Bell Ngasri will not forget late Mamat Khalid for launching his career as 'Barkoba'

IPOH - Ngasrizal Ngasri, or Bell Ngasri, the winner of the 35th Anugerah Bintang Popular Berita Harian's (ABPBH) Most Popular Artiste award, will not forget the late director, Mamat Khalid, who picked him for the role of Barkoba in the telemovies '16 Puasa', '17 Puasa' and '18 Puasa Di Kampong Pisang'.

Bell said the role made an impact on his life, and boosted his popularity in the local entertainment scene.

The 43-year-old actor and comedian said that the late Mamat was a prolific director, who successfully fine-tuned the character of Barkoba in Kampong Pisang the Series, to become a phenomenon.

"People like my character of Barkoba, which today has become a phenomenon in the films '16 Puasa', '17 Puasa' and '18 Puasa Di Kampong Pisang'. I will not forget Mamat for helping to boost my name," he said, when appearing as one of the panellists in the ‘Sembang Satai’ programme, hosted by the Perak State Library, in conjunction with the exhibition 'Pameran Sutradara Mamat Khalid: Dalam Kenangan 2023', here today.

Bell said Mamat planned to continue with sequels of ‘19 Puasa’ and ‘20 Puasa’, but these did not materialise.

The telemovies '16 Puasa', '17 Puasa' and '18 Puasa Di Kampong Pisang' were written and directed by Mamat Khalid, and released in 2017. These movies feature Bell as Barkoba, as well as actors such as Aziz M. Osman, Sabri Yunus and Arab Khalid.

These telemovies revolve around a group of men in Kampung Pisang, who decided to break their fast and hide their unlawful acts from their families’ knowledge.

Mamat, whose real name is Mohamad Mohd Khalid, died at the age of 58 on Oct 24, after collapsing at his restaurant, Sarang Art Hu in Tanjung Malim. He breathed his last while being rushed to Slim River Hospital.

Meanwhile, Mamat’s son, Mohd Khaled Amen, disclosed that the telemovie '19 Puasa' is currently in production, and will retain the existing actors including Bell as the lead.

Mohd Khaled, one of the panellists of the ‘Sembang Santai’ programme held in conjunction with the exhibition, said that the telemovie is expected to reach audiences next year.

Acknowledging that he faced tough challenges in continuing in his late father's footsteps, Mohd Khaled is determined to do his best in the field of directing, the way his father would have wanted.

"The trust and responsibility that I carry are quite heavy, not to mention that all eyes are focused on me after completing the first task, which was completing my father's directing work for ‘Kampong Pisang Berbuah Dua Kali’.

"It was only when I sat in the director's chair that it really hit me what my father would have felt. The responsibility is huge and to succeed I have to go through everything,” he said. - BERNAMA