Tiga Abdul (English: The Three Abduls; title numerized on screen as 3 Abdul) is a 1964 Malaysian Malay-language black-and-white comedy film directed by and starring Malaysian silver-screen icon P. Ramlee. It tells the story of three brothers who are caught in a web of trickery set by the cunning Sadiq Segaraga, who uses his three daughters to try and fleece the three brothers of all their wealth. The movie is a tribute to traditional folktales with a moral set into the story and is set in a fictional Middle Eastern country named Isketambola, loosely based on Istanbul, Turkey. It was the last film to be directed by P. Ramlee in Singapore before he moved to his new workplace in Merdeka Studios, Kuala Lumpur in 1965.[1]
| Tiga Abdul | |
|---|---|
 The one-sheet for Tiga Abdul. | |
| Directed by | P. Ramlee |
| Written by | P. Ramlee |
| Starring | |
| Music by | P. Ramlee |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Shaw Brothers Ltd. |
Release date | 22 April 1964 |
| Country | Malaysia |
| Language | Malay (with English subtitles) |
Plot edit
This article's plot summary may be too long or excessively detailed. (July 2017) |
Ismet Ulam Raja is a wealthy businessman with three sons, Abdul Wahab, Abdul Wahib and Abdul Wahub. Abdul Wahab and Abdul Wahib are selfish and money-minded, running their individual businesses to success. Abdul Wahub, on the other hand, enjoys a simple life and owns a small music shop. When Ismet has a heart attack on his birthday, Abdul Wahab and Abdul Wahib start plotting out how much wealth they are set to gain when their father dies. Abdul Wahub is appalled at their behaviour and tries to get their father to go to the hospital (although Ismet is strongly against hospitals). Their father dies at home, and the two elder brothers immediately distribute their late father's vast wealth among the two of them while Abdul Wahub only inherits their father's house. Although he is upset at this injustice, he accepts it as he is the youngest brother, and returns to his simple music business.
Sadiq Segaraga, a friend of the late Ismet, has also set his eyes on the vast wealth that once belonged to his friend. He orders his three beautiful daughters, Hamidah, Rafidah and Ghasidah, to woo the three Abduls. Hamidah is successful in wooing Abdul Wahab and Rafidah is likewise successful in wooing Abdul Wahib, but Ghasidah and Abdul Wahub only argue with each other on sight.
The two elder Abduls meet Sadiq to ask for his two daughters' hands in marriage. He agrees, on the condition that they sign a contract written by him and his lawyer, Kassim Patalon. The contract states that if the Abduls lose their temper at any moment during their marriage, all the wealth they own will go to Sadiq and they will be sold as slaves. Although they are suspicious of the contract, they agree to sign it. After the marriage, Abdul Wahab and Abdul Wahib move into Sadiq's home, where they are told they are not allowed to eat their food, only smell it, and they are to sleep in the stables, not in their wives' rooms. The two Abduls lose their temper at these conditions, and Sadiq reveals the contract, claiming all their wealth and selling the two men as slaves.
Abdul Wahub sees his brothers being sold in the marketplace, but cannot do anything. That night, his father's spirit appears to him in a dream, telling him to meet a man named Sulaiman Akhlaken. He does as he was instructed and it turns out that Sulaiman Akhlaken is his father's lawyer who managed his overseas properties, which are now passed on to Abdul Wahub. He now discovers that he is several times richer than his two elder brothers combined. Using this knowledge, he starts his plan by meeting Sadiq and asking for Ghasidah's hand in marriage. At first, he refuses to accept Abdul Wahub's proposal because he thinks Abdul Wahub is poorer than his brothers, but after he shows proof of his wealth, Sadiq immediately agrees. He shows Abdul Wahub the same contract he'd presented to his elder brothers, and Abdul Wahub says that he'll sign it, on the condition that Sadiq signs another contract, which states that if he loses his temper, Abdul Wahub would likewise claim all his wealth and sell him as a slave.
Abdul Wahub and Ghasidah are married, although they supposedly still hate each other. Abdul Wahub arrives at Sadiq's home and is told the same conditions his brothers were told but, being prepared, he reacts to them with ease. The following days, he counters Sadiq's trickery by avoiding Ghasidah, going on supposed dinner dates with another woman and giving away all the things in Sadiq's shop to the poor. Each time, Sadiq almost loses his temper, but his lawyer reminds him about the contract he signed.
Ghasidah then confronts Abdul Wahub, asking him whether he's really having an affair with another woman. At first, he pretends it is true. But it is later revealed that it was just pretend, and that he is actually in love with Ghasidah, and she is in love with him as well.
Sadiq finally loses his temper when Abdul Wahub invites the people of the town into Sadiq's house to take away anything they want. When Sadiq admits that he is truly angry, Abdul Wahub reveals the contract, taking away everything that he owns and selling him, Kassim, Rafidah and Hamidah as slaves in the market.
After a while, Abdul Wahub buys his two elder brothers (who have been bought by a merchant), along with Sadiq, Rafidah and Hamidah, (except for Kassim, leaving him alone) and brings all of them back to the house that was once the only heirloom that he inherited from Ismet Ulam Raja. After a tearful speech, he apologises to everyone for his doing, and undoes the contracts that bound them as slaves. At the end of the film, all those who spent their time as slaves learned their lesson.
Cast and characters edit
Main edit
- P. Ramlee as Abdul Wahub Ulam Raja, the youngest of three Ismet's sons, owner of a shop selling musical instruments and records.
- Haji Mahadi as Abdul Wahab Ulam Raja, the eldest of three Ismet's sons, owner of a shop selling birds.
- S. Kadarisman as Abdul Wahib Ulam Raja, the second son of Ismet Ulam Raja, owner of a carving workshop.
- Sarimah as Ghasidah Segaraga, the youngest of three Sadiq's daughters.
- Mariani as Hamidah Segaraga, the eldest of three Sadiq's daughters.
- Dayang Sofia as Rafidah Segaraga, the second daughter of Sadiq Segaraga.
Supporting casts edit
- Ahmad Nisfu as Sadiq Segaraga, owner of an antique shop, father of Hamidah, Rafidah and Ghasidah.
- Salleh Kamil as Kassim Patalon, Sadiq's accomplice attorney cum adviser.
- S. Shamsuddin as the storyteller.
- H. M. Busra as the slave trader.
- M. Babjan as Ismet Ulam Raja, the richest magnate in Isketambola, owner of various enterprises, father of the three Abduls.
- Nyong Ismail as Hussain Lempoyang, a camel dealer from Cairo.
- Ahmad Sabri as Suleiman Akhlaken, Ismet Ulam Raja's attorney.
- S. Sudarmaji as a person looking for bird's dung to be used as fertiliser.
- Udo Omar as the orphanage's teacher.
Cameos edit
- Saloma as herself. She appears at the beginning of the film, singing the title song.
- Murni Sarawak (uncredited) as Fatima Hatem Thai, deceased mother of the three Abduls, wife of Ismet Ulam Raja. Only her portrait appears in the film.
- S. Sudarmaji
- Kassim Masdor
- Rahayu Sudarmaji
- Vicky Ghazi
Songs edit
- Bunyi Guitar (The Sound of the Guitar) - Performed by P. Ramlee
- Tolong Kami, Bantu Kami (Oh Please Help Us) - Performed by P. Ramlee
- Sedangkan Lidah Lagi Tergigit (Even the Tongue Gets Bitten) - Performed by P. Ramlee and Saloma
- Allah Selamatkan Kamu (May Allah Save You) - Performed by Ahmad Nisfu
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "About Shaw - Malay Film Productions". Shaw Online. Shaw Organisation. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
In 1963, Singapore became part of Malaysia. That same year, P.Ramlee made his last film at Jalan Ampas - Tiga Abdul - and then he went to Merdeka studios in KL.
