Fan Bingbing on Transformation to Play a Farmer in ‘Mother Bhumi’: ‘Some of My Friends Didn’t Recognize Me’ During Filming

variety.com:

Naman Ramachandran Chinese superstar Fan Bingbing has offered insights into her character in “Mother Bhumi,” the upcoming Malaysian-Italian co-production being directed by Chong Keat Aun.

At a press conference in Kuala Lumpur on Friday, Fan discussed the challenges and rewards of portraying Hong Im, a farmer grappling with loss and the supernatural on the Malaysia-Thailand border. “My career is to be a performer, that’s what I’m doing,” Fan said. “Actors are good dough, so let’s see what the director is going to make out of it.” The actress highlighted the importance of authenticity in her approach to the role. “If you play a peasant woman, you can’t have too white skin, with long eyelashes and big eyes,” Fan explained. “We actors have to convince the audience to believe in the character, and present the character’s emotions, feelings, state of mind, and the explosive power of the story.” Fan also spoke about her physical transformation for the role. “There is no such thing as a good or bad looking character in a movie.

Even during the filming, some of my friends would not recognize me when they came to visit me,” she revealed. “I think this shows how committed the whole production team was in helping me transform into Mother Bhumi.” The actor praised the film’s Malaysian crew and director Chong’s leadership.