Legendary role

Pan Pan plays a princess

By Tatat Bunnag
Photographs by Varuth Hirunyatheb
and courtesy of Sahamongkol Film International

It has been almost a decade since the release of the first film in MC Chatrichalerm Yukol’s (Tan Mui) The Legend of King Naresuan historical drama series.

Hitting local movie screens this week is the final installment in the series, The Legend of King Naresuan Part VI: The End of Hongsa. The film continues the story of King Naresuan and Ayutthaya after the famous Yuttha Hatthi Elephant Battle. It also features a re-enactment of the Thai king’s famous attack on Toungoo, now in Myanmar’s Bago Division.

The End of Hongsa is packed with famous actors, including Captain Bird, Nirut Sirijanya, Sorapong Chatree and Taksaorn Paksukcharern. The film also introduces 19-year-old actress Tem Fah Krissanyuth (Pan Pan), who plays the important role of Mon’s Princess Muei Manik.

Student Weekly recently caught up with Pan Pan to ask her all about her debut film role in The End of Hongsa.

Student Weekly: How did you become involved with this film project?

Pan Pan: Before this movie, I acted in a couple of TV dramas. One day I was invited to a casting session to act in a drama with Tan Mui’s daughter, Mangmoom. During that time, Tan Mui was looking for some new actors for his next King Naresuan film. Mangmoom knew that I’d trained in gymnastics and other sports, so she recommended me to her father. I was very fortunate!

Student Weekly: Were you familiar with the King Naresuan films before joining this project?

Pan Pan: I’ve been a devoted fan of the film series since the beginning. I saw the first film at a cinema when I was about 8 years old. I’ve always been interested in historical dramas, and I think the King Naresuan films are a great example of this genre. It was like a dream come true when I was chosen to act in this film.

Student Weekly: Can you tell us about your character in the film?

Pan Pan: I play Mon’s Princess, named Muei Manik. She’s partly real and partly fictional in relation to history. Tan Mui created my character to make the film more interesting. Muei Manik was a daughter of Mottama governor Sirisutamaracha. After her father died, Muei Manik and her men went to live in the woods, where she became a hill tribe warrior princess.

Student Weekly: You were once part of the Thai national gymnastics team. Did that make it easier for you to do the action scenes in the film?

Pan Pan: A little bit. I have some of basic skills, but I still had to learn a lot when we were filming. There was a lot of stuff that I’d never tried before like sword fighting, archery and horse riding. I had less than two weeks to learn those skills before shooting began. It was very challenging.

Student Weekly: What was the hardest scene for you in the film?

Pan Pan: There’s a crying scene which was quite tough for me. It’s the scene where Muei Manik makes a wrong decision, which causes many of her soldiers to die. She feels that she let her father down, and she looks for a place to cry alone because she has to be strong in front of her soldiers.

Student Weekly: What was it like working with director Tan Mui?

Pan Pan: I learned a lot from him during the filming. He puts so much effort into the big scale of the project. He directed all six films in a row, which is really impressive. I feel very honoured to have been given this great opportunity.

Student Weekly: What are some of your favourite movies to watch?

Pan Pan: I love watching movies a lot. I can enjoy different genres, especially dramas, fantasy films, historical dramas and romantic comedies. Some of my favourite films are Schindler's List, Forrest Gump, and the more recent film, The Imitation Game.

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