KUALA LUMPUR - The humorous tale of Abang Jamil and his three wives in the classic Malay film ‘Madu Tiga’ returned to the big screen in a special presentation on Oct 8 at Dewan Filharmonik Petronas (DFP) here, combining a full screening of the movie with live music and vocals by the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO).
Led by experienced conductor Ahmad Muriz Che Rose, ‘Madu Tiga: Live in Concert’ featured the complete screening of the iconic film directed by the late Tan Sri P. Ramlee, with its original dialogue preserved. At the same time, the music and songs were performed live in sync with the scenes on screen.
The combination offered audiences a different cinematic experience, with the background score and songs brought to life through live performances by the MPO.
Petronas Gas Bhd presented the exclusive performance in conjunction with ‘An Evening with LinkaranFibre’, held to celebrate the achievements of its subsidiary, LinkaranFibre, and strengthen ties with its partners and suppliers.
The same concert was staged at DFP on Jan 23 and 24 this year, also under the baton of Ahmad Muriz.
Among the songs performed were four well-known numbers from the film, namely ‘Madu Tiga’, ‘Selamat Pengantin Baru’, ‘Pukul Tiga Pagi’ and ‘Gambus Jodoh’.
Each song complemented the storyline, from the wedding festivities brought to life through ‘Selamat Pengantin Baru’ and ‘Gambus Jodoh’ to the scene in which Abang Jamil persuades Rohani to go to sleep in ‘Pukul Tiga Pagi’.
The performance required precise coordination among the orchestra, singers and film screening to ensure that the music and vocals were synchronised with the action on screen.
Released in 1964, ‘Madu Tiga’ tells the story of Jamil, played by P. Ramlee, who secretly marries three women before finding himself caught in a series of hilarious predicaments as he struggles to keep each marriage hidden from the others.
The film also stars Zaharah Agus, Jah Mahadi, Sarimah Ahmad and Ahmad Nisfu. It won the Best Comedy Film award at the 11th Asian Film Festival in Taipei, Taiwan, in the same year.
The MPO has previously presented film-in-concert performances featuring movies such as ‘Home Alone’, ‘Ratatouille’, the Harry Potter series and ‘La La Land’, while the first Malaysian film to be presented in this format was ‘Ola Bola’.
The approach provides audiences with an opportunity to discover orchestral music through films they enjoy, in line with the MPO’s efforts to nurture greater appreciation of music among the public.
Meanwhile, a member of the audience, Alia Nabilah Muhammad Sharul Azam, 30, said the performance offered her a new experience, allowing her to enjoy a film screening accompanied by a well-integrated orchestral score.
"Usually, we only get to watch musicians playing their instruments, but this time we could watch a film at the same time, and the music complemented it very well,” she said.
She hoped more P. Ramlee films and other works would be presented with live orchestral accompaniment, saying the combination was not only engaging but also entertaining. - BERNAMA