Born in 1985, Nadia Aqilah has been in the entertainment industry from an early age. In 1998, she joined a female hip-hop group and in 2000, she joined the female group Luscious who represented Malaysia in a reality TV show. She was actively involved in musical theatre shows such as Puteri Gunung Ledang, The Musical and P. Ramlee The Musical.

Nadia Aqilah plays the iconic Saloma in the 3rd season of P. Ramlee The Musical which played to critical acclaim at Istana Budaya recently an while she was having her make-up done by MAC Special Events Artist, Reyo, I managed to have a few minutes backstage with her.

How did you prepare for the role of Saloma?

Through research on social media, films, Youtube and talking to old friends of Saloma as well as her niece, Melissa Saila.

What do you think of Saloma?

Many of us take her for granted as P. Ramlee’s wife but was in her own right, a successful performer then. She went as far as Australia to perform. She was born to be an icon.

What do you think made Saloma so unforgettable?

Her personality, appearance and aura made her special.

Would you have liked to have lived in the 1960s?

I often ask my father why I wasn’t born in that era. It was a beautiful era where the local acts were so strong.

What’s your favourite P. Ramlee movie and song?

My favourite movie is “Madu Tiga” (Three Wives) about polygamy,the script is very smart while my favourite song is “Jeritan Batinku”.

Do you like the MAC make-up that transforms you into Saloma?

Yes, I love it as it makes me stay in character.

All images in this post have been provided by MAC Cosmetics Malaysia.