Fazura’s Gol
Aiming to be a versatile actress, singer and millionaire businesswoman, Nur Fazura Sharifudin of Gol & Gincu fame and ’shoe scandal’ notoriety, is resolutely moving on with her life. HIZREEN KAMAL writes.
Fazura with Pierre Andre in Selamat Pagi Cinta.
THERE’S a joke going around that Nur Fazura Sharifudin is the face of a local shoe brand, following the highly-publicised court case in which she was accused of having hurt a woman with her high-heeled sandal.
“It’s funny (the joke), and I laugh when I think about it. Anyway, I don’t mind as the brand has great designs. Look, I am actually wearing a pair now,” said the actress host, pointing to her diamante-encrusted sandals.
Even after a four-year ordeal attending court 27 times, Fazura still manages to smile.
“It’s in the past and I think the whole thing has made me a better person and a wiser one at that,” she said.
Fazura was accused of causing hurt to Geraldine Mariana Wong, 33, the ex-wife of a former minister’s son, at Luna Bar, Pacific Regency Hotel and Apartments in Jalan Kia Peng on Dec 19, 2004.
She was acquitted by the Kuala Lumpur Magistrate’s Court on Sept 22 this year.
The 25-year-old from Pekan, Pahang, however did describe the period as “the darkest phase of my life”.
Taking a deep breath, she said: “It’s over and I’m grateful that I can now move on with my life. It feels like nothing can affect me anymore. It’s great when you have that sense of freedom again.
“When the court’s decision was handed down, I could not believe my ears. I was overwhelmed, telling myself today is my day, the day of my victory and the day that I’d been waiting for, for so long.”
She said during the last four years, stress was her constant “best friend”. She suffered depression and sleepless nights, and was nagged by disturbing thoughts.
“I was easily agitated. I was just not myself,” she said.
Today, however, Fazura is a much calmer and relaxed person.
“I just want to be happy,” said the girl who first made a name for herself by playing the heroine in the popular 2005 movie, Gol & Gincu.
While acting offers never ceased during her difficult period, she felt slighted when endorsement deals didn’t fall through or were held back because of the court case.
That aside, what irked her the most was people’s negative perception about her.
“Everyone judged me then,” she said.
But for Fazura, who was the recipient of the Most Promising Actress award at the 17th Malaysian Film Festival in 2004, what matters now is rebuilding her career as a versatile actress.
“Acting is my first love and I miss the silver screen,” confessed Fazura, whose last movie outing was Kayangan, which was released last year.
She is currently busy on the set of Bernard Chauly’s romantic comedy Pisau Cukur, in which she plays a gold-digger, opposite Maya Karin and Aaron Aziz.
She has received four more movie offers, and has yet to make a decision on them.
“I need to be selective. With the publicity surrounding me, I don’t want to appear desperate. Ditto for endorsement offers. I just don’t want people to get the wrong idea because I was acquitted.”
But Fazura would certainly like to play challenging roles in time.
“I feel I’ve been misinterpreted by producers. I don’t know why, but I keep getting a lot of village girl roles,” she said.
She would prefer villainous roles, such as a killer or even a crazy person.
“I want to be known as a versatile actress,” said this former host of MTV Jus, by way of explanation.
Viewers can now catch her on Astro Prima in the Rashid Sibir drama series, Bicara Cinta.
She will also be featured in the movie Selamat Pagi Cinta together with Pierre Andre, Sharifah Amani and Que Haidar, slated for release next Thursday.
This will be followed by Kantoi, a film directed by Mat London.
Fazura also wants to sing.
“I love all kinds of music, and I had to shelve plans to come out with a single because I was busy filming.”
She has set a deadline for next year instead.
She has been offered to collaborate with hip hop artiste Joe Flizzow and award-winning singer Faizal Tahir, as well as Singaporean artiste Terry Lee.
But first, she will need to undergo vocal training.
“Joe has been trying to get me to go to his studio but I’m always busy on the set,” she said, adding that plans are also underway to launch her fan club next year.
On what she would be doing five years down the road, Fazura quipped: “I want to be an entrepreneur and a self-made millionaire before I turn 30.”
So, does that mean Fazura will leave the industry for good?
“It’s not easy to keep an artiste away from the arts. We’ll just have to wait and see.”
New Straits Times