Exclusive Muhammad Khan Successfully Won Dreams From The Theater Stage To The Big Screen

Muhammad Khan is new to Indonesian cinema, but his appearance continues to steal the attention to this day. Various roles, both supporting and main, have never made him a calculation in deploying his talents.

At the end of 2024, Muhammad Khan starred in a horror film called Life. This film is his latest collaboration with the production house Visinema after several films.

Muhammad Khan collided acting with Taskya Namya fund Rachel Vennya in the film Kehidupan. Even though he has played in horror films several times, Muhammad Khan admits that he has had different experiences in his latest film, such as emotional control in his character to the challenges of dancing.

"This is my fourth horror film from the three horror films I've played that distinguish me in this film Death This life is a range of emotions that I think I've never spent in a horror film that was before and here I'm back again playing body exploration by dancing," Muhammad Khan told VOI, Thursday, November 26, 2024.

"If the one in my previous film was a film from Visinema and Susuk, I explored an animal movement, if here I explore freestyle or dance according to the music played," he continued.

Not just a supporting actor, the man whose real name is Nurdiyanto has received demands to find a different side from a factory worker. He admitted that dancing was a challenge for him in the scene in this film of life.

The challenge was that director mas Billy (Christian) at that time wanted Awang to have a variety of emotional layer or character that couldn't be guessed, so it's like that person asked, what he really was. Maybe that's one of the challenges. Second, there was a scene where Awang had to dance and it was quite challenging for me because I was honestly confused about how to dance because I had to create my own choreography based on the response to the music being played, "he explained.

Muhammad Khan made no special references in acting, but he tried to discuss it with the director as he usually did.

"There was a scene where Awang had to dance and at that time it was quite challenging for me because I was honestly confused like I was really confused about what it would be like because I had to create my own choreography based on the response to the music being played," Khan said.

"The dance scene made a bit pressing at that time because on the days of filming it was like I still couldn't find it. 'What about me dancing?', because I haven't practiced the choreography,' said Muhammad Khan.

Finally Muhammad Khan assured himself that he could do the challenges asked directly by the director, Billy Christian, by following the rhythm of the song given to him.

"But at that time I relied on it like it was the main thing later when I listened to music I had to respond to whatever the character felt about the music. So it just flowed like that," he said.

Apart from having to dance, Khan was also required to smoke while he never smoked. Initially Muhammad Khan had doubts about this challenge because there was no preparation.

"Thewang did have to smoke to strengthen Erwina's character (played by Taskya Namya) and there was a scene where Awang's interests in smoking were important for Erwina's character so at that time I decided that I had a cigarette even though I didn't smoke every day and it was a challenge because every time I smoke it must be nauseated and not good in this part, just for the sake of character," he said.

As a theater graduate student, 1991-born man has learned smoking techniques, something that is often taken for granted by the public. He also tried to share perceptions and see if the scenes he played contributed to his role.

While acting, the Citra Cup winner realized that the body was the most important aspect in displaying expressions. He continues to explore what Awang shows so that this character does not only appear as a patch but also contributes to his story.

"I think Awang is a person who knows enough what he wants, he is a very independent person and he has a lot of curiosity about the things around him, but at certain moments he is also typical who don't want to take too much risk," said Muhammad Khan.

Muhammad Khan cannot deny that working in the acting world does not always run smoothly. However, even though he was forced to stop working because of the COVID-19 pandemic for months, it turned out that Muhammad Khan had not stopped Muhammad Khan from the world of acting he loved for a long time.

"Certainly, and it happened at the beginning of my career, so actually my first film was what I raised My Indah's body, which aired in April, April 2019, then in December 2019 I got the Citra Cup at that time, then next year in 2020 it entered the pandemic in April, and that I experienced where the projects that had entered were canceled everything," he said.

Having received the Citra Cup at an early age, this Jepara-born man was complacent. He never got a shooting project for 8 months before getting a post-pandemic role. This did not make him give up acting and continue to focus on the projects he wanted.

"Because I love the world of acting. In my opinion, what makes us successful or not in the field we are working on is definitely how good our quality is in that field," said Muhammad Khan.

"How much passion in that field so in my opinion that what has made me survive until now is that I have that love, I have a great passion for what I'm working on now. The world of film teaches me that we have to accept someone as our own person, not as the person we want, "he said.

"So for those 2 years I pretty much didn't have any films that aired, and my production was also like, I think I've been unemployed for 8 months for nothing in Covid, and after that after Covid subsided, I started to come back again, so it's like the first time I wanted to enter the film industry, in fact it's a vacuum for 2 years, it's hard for me, because the moment is like when I just wanted to open the gate, it's like it keeps quiet," said Muhammad Khan.

Being part of the world of film in Indonesia became a dream for Muhammad Khan. Remembering his struggles ranging from a theater school until he was finally trusted to play in his first film. "This is a phase of life or a place that I had dreamed of for a long time. From the age of 10, I really wanted to be a film player. And from there I tried to walk to my goal. I joined the theater in high school, I studied in theater, then I moved to Jakarta, I got the first film, "he explained.

His dream as an actor has been realized and this is a time phase that he has enjoyed for a long time. To VOI, he did not stop being grateful because he had the opportunity to continue acting until now.

"From the age of 10, I really wanted to be a film player and from there I tried to walk towards my goal. I joined the theater in high school, I studied theater, I moved to Jakarta, I got my first film so like everything in my opinion it's like the place where I'm standing now, this is what I've wanted from a long time ago," said Khan.

I want to explore a human life that has never been exposed and I hope to have a long and sustainable career. I want to work until the age of the grandfather in this film Inaugurate Mimi's life. I want to be like Mimi at an old age who remains independent, productive can still work as an actor with everything that happened," he said closing the conversation that afternoon.

"So it's like everything in my opinion, it's like what the place I'm standing now is something I've wanted a long time ago. So I'm really grateful to be able to get a job that actually departs from a hobby, from a pleasure. So when I run my house, it doesn't feel like work either, it's more like a hobby and playing games like that, and fun like that. Happy to run it, "he said.

"No wonder in the end, Muhammad Khan has the desire to become an actor and also a good observer so that he can maximize himself in playing every character given. So it's like having a hard time for it. It means like being a good actor is a good observer in my opinion. So teaching me to be more observe and understand more people, "he said.