Based on a folk tale about a supernatural battle between man and crocodile, each possessing strong magical powers, Suthat Intranupakorn’s Krai Thong is the first Thai film to emerge from new label Softwares Supplies International (SSI). MovieSeer couldn’t pass up the chance to talk with Winai Khaibutr, Wannasa Thongwiset and Chutima Everie (Candy), the three lead actors in this latest version of Krai Thong.

MovieSeer: Please tell us briefly about each of your roles in the film.
Wannasa: I play Tapaothong, a wealthy man’s daughter who is, together with her sister, kidnapped by the crocodile to the underwater world. The sisters provide the incentive for Kraithong to go after the crocodile, as Tapaothong’s wealthy father announces he will wed his two daughters to anyone who kills the crocodile.
Winai: I play the title character, Krai Thong, who is a crocodile hunter by birth. The crocodile he has to battle this time, known as Chalawan, is not a common crocodile — he has an exceptional magical power. The villagers come up with an agreement: whoever kills Chalawan will be given the rights to marry the kidnapped sisters and to inherit all the father-in-law’s wealth as well. To get Chalawan, Krai thong has to go to the crocodile’s underwater cave. He has affairs with Wimala and Luemlaiwan, the two crocodile wives of Chalawan, while under the crocodiles’ spell. After bringing back the kidnapped sisters, Krai Thong keeps returning to the crocodile cave to see the two female crocodiles. I asked Suthat about this and he explained to me that the affairs develop out of love and Krai Thong’s frequent visits to the cave are nothing different from a man seeing his minor wives.
Candy: I took the role of Luemlaiwan, a minor wife of Chalawan. The first wife is played by Champagne X. My character is a very cruel and powerful crocodile, second only to Chalawan. One day, Chalawan goes wild on the human world and is injured in a fight with a crocodile hunter. Luemlaiwan then takes a revenge and kills the hunter, but she is also wounded. While she’s on her retreat to recover from the injury, Krai Thong breaks in to her cave. She is frightened, so she extends their love spell to ensure she won’t be killed (laughs).

MovieSeer: How do you compare starring in this movie with other roles, Winai?
Winai: It’s very different. In other films I needed to practice much more on the acting front, because the films are at least partially dramatic. This one is more about action. We have to use lots of techniques and computer graphics, in underwater fightings for instance. It’s a hard work but it’s also fun, not too stressful to the brain.

MovieSeer: What about you, Wannasa? What’s the difference between this role and other roles you have done, as in Suriyothai and others? Which kind of role do you prefer?
Wannasa: It’s difficult to decide which I like better. I’d say, after seeing the earlier version of Krai Thong, I was very glad to know I’d be playing in this kind of film. I enjoyed working in this remake very much. In term of acting, there were no big problems because the cast members always helped one another. For example, I learned from Winai sometimes – some of his words made me understand characters and their moods better – but he may not have been aware of this.

MovieSeer: And Candy, what’s it like working on your first film role?
Candy: I was very excited. At first I didn’t know anyone in the team and I didn’t know how to prepare myself for a job I was doing for the first time. But, it turned out to be really easygoing. Everyone was friendly, helpful and hardworking. Working on the set was like going to a picnic. Sometimes I didn’t want to go home. It’s a good feeling that all of us remember.

MovieSeer: What do each of you think about working with director Suthat?
Winai: He’s a man with a good sense of humor, even he doesn’t look like he would have one. Before this film, I’d never met him as a director before, and I thought working with him would give me lots of pressure. But, he’s friendly even at work. To compare him with other directors I’ve worked with: Nonzee Nimibutr is hardworking, humurous but not hilarious – he speaks quite monotonously and doesn’t make loud noises; Thanit Jitnukul is very different – he is a loud-speaking person and it’d be pretty obvious when he would want his cast and crew to work more seriously. Unlike Thanit, Suthat would be very quiet when he wasn’t happy with what was going on, but it’s very easy to notice when he’s pleased with the performance of his team – he’d be obviously joyful.
Wannasa: I didn’t have much chance to meet with or talk to Suthat, but we discussed the work before filming each of my scenes. He was usually playful when each task was about to be completed. In my opinion, he’s quite friendly and understanding with cast members. When we asked for changes, he’d take our requests into account and make appropriate adjustments to the work. I really like him for his open-minded attitude.

MovieSeer: Is working with him very different from working with Than Mui?
Wannasa: Working with Than Mui was also enjoyable. At first I thought he was a stern director, as this is what I’ve heard, but after a time I started to feel relaxed because I learned that he was not that hard to work with. Friendly talks with him after shoots were common. I was very proud by encouragements I’d get, like “Hey, good job, that’s enough,” because I’d always be nervous before. Although he was serious, he wouldn’t blame anyone over trifles.

MovieSeer: What do you think, Candy, about working with Suthat?
Candy: It’s my first time working with him. At first I was nervous, trying to portray my role exactly the way he wanted. He noticed that and said “Candy, take it easy, take it easy.” He also knew that I was new to acting, so he used easy and clear words. He’s not self-centered at all, and at breaks, he’d be so friendly that you could easily forget he was the director.

MovieSeer: What’s interesting about this version of Krai Thong? Winai: We’ve never had Krai Thong like this before, because now we have modern technology and computer graphic enhancements. Whatever the novel says, we can now visualize it onscreen – cave blasts, splitting water of the underwater world – we could create it all. I believe the modern version will be very enjoyable, especially to kids. I, myself, like it – seeing the water split away from me, as the title character, giving the way to the underwater world (laugh).
Candy: I like the overall film, and the costumes look so fascinating and mystical that I became very interested in things that are typically Thai.
Wannasa: For me, I like the overall image too – from the title sequence right to the end. Everything seems interesting to me – the graphics, actors, pictures, musics, etc. I’m confident that people will be impressed by this movie, so I’d like to invite everyone to see it. The trailer that was released recently has created some buzz, not just about erotic scenes, but also surprise at the present capability of visual effects in Thai movies.