{
  "id": 8232118,
  "title": "#SHOWBIZ: Saved by tardiness: How Saiful Apek's delay spared film crew from tsunami",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/showbiz-saved-by-tardiness-how-saiful-apeks-delay-spared-film-crew",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-18T11:00:21.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/lifestyle/groove/2026/09/1535637/showbiz-saved-tardiness-how-saiful-apeks-delay-spared-film-crew"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "KUALA LUMPUR -- Actress Elza Irdalynna recounted a harrowing tale from the filming of the movie Anak Mami Kembali two decades ago. The daughter of late veteran actress Azean Irdawaty revealed the crew faced a life-threatening situation due to a deadly December 2004 tsunami, all thanks to actor Saiful Apek arriving late to the set. The original filming location, a jetty, was destroyed by severe flooding caused by the tsunami. Actress Elza, who served as her mother's personal assistant during the shoot, expressed her gratitude to Saiful for his unwitting heroics. A crew member later recounted the devastating impact the tsunami had on the set at Batu Ferringhi, with boats shattered and strewn across the road. Witnessing the destruction on the evening news, the crew were left in shock. Elza stated that it was only divine intervention that spared their lives when they relocated to a backup filming location. She confessed that Saiful's tardiness had inadvertently made him a hero, and she would never be angry at his late arrivals ever since.",
  "summary": "KUALA LUMPUR: Actress Elza Irdalynna recently shared a terrifying experience from the filming of the movie Anak Mami Kembali over two decades ago.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}