Ai Nhu: 'Father is like the roof, mother is the pillar'

Ai Nhu had an interesting conversation with Thanh Nien about her journey of "motherhood".

May I ask if the main role in Crashing Mom's Birthday was your first role in a movie?

Director Ai Nhu: (laughs) Actually, I acted in a movie once several decades ago, but… no one remembers. Because it was a supporting role that if you don’t look in time, you won’t see it.

Oh, then you "hid" from movies?

Because Thanh Hoi and I founded Hoang Thai Thanh Theater (HCMC), we were too busy, only wanting to take care of the theater properly, so we didn't dare accept any invitations. But in fact, in 2024, Southern Film Studio bought the copyright of the trilogy of plays Trying to Love Again, Color of Love, Thank You for Loving Me to adapt into the TV series Color of Love , and invited Thanh Hoi and I to play two roles in it. Well, it's a play on our stage, it's so familiar, let's just participate.

Ái Như: 'Cha như nóc nhà, mẹ là cây cột'- Ảnh 1. — Director Ai Nhu

The me in real life and the me on stage are very different. But we are still similar in one thing: we both love our children and our family. Most mothers have that quality, so we just take it from our hearts and act it out.

Every mother loves her children, only the way she loves is different.

You have played many mother roles on stage, now you also play a mother role in movies, do you see any difference? Does it get repetitive when you play the same role over and over again?

I think, no matter how different the story is, the main point is still the mother's love for her children, the boundless love and sacrifice. A mother's soul always turns to her children, even animals, not just humans. Only the way of loving and the circumstances and stories of the characters are different, then the audience will see the difference. To avoid repetition, we artists always try to be creative through each character's identity and personality.

Playing so many mother roles must have given you a lot of experience?

Rather, I live with the character rather than just perform. How I live in real life can also be lived in movies and on stage. And the good thing is that sometimes the mother in real life only thinks, but when entering art, she has the opportunity to express it. And the audience also wants me to express so they can understand the character and learn from life experiences.

Ái Như: 'Cha như nóc nhà, mẹ là cây cột'- Ảnh 2. — Ai Nhu (the mother) and Hong Anh (as Huong) in the play *Half a Life of Powder and Perfume*

And my experience through the roles of mothers is like layers of stalactites on my professional life, so that I can see mothers, whether positive or negative, with depth to learn from.

It seems that with your kind face, you play the role of a positive mother more than a negative one?

There are villains. Like the role of Mrs. Them in the play Rau Ram O Lai , who had an affair, falsely accused her husband, making him suffer for more than ten years, running everywhere to find his lost child. Or Mrs. Hai (in the play Half a Life of Ignorance ) sent her son-in-law to jail so that her daughter could marry a rich man. In the end, she had a miscarriage, was infertile, and lived abroad for 15 years without happiness. In fact, Mrs. Hai loved her child in her own way, which led to her cruelty. This is also a different "portrait of a mother".

In the roles of mothers, which role do you like best?

Actually, I like every role because it gives me different interesting experiences. Even the role of the villain mother has some very good traits. You have to love the role, love the character to be able to portray it, to make the audience hate it. If you don't like the character, you can't find the way to act it well.

BRINGING THE "MATERIALS" OF A REAL-LIFE MOTHER TO THE STAGE

Is your real-life mother like the mothers on stage? Did you bring elements of your real life into the character?

The me in real life and the me on stage are very different. But in the end, we are still the same in one thing: we both love our children and our family. Most mothers have that quality, so just act from your heart and the character will naturally be very real.

Did you ever play the role of a mother before you were a mother?

No. When I was not married, I had trouble continuing my theater studies. Only after I had a family did I return to school. So when I had a child, I played the role of a mother, which also gave me the advantage of experiencing real life.

Hoang Thai Thanh Theater has many plays with family themes, so there will certainly be many more mother roles for you and other artists to perform. As Vu Lan season is approaching, what are your thoughts on the role of a mother in the family?

People often compare the father to the roof that protects the wife and children, but I think the mother is like a pillar that supports many things. The mother manages everything in the house, from spending, cooking, cleaning, raising children, and can even go to work to earn money. Therefore, during Vu Lan season, I would like to thank the mother, and hope that each of us women, whether traditional or modern, will try to fulfill our role to make the family happy. It is really hard work and sacrifice, but in return, it is extremely happy and warm, and there is no loss.

At the same time, the Vu Lan rose is not only for mother, but also for father, but people often forget. Father also works hard to take care of the family, also full of love for his children. Therefore, this year on Vu Lan, Hoang Thai Thanh Theater will perform 4 shows , Bong Hong Cai Ao and Rau Ram Remain in 2 weeks in the middle of the 7th lunar month. One play is about mother's love, one play is about father's love, full of filial piety. And especially for every 2 tickets, we give one more ticket. Every year on Vu Lan, we perform plays with the meaning of filial piety, the audience is very willing to watch.

Thank you!

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/ai-nhu-cha-nhu-noc-nha-me-la-cay-cot-185250906194833848.htm