KUALA LUMPUR: Actress Izara Aishah has responded to criticism of her silat performance at the Gema Bumantara traditional concert, explaining that her rigid movements were actually down to her martial arts training style.
The 34-year-old caught the audience's attention after playing the legendary Malay warrior Puteri Walinong Sari at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Saturday night.
Wearing an all-white outfit, she performed alongside singer Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza as she sang the traditional song, Walinong Sari.
While one Threads user praised Izara's performance as memorable, they joked that her stiff head movements made her look like a nodding dashboard doll.
Izara replied to the comment, saying the movements were deliberate and part of her specific silat discipline.
"It was trained that way. Seni Tari Silat Helang Alam Buana Srikandi," she wrote.
Izara also shared that she started practising Muay Thai at 14 before taking up silat at 19.
But she had stepped away from silat for nearly a decade before being asked to perform again.
"I stopped practising silat for 10 years, then suddenly had to resume training a month ago to portray Walinong," she said.
The actress added that she returned to training while still in post-natal confinement, as her youngest child was only five months old.
Her preparation meant brushing up on skills she had not used in years while caring for her newborn.
Despite the comment, Izara's portrayal of Puteri Walinong Sari became a highlight of the concert, which celebrated Malay cultural heritage and traditional music.
The event also featured performances by Noraniza Idris, Haziq Rosebi, Zarif Ghazzi, and Indonesian singers Lesti Kejora and King Nassar.
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