Michelle Yeoh watched “a lot” of Indian films growing up in Malaysia: “I have a lot of idols too” | Bollywood

Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh says she watched a lot of Indian films growing up in a multiracial society in Malaysia and hopes her new film “Wicked” will be well received by audiences here as it is a musical. (Also Read: Michelle Yeoh opens up about her infertility struggles, says she feels like a ‘failure’: You just have to let go and move on.)

Michelle, who won the Best Actress Oscar in 2023 for her role Everything Everywhere All At Once, is reuniting with her Crazy Rich Asians director Jon M Chu for the big screen adaptation of the hit Broadway musical Wicked. In the film, her first musical, she plays the role of Madame Morrible.

Michelle Yeoh on watching Indian films

“I grew up in Malaysia and we are a very multi-ethnic society and I have a lot of Indian friends. In fact, I watched a lot of Indian films as a child, even when I knew how to sing Indian as a small child.” “I am very knowledgeable about Indian culture and cinema,” Michelle said in an interview.

The 62-year-old actress said although the prospect of singing in the film frightened her, she had always loved musicals as a genre because they could transport viewers to another world. “It’s a fantasy world where instead of just talking, people suddenly burst into song and dance, and I love that,” she added.

Why she said yes to Wicked

One of the main reasons for Michelle to star in the film was Jon, whose 2018 film “Crazy Rich Asians” became the first major Hollywood hit since 1993’s “The Joy Luck Club” to feature an all-Asian cast in a modern setting Setting applies. Michelle said she and many others have been fighting for this change for a long time and much of the credit goes to storytellers like Jon.

“So many of us have struggled to create these opportunities. Sometimes we demand these changes because I think we should have equal opportunities to show our talent both in front of and behind the camera…”

“We also need to be good storytellers and tell our kind of stories that reflect our faces and our culture and should be seen more and more. But then we need great storytellers like Jon M Chu who are able to present and highlight all of this,” she said, pointing to Wicked’s diverse cast.

How she chooses her films shows

Michelle, a prominent face of world cinema with acclaimed international performances in films such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Tomorrow Never Dies, Memoirs of a Geisha and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, said she has always believed in the transformative power of Cinemas and that’s why she chooses her roles carefully.

“Which film or TV series I want to star in is a decision. You want to make sure that the choice you’ve made is a good one, because movies and series are such powerful media to connect with people to highlight issues. “There are answers that we know too well but are afraid to say out loud, but then you can sing them away in a movie or in a song,” she said.

About Wicked

Inspired by the Broadway show of the same name, “Wicked,” which opens in theaters on November 22nd, serves as both a prequel and reboot of the 1939 classic “The Wizard of Oz.” Michelle is excited to that the film is receiving positive reviews and has created so much buzz before its release.

“For me, the cinema has always been about a shared experience, where you go in and enjoy something together, you laugh together and come out with a very special feeling of connection.”

Michelle said she portrayed Madame Morrible, the headmistress of Cage Hall at Shiz University in the Wicked universe, as someone who appears approachable and caring.

“What happens is that some people become blinded by their own ambitions… That’s why our approach to Madame Morrible is that she’s a good witch. I don’t think any of us are evil to begin with.”

She credits the film’s two leads, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, for helping her sing, which was “very daunting.” Cynthia, she said, gave her confidence to perform the song “The Wizard and I” with her in the film.

Michelle, who rose to fame in the ’80s and ’90s for her starring roles in Hong Kong action and martial arts films such as Yes, Madam, Magnificent Warriors and Wing Chun, wants to dance next and has her hopes on Jon.

“He gave me the greatest opportunity to be in a musical, something I had never done before and something I had always wanted to do. The only other thing I hope for myself is that he allows me to dance in it. “This time it was the singing too,” she said.

The film, which will be released by Universal Pictures, also stars Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Marissa Bode, Jeff Goldblum and Peter Dinklage.