KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 15 — I first met Shamaine Othman when she was a budding actress in 2010’s theatre production of Serangan Zombi Pertama Di Malaysia, and it was only apt that I caught up with her this week, just days after the release of independent short film KL24: Zombies.
Shamaine, 33, is one of the film’s three directors; another feather in her cap since she quit her job in public relations four years ago to focus on writing and directing.
She has been involved in the offbeat comedy troupe Projek Disko Baldi as well as 2014’s Cuak, a collaborative film on wedding jitters.
Shamaine has also made her name as one of the few women in the local stand-up comedy scene, sexing up the stage alongside superstar Joanne Kam in the musical In Your Face and Kam’s signature show Super Kam.
Speaking to Malay Mail Online, Shamaine admitted that her foray into the industry was only natural after growing up literally on the set with her father Othman Hafsham, the award-winning film and TV director responsible for unforgettable 80s gems such as Mekanik, Adik Manja, Pi Mai Pi Mai Tang Tu and 2+1.
In the new year, Shamaine will not only return for another installment of Super Kam, but hopes to revive her father’s production house Cinematic for the internet era.
In her own words:
I never saw myself as a writer. Since little, I wanted to be an actress.
During school holidays, I wanted to work at TGV Cinemas. But my dad would say “no, you work for me”. So, from teens I started becoming floor manager, sometimes I do continuity for his TV shoots. I’ve worked in his office: I was his secretary, personal assistant. I did accounts, which was a bad idea because I was so bad at maths.
[The desire to act] came since I was in school. It was just my life lah. Every weekend we would go to the studio to see him shoot Pi Mai Pi Mai Tang Tu. You’re around that every week, and my dad used to shoot in our house. So when you see it all around you, all the time, it’s the only world you know and you want to do it.
I went to Akademi Seni Kebangsaan (now Akademi Seni Budaya dan Warisan Kebangsaan) for two years. Which was really awesome. I was a bit apprehensive at first, but I got there and I learned stuff like, we did mak yong, wayang kulit. Those were things that not everyone knows. That, I felt really blessed.
I don’t think I will be here without the Short+Sweet Festival ... It’s always hard, for those who have worked in theatre and go abroad to study, to come back just to get back into the scene is quite tough … they don’t remember you. It’s always, you have to sell yourself.
People say Disko Baldi was pelik (weird). But some layan (dig it). It’s not big, but there’s a market for people who layan those kind of humour, not the Maharaja Lawak kind of humour… It’s borderline random and zany.
[My material] is very, very risqué. Very racy, very adult… With other things that I do, I feel that stand-up is the only thing I do that is truly me, there’s no censorship… I am a racy girl. I feel it’s okay to be racy. Just don’t kill people. As long as you don’t kill people, you’re good. *laughs*
Women have to work extra hard to get your voice heard. Just to get your opinion heard… It gets a bit tiring to talk about it... Just do your work well, and maybe slowly they will take women seriously. Just prove your worth with the work you do.
I make a conscious effort to push the envelope, but without wanting to piss people off. That way, I find a lot of my stuff a bit balanced… When I do stuff I don’t want it to be one-sided.
I realise with TV you’ve got to have a certain look to be on TV. I sedar diri sikit lah (am aware of myself). I know I’m no Anzalna. Which is fine. When it comes to acting, I will still do theatre. And my own telemovies.
