Just the ticket

Dan looks after UK

By Tatat Bunnag
Photos courtesy of
Sahamongkol Film International

After working together on the successful films Love in the Rain and Sat2Mon, director Napat Pattamasing Na Ayuthaya and heart-throb actor Worrawech Danuwong (Dan) recently teamed up again for Sahamongkol Film’s new romantic comedy, Tua Por.. Reak Por (The One Ticket).

In The One Ticket, 30-year-old Dan plays Pong, a single father struggling to look after, and be a role model for, his 7-year-old daughter. Chaos ensues when Pong and his friends set out on a mission to find a rare Berryz Kobo concert ticket for his daughter.

Student Weekly recently interviewed Dan and asked him all about the making of The One Ticket, which is due to hit local cinemas on New Year’s Eve.

Student Weekly: Can you tell us about the plot of The One Ticket?

Dan: It’s a light-hearted movie about a relationship between a father and his daughter, who are like buddies.

His daughter is a big fan of Japanese girl group Berryz Kobo, who are coming to perform a concert in Thailand. He promises to get her a ticket to the show, but somehow he accidently spends the money he was saving to buy the ticket. He doesn’t want to disappoint his daughter, so he has to find a way to get a ticket.

Student Weekly: What is your character in the movie like?

Dan: I play Pong, a broke comic book artist. Pong became a single parent after losing his wife seven years ago. He’s an airy-fairy kind of guy who doesn’t take life too seriously. He spends most of his time at home and working on his comic books. But he’s also a loving father who’d do anything for his child.

Student Weekly: Is there much difference between you and the character you play in the film?

Dan: Pong and I both are both dreamers. But when I dream of doing something, I usually do it, whereas Pong isn’t like that. Sometimes he’s too chilled out to start doing anything properly. I enjoyed playing this character a lot. In the film, he goes through a transition from being a loser to becoming a hero in the end.

Student Weekly: What was it like working with director Napat Pattamasing Na Ayuthaya [Poy]?

Dan: Poy and I have been good friends for a long time. We worked together before on the movies Love in the Rain and Sat2Mon. I came up with a theme and plot for The One Ticket, but I didn’t want to direct it myself, so I invited Poy to direct it. He did a good job. Poy loves comic books and video games, so he has a unique imagination and cool fantasy ideas that were perfect for this film.

Student Weekly: Can you tell us about the cute kid in the film?

Dan: Her name is Nattaya Ongsritrakul [UK]. We had a lot of casting sessions to find the right person for the role, and UK was the one we chose. It’s not that other kids who auditioned weren’t good enough — they just didn’t fit with the character. Some of them were very talented actors, but not quite natural enough. UK can act really well, but at the same time she looks like a normal 7-year-old kid.

Student Weekly: Why did you choose to work with Berryz Kobo?

Dan: I saw their concert in Thailand a few years ago and I thought they were a very interesting girl group. They have a lot of fans in Thailand. I remember they covered a Bird Thongchai song at the concert, too. We contacted them about being in the film and fortunately they said yes.

Student Weekly: Can you tell us about the scenes that you filmed in Japan?

Dan: It was super hot when we were there! [Laughs.] I love Japan so much, but I didn’t realise that it would be so hot when we were there. Apart from that, it was really fun. UK enjoyed the trip as well. She walked a lot and seemed to have endless energy. UK was also very excited to meet Berryz Kobo. I wasn’t sure if she’d heard of them before, but she was super nervous when she first met them!

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