Out of the fire and into another epic
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A fire at a post-production facility in late April destroyed footage of the great elephant battle between Siam's Naresuan the Great and the Burmese king, but that hasn't discouraged director MC Chatrichalerm Yukol from moving ahead on a project that's eve
He plans to reshoot the Bt100-million “Yuttahatti” scene for “The Legend of King Naresuan Part V” but has to wait for star Colonel Wanchana Sawasdee and actor Napassaorn Mitaim to return from work on projects abroad.
“We’ll do what we can. It’s out of our control so we shouldn’t be stressed out,” says Chatrichalerm, who’s known to fans as “Than Mui”.
For “Petchpra-uma”, Than Mui has been engaging with fans as “Cinephile” on the Pantip.com Web forum. They’ve offered the director suggestions about the script and who should portray the hero Rapin and the heroine Darin. Among the names bandied about are Uthaorn Themakorn, Natthawut Sakitjai and Amphol Lampoon for Rapin and Kanyarat Jirratchakit, Warattaya Nilkuha and Taksaorn Paksucharern for Darin.
But Than Mui asks fans to be patient. “I’m 70 years old and such an old man like me can only work at a snail’s pace,” he says.
“Petchpra-uma” was first serialised in pulp magazines in 1964. Stories of the couple’s wild adventures in the forest became the longest-running Thai novel series, spanning 48 instalments over 25 years.
A movie adaptation was made in 1971, in Africa no less, but it didn’t come close to capturing the imaginative scope of the novels.
Fans are hoping Than Mui, a die-hard “Petchpra-uma” fan himself, will do it justice.
And Than Mui aims to not disappoint, with ambitious plans to adapt 36 of the novels.
However, his casting plans have sparked controversy.
“The stars for the leading roles will be changed for every movie so that people won’t get bored,” says Than Mui.
But it’s not boredom fans are concerned about – it’s the continuity of the stories if the cast keeps changing.
Perhaps even more problematic is Than Mui’s notoriously slow method of filmmaking, which has fans worrying if they’ll have to wait years between entries like they have for the “Naresuan” series.
“If there is one part every three years, it would take 108 years to finish 36 parts,” says Pantip.com user Kratid. “No one would be alive to see the end.”
