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P. Ramlee
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| P. Ramlee | |
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 Promotional headshot. |
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| Birth name | Tunku Zakaria |
| Born | March 22, 1929 Penang, Malaysia |
| Died | May 27, 1973 (aged 44) |
| Spouse(s) | Saloma |
Tan Sri P. Ramlee (22 March 1929–29 May 1973) was a Malaysian film actor, director and songwriter. Due to his contributions in the movie and music industry, as well as in the literary scene, he is often attributed as the icon of Malay entertainment in both Malaysia and Singapore.
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Ramlee was born Tunku Zakaria bin Tunku Nyak Puteh to Tunku Nyak Puteh bin Tunku Karim and Che Mah Hussein at his grandmother's house (now opened as P. Ramlee House) in Counter Hall (now renamed as Jalan P. Ramlee), Penang, Malaysia. Tunku Zakaria - P Ramlee's birth name. 'Tunku' is a title for descendants of noble families from Aceh of Sumatra, Indonesia. His father Tunku Nyak Puteh was a sailor from Lho' Seumawe in the province of Aceh, Indonesia.
As a child, he studied in several schools, including the famous Penang Free School. During his school days he was very active in sports, especially sepak takraw, badminton, and football.
He was married three times, the last to the singer Salmah Ismail (or Saloma) in 1961.
- For a list of all P. Ramlee's films see P. Ramlee filmography.
P.Ramlee's big break came on 1 June 1948 when he was spotted by Tamil film director B. S. Rajhans from Malay Film Productions of Jalan Ampas, Singapore. The director was impressed by Ramlee, and in 1949 he was cast in the film Nasib (Fate). Seven years later, Ramlee directed his first film Penarik Becha (The Trishaw Man). In 1957, Ramlee would act in the first of his Bujang Lapok (Dowdy Bachelors) comedic films, which are still popular among the modern Malay film watchers.
During his career he directed and acted in sixty-six films, and had more than 300 songs to his credit. Among his films that received awards are:
- Best Musical Score for Hang Tuah — Third Asian Film Festival, Hong Kong (1956)
- Best Male Actor for Anak-ku Sazali (My son, Sazali) — Fourth Asian Film Festival, Tokyo (1957)
- Best Comedy Film for Nujum Pak Belalang (The Fortune Teller) — Seventh Asian Film Festival, Tokyo (1960)
- Most Versatile Talent for Ibu Mertua Ku (My Mother In-law) — Tenth Asian Film Festival, Tokyo (1963)
- Best Comedy Film for Madu Tiga (Three Wives) — Eleventh Asian Film Festival, Taipei (1964)
His final film was Laksamana Do Re Mi on 1972 and last songs and lyrics was Ayer Mata Di Kuala Lumpur on 1973 before his death.
On 27 May 1973 P.Ramlee died at the age of 44 due to heart problems and was buried in Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur. In 1986, in honour of his contributions to the Malaysian entertainment industry, the P. Ramlee Memorial was set up in Setapak, Kuala Lumpur. In 1982, Jalan Parry in the KL city centre has been renamed Jalan P. Ramlee in his honor. He was posthumously awarded with the honorific title Tan Sri in the early 1990s.