Nayla Purnama Tanning and Swimming Training for In the Face of Death 2

Kapanlagi.com - Nayla Purnama faces a new challenge when entrusted to play Laras in the film In the Face of Death 2 produced by MVP Pictures. In addition to dealing with horror scenes, she needs to adjust her physical condition to align with the character of Laras, who is portrayed as a swimming athlete.

"It's true, actually it comes from my own desire. I feel that for me to better embody the character of Laras is by changing my physique as closely as possible to what I envision for Laras," Nayla said when met by KapanLagi in the Kuningan area, South Jakarta, Wednesday (12/8/2026).

In the story, Laras is the youngest child of two siblings and has an older brother named Ismail, played by Derby Romero. To make her presence convincing on screen, Nayla chose to make several physical changes on her own initiative.

1. Nayla Purnama's Physical Transformation for Laras

One of the steps Nayla took was to darken her skin tone through tanning. She also started regulating her diet and returned to the swimming pool to shape the physique of an athlete.

"So what I did was tanning, and I also tried to diet, but you know, it's just an effort. The shooting is coming up soon, so it's okay," Nayla said.

Swimming training is not something entirely new for her. Previously, Nayla had played a swimmer in another film, but that role was around six or seven years ago. Because of the time gap, she chose to start training from scratch to strengthen her technique and stamina.

2. Director's Considerations in Choosing Actors

Director Kinoy emphasized that the selection of Nayla and the other actors was based on the character needs within the story. It is not just about acting ability, but also about physical appearance compatibility and harmony among the cast.

"So it is indeed very, very careful, you know, not just because 'Oh, she is a good actor' or something like that. It's not just that. So from all sides, the resemblance of this family also has to be... this is it," Kinoy said.

This consideration also refers to the long timeline of the story. In addition to assessing chemistry, the production team ensures visual resemblance within the character's family—including the sibling relationship between Laras and Ismail, played by Derby Romero—so that it remains consistent throughout the plot.

3. Workshop, Physical Scenes, and Shooting Schedule

Celebration for Di Ambang Kematian 2 (credit: KapanLagi.com/Mathias Purwanto)

Apart from swimming practice, Nayla is also participating in workshops to prepare for the physical scene requirements typical of horror films. She must be ready with the use of slings and several other techniques that will be involved during the shooting process.

"It definitely means I have to exercise more because I just felt it, practicing in the pool twice, both of which were really like, 'Hah... tired', you know, out of breath. So I have to exercise now. That's it," Nayla said.

Di Ambang Kematian 2 continues to carry the theme of Kandang Bubrah's offerings from the first film, but this time it presents new stories and characters. The shooting process is scheduled to begin on August 20, 2026. The official release schedule in theaters will be announced later.

(kpl/pur/pit)