Fan Bingbing gets muddy in Kedah for new movie Mother Bhumi
Chinese actress Fan Bingbing is getting down and dirty for her new movie Mother Bhumi, which recently wrapped filming in Malaysia.
The 43-year-old star posted on Instagram several photos of herself in Kedah state. In a video taken in June, which was posted on Oct 21, Fan can be seen planting rice seedlings in a muddy field. Though she was initially cheered on by staff members who said she was doing a good job, she soon fell backwards into the mud.
The actress, who has her own line of skincare products Fan Beauty Diary, gestured to her mud-caked calves and joked that they were soft and smooth due to the mud.
“Look how fair and tender my skin is. It’s all due to the beautifying effects of the mud. Everyone should come to Kedah, Malaysia, and try planting rice seedlings, then you will have increasingly gorgeous skin,” she said.
The video ended with a text description that said: “Everything is worth it for my character.”
Fan, who has not acted in a production from mainland China since a major tax evasion scandal in 2018, has pivoted to working outside China in recent years.
She has appeared in K-dramas and scored a leading role Mother Bhumi, a co-production by Malaysia and Italy. The movie is directed by Malaysian film-maker Chong Keat Aun.
According to entertainment trade magazine Variety, Fan plays Hong Im, a farmer whose husband died mysteriously. She uses black magic to help her fellow villagers until she encounters a ghost who knows a secret about her husband’s death.
In an Oct 19 post, Fan said she learnt to speak Hokkien and Malay for the film.
Chong, whose second feature film was Snow In Midsummer – an acclaimed historical drama which garnered nine nominations at the Golden Horse Awards in 2023 – took his leading lady on a tour of Kedah.
She uploaded photos of herself at various sights with Chong and wrote: “After filming for so long, we finally had the chance to take a stroll. While enjoying some delicious food, we also visited Kedah’s iconic attractions: Kedah Royal Museum, Alor Setar Tower, Zahir Mosque, and Pekan Cina (Chinatown).”
In addition to filming in Malaysia, Fan has also been tasked with attracting Chinese visitors to the country. She became the official tourism ambassador for Melaka state in June.
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