KUALA LUMPUR: Actress Mhia Firdaus felt a deeply personal connection while filming her latest movie, Sayang Sayang.
Its underwater scenes brought back memories of her late father, filmmaker Pitt Hanif, who drowned in October 2019.
The 20-year-old said working in the ocean made her reflect on the tragedy that took her father’s life.
Pitt had been on a boat with a friend when strong currents caught them.
He managed to grab a metal railing, but seeing his friend struggling behind him, he pulled the man to safety instead.
The friend later recalled that the last thing he saw was Pitt waving goodbye.
His body was found four days later, with his hands resting on his chest in a position that looked to Mhia as though he had been praying.
Being in the water made Mhia wonder how her father had found the strength to surrender to God in his final moments, even as he chose to save a friend in danger.
“Sometimes, when the waves move during the diving scenes, I put my head underwater and look at the coral and the seabed. I often wonder how my late father could have trusted God so completely, knowing that his time had come,” she said.
“I wasn’t there, and I’m not him, so I don’t know what was going through his mind. But his strength to wave goodbye to his friend gave me strength throughout filming this movie with my mother,” she added.
Mhia, who is the daughter of actress Farah Ahmad, also recalled her father’s encouraging words: “Dad knows you can do it. This is who you are, this is what you have worked for, and this is what we have taught you as a human being. This is your time.”
She shared that those words remain a constant source of gratitude and motivation for her.
“Physically, my father is no longer here in front of me. But through the water and the sea, I can still feel his presence,” she said.
Directed by Tang Hsiang-Chu, Sayang Sayang is a Malaysian-Taiwanese co-production featuring over 100 film industry professionals from Malaysia, Taiwan, and India. It opens in cinemas today.