Remember this guy? Most of us know David Bala (AKA Muthu) for his -very- memorable roles in Jack Neo’s films, usually as a plucky security guard, or Sergeant You-Die-I-Die-Everybody-Die.
What we didn’t know before today’s interview...was that he worked at our school as an actual security guard. Maybe I’m not the most observant person out there.
Yeah, it pretty much blew my mind.
Now, the man is a lot more serious in person - by no means surprising, but it was a tad disappointing to see that the Muthu we all know and love isn’t as animated as we know him to be. He was, however, sporting as heck, and he actually let us sit in for an interview right on the spot. Welcome surprise right there.
What we didn’t know before today’s interview...was that he worked at our school as an actual security guard. Maybe I’m not the most observant person out there.
Yeah, it pretty much blew my mind.
Now, the man is a lot more serious in person - by no means surprising, but it was a tad disappointing to see that the Muthu we all know and love isn’t as animated as we know him to be. He was, however, sporting as heck, and he actually let us sit in for an interview right on the spot. Welcome surprise right there.
So, relishing our opportunity to speak with this living icon of Singaporean cinema, we asked David about his experiences as an actor - a prospect made immediately interesting to us since he had worked with local film meister, Jack Neo.
During our interview, David reveals that since starting work at RP in January, an endless stream of students have asked to have a photo taken with him. But he wasn’t always “Muthu”, and he reminisces to us the days before he became the man we know him to be.
As we know, sometimes, legends start small. Originally introduced to acting by a friend, David progressed from stage dramas to radio shows. In a bout of confidence, his producer sent his particulars to the TV department, where he eventually started out doing Indian shows. Soon, he was approached by Suria for a role in their drama “Tetangga”. It was there that he made a name for himself as the character Govind, which turned out to be a hit among the Malay community.
Faster than might have been expected for him, David became well-known for his comedic roles, and it didn't take long for him to attract the attention of prominent local film maker Jack Neo, who wanted him in a part for his movie Just Follow Law. The role became synonymous with his “Muthu” moniker, and surprisingly, he also reveals that many of his lines in the famous fire-engine scene were in fact ad-libbed! (You can check out his awesome scenes in the video right below.)
During our interview, David reveals that since starting work at RP in January, an endless stream of students have asked to have a photo taken with him. But he wasn’t always “Muthu”, and he reminisces to us the days before he became the man we know him to be.
As we know, sometimes, legends start small. Originally introduced to acting by a friend, David progressed from stage dramas to radio shows. In a bout of confidence, his producer sent his particulars to the TV department, where he eventually started out doing Indian shows. Soon, he was approached by Suria for a role in their drama “Tetangga”. It was there that he made a name for himself as the character Govind, which turned out to be a hit among the Malay community.
Faster than might have been expected for him, David became well-known for his comedic roles, and it didn't take long for him to attract the attention of prominent local film maker Jack Neo, who wanted him in a part for his movie Just Follow Law. The role became synonymous with his “Muthu” moniker, and surprisingly, he also reveals that many of his lines in the famous fire-engine scene were in fact ad-libbed! (You can check out his awesome scenes in the video right below.)
He adds that after playing the well known sergeant in The Ghosts Must Be Crazy, people were expecting him to appear in the Jack Neo film about National Service , Ah Boys to Men. He didn’t, however, and fans expressed their disappointment, resulting in Jack giving him a part in the third installment of the series.
But even after gaining fame and popularity, he still experiences difficulties, and admits that he has been typecasted many times. He recalls one incident where his producer denied him a serious role, mentioning that he was unsuitable as a hero, and better suited for comedy.
We won’t do anything with that first statement, but the latter...we think most of us can say that “Muthu” has found his place in comedy.
But even after gaining fame and popularity, he still experiences difficulties, and admits that he has been typecasted many times. He recalls one incident where his producer denied him a serious role, mentioning that he was unsuitable as a hero, and better suited for comedy.
We won’t do anything with that first statement, but the latter...we think most of us can say that “Muthu” has found his place in comedy.
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