The two actresses admit they are challenged in their respective roles. Photos: Handout
Revenge is a staple plotline in telenovelas, and Astro Prima’s new drama, Dendam Seorang Madu, is no different.
However, director Riza Baharuddin insists that the plot, characters and storyline are far from typical.
“This story revolves around inheritance, with a subplot involving polygamy,” says Riza, who helmed last year’s Andai Tiada Dia, the highest-rated Malay drama in Astro’s history.
“Every episode brings new revelations – ones that aren’t your typical, overused drama tropes.
“The storytelling is fresh, filled with unexpected twists, which is what drew me to the project,” Riza adds.
Dendam Seorang Madu centres on Putri Rayhana (Hannah Delisha), a 21-year-old kampung girl forced to marry Faris Alfian (Redza Rosli), the son of a wealthy CEO.
She agrees to the marriage to fulfil her grandmother’s wish and to cover her mother’s medical expenses.
But, unknown to Rayhana and her family, Faris’s true motive is his mother’s desire to claim the wealth left behind by Rayhana’s late father.
To make matters worse, Rayhana discovers after the wedding that Faris is already married – having secretly wed his personal assistant, Izara (Sweet Qismina).
Trapped in an arranged marriage as a second wife, Rayhana must also endure abuse from Izara, who is mentally unstable, leading to even more family conflicts.
“Themes of wealth, love, polygamy, loyalty, and greed are deeply woven into the story, creating multiple layers for the audience to engage with,” Riza tells StarLifestyle.
While the 50-episode series carries the DNA of a telenovela, he reiterates that its story is firmly rooted in reality.
Dendam Seorang Madu portrays situations that happen to real people, and it carries an important message.”
A key message in the series is the importance of proper inheritance management and preserving family lineage.
Norzeha Salleh, the head of Astro Prima, states in the press notes: “Dendam Seorang Madu is more than just about marital conflicts.
“It primarily raises awareness about inheritance management, educating audiences on the importance of handling faraid (Islamic inheritance) fairly and in accordance with religious principles.”
At the same time, Riza also wants the audience to recognise the consequences of certain actions highlighted in the drama.
“By seeing this drama, I hope audiences don’t make the same mistakes (as the characters),” explains the director.
“Many dramas lean into romance and intimacy, but I’m more interested in telling a story that the whole family can watch and learn from.”
On the path of vengeance
When actress Hannah was offered the role, the 28-year-old was immediately intrigued after reading the synopsis.
In order to show her character's transformation throughout the series, Hannah Delisha speaks more softly in the beginning.The Singaporean star – who also sings the show’s theme song, Tipu Helah – was keen to portray a character who undergoes a drastic transformation due to her experiences as a wife.
“I start my process by first understanding the character. Everyone has a different life story, so I try to figure out why Rayhana is the way she is.
“Since she’s 21 years old (when she’s married off), I adjusted my portrayal to make her more timid at first. As the story progresses, she evolves, and the audience will see that transformation.
“And yes, Rayhana does go down a revenge path,” Hannah confirms before adding, “But I’d say every character in this drama has their own vendetta. Each person is seeking justice or payback in their own way.”
Having done the 64-episode series Andai Itu Takdirnya (2023), Hannah knows how to pace herself for this project.
At the same time, she admits being slightly worried about handling some of the action-heavy scenes.
“I discussed it with the director, and he assured me that stunt doubles would handle the more dangerous scenes – like falling down the stairs or jumping.
“Since this is a long series, any injury could throw off the entire schedule, making things difficult for the team, especially with broadcast deadlines.”
So far about 20 episodes have been filmed, with shooting to continue until May.
“But if a stunt is something I can safely do myself, I will. There were a few action scenes I performed on my own.”
What about the scene where Rayhana gets slapped by Sweet’s character?
“No, no – it’s acting! It just looks real,” Hannah tells StarLifestyle with a laugh.
“So far, the most dangerous scene I’ve had to do was probably the house fire sequence.
“They built a mock-up kitchen and set it on fire. The house itself was real, but the kitchen behind it was burned for the scene.
“If anything happened to the actual house, we would’ve been in serious trouble.”
Director Riza says the violent scenes will serve to put a spotlight on Rayhana’s struggles, making audiences really side with her.
“Usually, viewers feel sorry for the first wife, but this time, I want them to empathise with the second wife.
“So, we had to take things up a notch.”
Pushing boundaries
In most Malay dramas, the first wife is typically portrayed as kind, but in Dendam Seorang Madu, she’s the true villain who is convinced the second wife is there to steal what’s rightfully hers.
The director proudly shares that actress Sweet, 27, was a revelation in this role. Riza had worked with the actress on Bidadari Salju, where she played a romantic role.
“Sweet told me she had never done a character like this before, which excited me. It gave me the opportunity to push her limits and bring out her darker side.
“I had a clear vision of how I wanted her character to be, and she executed it perfectly,” Riza says.
Even Faris (Redza Rosli) becomes impatient as Rayhana (Sweet Qismina) spirals out of control.
Similarly, Sweet was thrilled to take on the antagonist role, something no one had ever offered her before.
“Many people assume I can’t pull off a role like this because I have a soft and innocent appearance. Even if I express anger, they might not find it convincing,” says the petite Sweet.
“But I think when audiences watch this show, they’ll see a different side of me.
“I just hope they accept my performance... even if that means getting threats on behalf of my character (laughs),” Sweet shares with the media.
To ensure she can handle the violent sequences, the soft-spoken actress admits she had to push herself to act rough – which includes grabbing another woman’s tudung, pushing her, slapping and so on.
“But it’s all acting, and everything was done safely,” she says, laughing.
“I don’t want Hannah to take revenge on me in real life.
“The most physically challenging parts were the slaps, hits, kicks, and pushes because they require a lot of energy – especially from someone my size.”
Sweet explains that Izara isn’t really a bad person – her abuse stem from her mental health struggles developed due to a past trauma, which makes her cling to the one person who she deems as her saviour.
“Her obsession is rooted in the fact that Faris was there for her when no one else was. That’s why she clings to him so intensely – her entire existence depends on him.
“So, when another woman enters the picture, Izara feels completely betrayed. To her, it’s as if her entire world is crumbling. She becomes so obsessed that she’s willing to kill anyone who threatens her happiness.
“She wants Faris to see only her – no one else. That’s the most tragic part of her character.”
Strange turns
What the cast and director all agree upon is that audiences will be surprised by the many twists in the drama.
“It falls in the realm of murder and mystery – very much in line with the dramatic style of Astro Prima’s shows in its Tiara slot,” says Hannah.
“I watched the first episode, and honestly, the storytelling reminds me of an Indonesian sinetron.”
Hannah also says that although she has the script for the whole 50 episodes, the ending is actually still a question mark.
“There are two different endings, and we will be filming both. It ultimately depends on the director, producer and maybe even fans’ reaction.”
Does she favour one ending over the other?
“I do have a favourite between the two, but I can’t reveal which one,” says Hannah.
New episodes of Dendam Seorang Madu air on weekdays at 6pm on Astro Prima (Ch 105) or stream the series via On Demand.
