Everyone is familiar with Shakespeare’s tragic romance of Romeo and Juliet and has spawned hundreds if not thousands of adaptations. But the story of Layla and Majnun is based on a true story from 7th century Arab written and popularise by poet Nizami Ganjavi.
The story is about a lover Qays and Layla who faced stern objections to their relationship. This caused Qays to be driven into madness and thus called, Majnun (crazy). Hence, the title of the story Layla Majnun can be translated to ‘Layla’s Mad Lover’.
This brings to Netflix Asia’s release of Layla Majnun starring Reza Rahadian and Acha Septriasa coming 11th February.
The story follows Layla, a guest lecturer in Azerbaijan who fell in love with Samir, an admirer of her work. But Layla is an engaged woman. This will create a huge obstacle in their relationship.
1.The Acting
Indonesian cinephile may rejoice for these two are amazing starters of this movie. You may recognize Reza Rahadian his portrayal of Indonesian former President B.J. Habibie in Rudy Habibie while Acha Septriasa also played an intelligent charismatic hijabi woman beautifully in Bulan Terbelah Di Langit Amerika and its sequel.
They also worked together in Strawberry Surprise. Based on the trailer alone, it is clear that the two’s acting prowess is unquestionable and I can’t wait to see how they will bring to life one of the most iconic love stories of all time.
2.The beauty of Azerbaijan
Since it is MCO, we can satisfy our wanderlust by living vicariously through Layla’s experience in Azerbaijan. With Samir as her (or your) tour guide, you can imagine yourself wandering the streets and admiring the beautiful city with a handsome companion.
You might want to take notes on some places and things to do. Once it is safe to travel again, you might want to buy the cheapest and earliest ticket to this destination.
3.Study of Love
If you have a fantasy of falling in love in a foreign country, then this film might satisfy that. However, unlike some movies that already portray it like Before Sunrise or Eat Pray Love, we could already tell that there will be waterworks involved.
Love especially when entangled with promises and obligation is a road with hardships and heartbreaks. It is highly probable that the ending will stay faithful to the original tale. Maybe what we can learn from these two is how to deal with such things and how to fight for our love.
Sources: Netflix Youtube