For 30 years, luminary author Por Intarapalit uplifted the spirits of Thais with Samgler, the famous serialised comedy fiction. From 1938-68, the year Por died, he produced more than 1,000 episodes and instalments chronicling the mind-boggling adventures, incredible fantasies and ridiculous mishaps of three friends — the well-heeled and hedonistic Pol, Nikorn and Kim-nguan — along with their families and other captivating characters.
The Samgler Gang, from left, Choakhun Pajjanuk, Pol, Nikorn, Kim-nguan and Dr Direk.
Even after the eventful passing of its author, Samgler (or Pol, Nikorn, Kim-nguan) continues to be read, albeit its inevitable fluctuating popularity, despite the vintage charm of it. It's been made into movies three times between 1958-66, with five TV series adaptations, the last in 1994.
In its latest incarnation, Pol, Nikorn, Kim-nguan is back on TV in a new format, a musical series on the True4U free channel. The first season, which is currently about halfway through its 12 episodes, started from the beginning of the much-loved comedic serial rather than merely using the series’ main idea and characters, like what has been done before. It is also the first time Pol, Nikorn, Kim-nguan is set in its original time period — the middle of lafst century.
Pol, Nikorn, Kim-nguan The Musical has slowly gained momentum through its reasonable casting of known stars and former music contest favourites, period music, authentic dialogue, research and — most importantly — its effort to remain true to the period and Por’s original text. The new creation stars Jakkarin Silpchaiyakit (Bogie-Dodge) as Pol, Ratchapol Yamsang (AF) as Nikorn and Natee Ekwichit (Buddha Bless) as Kim-nguan.
Directed by revered stage director Suwandee Jakravoravudh of Dream Box troupe and scripted by Daraka Wongsiri The Musical was originally meant for a 2004 stage production, but the tsunami tragedy of that year put a hold on the project. Though it remained untouched for a decade, the project kept its musical format, in hopes of reaching out to wider audience. It doesn’t exactly jive with the year in which the episodes were written, but it’s culled from the same era, relying heavily on the music of the Thai big band Suntaraporn.
“For 30 years, Por Intarapalit wrote non-stop, so the Samgler series is basically a history text book in which you can learn about the cultures, traditions, politics, values, landscape, fashion and social attitudes of a particular year. It’s not just about his genius comic timing and clever language, it’s also about understanding where we come from, who we were and who we’ve become,” Suwandee said.
“And that’s what interests us in trying to introduce it to this generation, hoping that they might want to pick up these invaluable books again in addition to pleasing its abundant fans. It’s one of the greatest inventions of Thai literature, and if no one picks it up and does something with it, it will eventually be gone forever.”
As one of the most famous and read texts in modern Thailand, Pol, Nikorn, Kim-nguan encapsulates the moods of its times — spanning three decades. Casual readers double over in laughter at the credible, well-rounded characters’ shenanigans, and over-the-top storylines, at Por’s acrobatic wordplay and vernacular — some of which are still in use — and descriptive and imaginative explanations. One episode, for instance, parodies Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho. Another involves the three friends’ trip to the moon. Scholars, meanwhile, find historical, cultural and social records contained within the series astounding — Por’s opinions, sarcasm and subtly veiled criticism covers modern lifestyles, the class system, the distribution of wealth, advancing technology, gender balance, social ills, progressivism, wars, Field Marshal Plaek Pibulsonggram’s Cultural Mandates and much more.
As recorded by the Bangkok Post, Dr Vichitvong na Pompetch, a well-known economist and Samgler scholar, reminisced about the influences — even 20 years after his death — of Por, during a memorial for the writer.
“Nearly 90% of what I do today has been moulded from the reading of Por’s works. He influenced my thinking, my consciousness toward things, be it science, history, society or Thainess.”
Pol, Nikorn, Kim-nguan The Musical strives to emulate as closely as possible the mood and tone of time in which it was originally written. From the costumes, props and locations to the dialogue, it attempts to maintain the old Bangkok and the ways of life as coloured in the serial. The language used in the TV series remains true to Por’s creation.
“That’s the way they talked back then, and I think it’s best to keep it rather than changing it to today’s speech style. The actors and actresses are young, and sometimes they struggle with it, but we’ve made sure that they understand every word uttered, and they were coached to deliver with a natural flow and regular pattern. We also sat down with them in many sessions to explain what Bangkok was like and what the governing mentality of the era was,” Suwandee said, adding that her team also went through thorough character studies with the cast, most of whom had never read the books.
“I’ve never read the books before, but once I read the script, I fell in love with it,” said Jakkarin, who plays Pol. “I can see why so many people from all generations love Samgler. It’s funny, heart-warming and it brings back great memories. I’m able to imagine what it was like during that time through these characters, even if I don’t really have any knowledge of the period. As for the language, I didn’t feel forced saying anything. There were words I didn’t understand, but Suwandee made sure that I did.”
Location scouting turned out to be the most problematic.
“It was really troublesome. A lot of places are gone or have been given such extreme facelifts that we don’t recognise them any more. Sometimes I feel sad that we, as a nation, don’t have a sense of preservation. There’s hardly anything left for our children to be reminded of what the city once was. Digital removal of signs and such things proved to be one of the biggest burdens this production had to face.
“I believe that we’ve done the best we possibly could under the circumstances, but I’m sure there are some mistakes her and there,” Suwandee said.
To fans, casting has always been a colossal downfall in previous attempts at bringing Samgler to life. Every die-hard fan has a different mental image they have painted based on Por’s detailed descriptions and cover art. It’s rare for all to agree on the characters’ appearances. Many have expressed dismay over past cast selections.
“This problem will always persist,” said Natee who plays Kim-nguan, possibly the series’ most beloved character. “It happens all the time when you turn great books that people really love into TV shows or movies. People will always have different opinions and there’s nothing you can do about that, especially for character like Kim-nguan, to whom people are so attached.
“I read some of the books when I was kid, and Kim-nguan was the only one I could recall when I was first contacted about the role. Luckily, I fit his physical description of being lanky and tall, as well as having Chinese features. I also feel that he and I are quite similar in character, even though I’m not as rich as he is!”
Suwandee said she was more concerned with the chemistry between the cast, especially the three title characters. Ultimately, when it all boils down, Pol, Nikorn, Kim-nguan is about friendship. “Luckily, the kids got on like a house on fire! They got along too well and played around like old chums, even when they were not shooting. So I think we were able to retrieve genuine human connections from the cast,” she said.
The production team chose not to consult with Samgler aficionados or club members — whose knowledge on all things Pol, Nikorn, Kim-nguan are insurmountable — due in part to intimidation, but also on account of confidence with their own research efforts. “Yes, I’m worried about the reaction of true fans. I get that way too over literature I love, but I understand that we can’t please everyone.
“You can’t be so scared to the point of not wanting to do it. We’re passionate about this series and I hope the viewers get that when they’re watching,” Suwandee said.
Pol, Nikorn, Kim-nguan The Musical is aired on True4U free digital TV on Thurs and Fri from 7pm to 8pm.
From left, Jakkarin Silpchaiyakit as Pol, Ratchapol Yamsang as Nikorn, Natee Ekwichit as Kim-nguan and Warut Pitaksorayuth as Dr Direk. Photo courtesy of Dreambox
Pol, Nikorn, Kim-nguan The Musical is aired on True4U free digital TV on Thurs and Fri from 7pm to 8pm.
