WHEN Pekin Ibrahim auditioned for Bunohan, it was for one of the smaller roles (a graverobber named Gasi). Two weeks before shooting was scheduled to begin in October 2010, Pekin was told that he would be playing one of the three leads – Bakar, the catalyst for the story.

Determined not to let the short time frame hinder his preparations for the role, Pekin reached out to his friend – actor, writer and director Khir Rahman – for help.