Starring Acha Septriasa and Reza Rahadian, Here are the Initial Facts of the Making of the Romance Film 'LAYLA MAJNUN'

Kapanlagi.com - LAYLA MAJNUN is a romantic drama starring Acha Septriasa and Reza Rahadian. This film, directed by Monty Tiwa, is adapted from a series of poems by a 12th-century Muslim poet from Azerbaijan named Nizami Ganjavi, who is already well-known worldwide.

This Starvision film was originally scheduled to be released in theaters in the first half of 2020. However, due to the pandemic, it was decided to release it on Netflix in the month of love, February.

There are many interesting things behind the scenes of the creation of LAYLA MAJNUN. Check out the following facts that have been summarized by the editorial team of KapanLagi.com!

1. The Ambassador of Azerbaijan's Desire

Photo Credit: Netflix

The creation of this film began with a conversation between Monty Tiwa, the director, and the Indonesian Ambassador to Azerbaijan during the 2016-2020 term, Husnan Bey Fananie. Husnan expressed his desire to create something that reflects the culture and can strengthen the relationship between Indonesia and Azerbaijan. After discussing, it was decided to freely adapt the poems by Nizami Ganjavi into a film.

"Two or three years ago, I was introduced to the Indonesian Ambassador to Azerbaijan at that time, Mr. Husnan Bey Fananie. Mr. Husnan expressed his desire to create something cultural that could help the Azerbaijani and Indonesian communities get to know each other better. We talked and I was surprised to learn that the story of Layla Majnun was actually written by an original Azerbaijani poet, although at that time he was only referred to as a poet from Persia: Nizami Ganjavi. Because our needs and the ambassador's matched, we could complement each other, and finally, this project was carried out," said Monty during a Zoom interview on Tuesday (9/2/2021).

2. Assisted by Local Government - Enthusiasm of the Local Community

From conversations with the Indonesian Ambassador to Azerbaijan at the time, Monty Tiwa, along with Chand Parwes as the producer from Starvision production house, finally flew to Azerbaijan several times. In addition to conducting in-depth research on Nizam Ghajavi, they also established communication with the local government to ensure the smooth shooting process.

"Together with Mr. Chand Parwez, we went to Azerbaijan several times to meet various parties for filming this story. From the beginning until we were shooting, there was a lot of coordination with the government agencies, especially their film department, regarding shooting, research materials and content, location permits, and so on. When we were shooting in public places, the locals were happy to have foreigners shooting there. Once they found out we were from Indonesia, their enthusiasm grew even bigger," Monty continued.

3. Not Just a Film Set in Azerbaijan

Photo Credit: Netflix

Given the initial mission of Husnan Bey Fananie, Monty Tiwa also has a moral awareness to ensure that the film does not deviate far from its original purpose. Several things are then applied to show the culture of Azerbaijan and Indonesia. So that the film is not just located there, but has a strong connection to the story.

"Mr. Husnan wants to unite and make the two cultures familiar. So please remember, there is an interest and task in this film to present the visual and cultural elements of both nations fairly. As a director, I have to think about how this should not just be a story set in Azerbaijan, but why Azerbaijan, right? So there are scenes and elements that combine for the needs of our society and represent the Azerbaijani society," Monty emphasized.

4. Falling in Love with an Azerbaijani Man

LAYLA MAJNUN tells the story of Layla (played by Acha Septriasa) who gets the opportunity to be a guest lecturer in Azerbaijan. Layla's arrival brings her together with a man named Samir (played by Reza Rahadian) who has been studying Indonesian language for a long time.

The meeting of Layla and Samir slowly nurtures the seeds of love. Unfortunately, their love story is hindered by Layla's promise to Ibnu, who she will marry upon returning from Azerbaijan. What is the end of Layla and Samir's story? Find out starting from February 13, 2021 on Netflix!

(kpl/abs/gtr)