Singing karaoke can kill you.
For many people, karaoke is a great way to have fun. But some are scared to death of singing in front of a room full of people. What if karaoke really were a matter of life and death? In the comedy-horror Premmika Parab (Scary Premmika), this idea is explored in a funny and scary way, as a murdered girl haunts a karaoke machine.
Natthacha De Souza (Jeena) plays the murdered girl Premmika. All she remembers of her killer is that he wasn’t a good singer. So as a ghost, she holds a grudge against bad singers. She challenges people to karaoke and whoever sings badly will be killed. Nutthasit Kotimanuswanich (Best) plays Tool, the lead singer of a band who takes up Premmika’s challenge.
S Weekly met up with 19-year-old Jeena and 24-year-old Best at Boxshot Studio where they told us all about the movie and their love of music and karaoke.
Do you enjoy going to sing karaoke?
Best: I did in high school. I liked to sing karaoke with friends. But at university, I started playing guitar. After that, I preferred to sing at home.
Jeena: Yes. I just went to sing karaoke because a friend asked me to go with her. I like to sing old songs.
What does music mean to you?
Best: Music reflects how I feel at a particular moment. When I’m sad, I listen to sad songs. When I hear those songs again, they remind me of the past.
Jeena: I’m the same. And music can help me get over my anger. If I feel irritated, old songs by bands like the Bee Gees can make me feel better.
Which artists have influenced you?
Best: The Beatles are the first international act that I listened to. They were a big influence. Other artists I like have similar musical styles.
Jeena: I like to read biographies of successful artists. I found the story of American rapper Biggie Smalls very inspiring. He grew up in the ghetto and was involved in drugs and crime until he created a demo and got a contract with a music label.
How do you feel about your characters?
Jeena: I like Premmika’s love for her parents. But I don’t like that she decides to work at a karaoke bar. She has to entertain male guests by singing to them and being nice to them. It puts her in a vulnerable position.
Best: I like Tool’s personality. He cares about other people’s feelings, so he tries not to say things that might upset them. He’s somebody who viewers can relate to.
How did you prepare for your role?
Best: I attended an acting workshop. We acted out some scenes and improvised dialogue and reactions. The director used some of our ideas in the movie. I learned a lot from the process.
Jeena: I did a workshop too. It was difficult for me to play Premmika. She doesn’t mind when a male guest touches her. I had to act like it was normal. It wasn’t easy at all.
What do you like about acting?
Jeena: It’s fun to figure out who your character is. I like developing their personalities and backgrounds.
Best: Yes, that’s the real charm of acting. We make the characters in the script come to life.
Did you have any spooky experiences during filming?
Jeena: Yes. A day before we were filming in a forest, a little boy aged 8 or 9 was hit by a car on the road and killed. The next day, our makeup artist and driver said they saw the boy again. He ran in front of our van while we were on the way to the set. It was spooky.
Why should people check out this movie?
Jeena: It's a mix of comedy, thriller, romance and drama. And there’s a plot twist that will surprise you.
Video from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xruanxz_YyM
