaysia’s independent filmmaking scene. – HANDOUT PIC

Pinggiran by Muhammad Emran, Petrichor: The Missing Lies of Taiping by Venoo Kuppusamy, Daughter of the Last Journey by Agnes Yap Jen Nie, Rainbow by Alli Hasrom, Petrichor by Pishang Adventures, Frekuensi by Ghadaffi Lamdin, Wap Jeti by Muneerism, WoWo by Hana Roanne and Message From The Future by D-NI. The Raintown Short Film Competition is

presented by West Coast Expressway and co organised by WuBen Film Magazine and Studio 1914. It is supported by the Perak state government, Port Ipoh and the Member of Parliament for Taiping. The winning films will be announced during the Raintown Film Festival in September following the public screenings of the shortlisted entries.

Intan is still focusing on her football career despite her venture into film. – PIC FROM INSTAGRAM @INTANSERAH