For a period in the 2000s, actress Junainah Lonjong says she went through such severe depression that she lost the desire to keep living.
Even now, the 47-year-old – better known as Jun – admits she remembers little of that period, having buried much of it in the past.
Her salvation, as it turned out, came in the form of acting.
“Actually, I never planned to become an actress.
“Acting started as therapy for me after going through one of the lowest points in my life and experiencing severe depression while pursuing my master’s degree,” Jun shares with the media at the gala premiere of her latest film, Polong.
“At the time, I isolated myself completely. I couldn’t meet people without sweating or feeling anxious.
“I deleted social media, cut off contact with people and even abandoned my master’s degree halfway through,” she says
Jun started out as a dancer after earning a Diploma in Dance from Akademi Seni Budaya Dan Warisan Kebangsaan (Aswara), before later obtaining a degree in Performing Arts from Universiti Malaya.
Her husband, actor Nam Ron – with whom she shares three children – was the one who encouraged Jun to try acting as a form of therapy.
“He said it could be a way to pull myself out of that dark place.
“So I accepted my first role with the intention of healing and reconnecting with people again.”
That role was in the 2016 film Redha directed by Tunku Mona Riza in which she portrays a mother raising an autistic child, starring opposite her husband.
Having never acted before, Jun admits she initially found it difficult. It also did not help that her mental state was still fragile.
“During shoots, if I had to repeat scenes many times, I would start hearing negative thoughts in my head again because I hadn’t fully recovered yet,” Jun recalls.
Her turning point came when her performance earned her Best New Actress trophy at the 29th Malaysia Film Festival in 2017.
Still, Jun never expected it to become her career.
“After my first project, I told myself it would be my first and last acting job.
“But over time, acting genuinely became therapy for me.
“Winning an award and receiving recognition also gave me confidence that people believed in me and my work.
“Slowly, I healed more and more through acting.
“Alhamdulillah, now I’m in a much better place.
“I no longer need medication, and I can finally talk openly about those experiences,” she says.
Exploring human nature
Since Redha, Jun has starred in other acclaimed films including Roh (2020) and Tiger Stripes (2023) in smaller roles.
Polong marks her return to a leading role.
According to Jun, she was both surprised and grateful that director Zulkarnain Azhar (Takluk: Lahad Datu) entrusted her with the role.
“I give credit to Zul and the team because they were brave enough to cast me as the lead even though I’m not considered a big commercial name.
“That meant a lot to me because it showed they believed in my talent,” Jun says.
The film had already generated buzz following the release of its trailer, with many viewers noting the striking resemblance between Jun’s character and the infamous Mona Fandey who was convicted in 1995 and hanged in 2001 for her part in murdering a politician in 1993.
However, the director is quick to point out that Polong is only loosely inspired by this controversial figure and is not based on any one specific case.
Zulkarnain explains: “I drew inspiration from various supernatural crime stories from Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and even the United States.
“One of my references was (the 1974 US film) The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
“That film wasn’t a direct biopic about (serial killer) Ed Gein, but it borrowed elements from his crimes to create something original. That was my approach too.”
He also stresses that he was not trying to compete with Dain Said’s Dukun (2006), which was loosely inspired by the Mona Fandey case.
“I think Dukun is an excellent film,” says Zulkarnain.
“So rather than repeating what Dukun already did well, I wanted to make my own film exploring supernatural crime through a different lens.
Furthermore, with Polong, Zulkarnain was keen to explore more about the human nature than about “one criminal figure” or the supernatural beings known as “hantu polong”.
A polong is said to be a malevolent spirit kept in a small bottle, typically by a shaman through dark rituals involving the blood of a murdered man.
The movie centres on Maria Hadi (Jun), a woman serving a prison sentence while grappling with regret over the crime she committed.
While in prison, she is interviewed by Fatima (Mimi Lana), a struggling reporter whose husband is draining her emotionally and financially.
Driven by desperation, both women become entangled with the dark spirits.
“The concept of a polong relates to every character in the story,” says the director.
“Just like a polong is trapped inside a bottle, every character in this film is also trapped, either by their fate, their circumstances or their environment.
“So the title reflects all the main characters, not just the supernatural creature itself.”
Eerie moments
Playing Maria was challenging for Jun as the character has many emotional layers that are revealed slowly throughout the movie.
“Externally, Maria appears calm, smiling and composed even though she is a prisoner.
“But internally, she carries guilt, sadness and emotional turmoil over what happened to a family. The challenge was balancing those two sides,” explains Jun.
Carrying that emotional weight was difficult says Jun and she admits the character did affect her emotionally.
“I was afraid of bringing the character home with me because I had to research a lot about Maria’s background and emotional state.”
Although nothing strange happened during filming, she occasionally felt uneasy after long shoots.
“Sometimes after filming until morning, I would return home feeling like someone was watching me.
“But I would tell myself maybe it was just exhaustion,” she adds.
Nonetheless, Jun admits filming at an old prison in Johor gave her goosebumps, especially when she had to sit in an actual cell with words written by former inmates still on the walls.
However, Jun tried to keep things light on set while staying alert.
Furthermore, everyone in the production team was also careful with their behaviour and speech during filming.
There was even an ustaz present on set, for extra precaution.
So, other than feeling of unease, there was no supernatural disturbances throughout filming.
“I believe those things exist, but I don’t think we should become obsessed with them,” says Jun when asked whether she believes in supernatural beings.
“Just acknowledge that they exist and don’t dwell on them too much,” she advises.
Polong is showing at cinemas nationwide.
