Nujum Pa' Blalang

1959

Pak Belalang the Fortune Teller

P. Ramlee As Pak Belalang · Directed By P. Ramlee

• Best Comedy — 7th Asian Film Festival, Tokyo, 1960
• Best Non-Colour Photography (Abu Bakar Ali) — Gelanggang magazine, 1960

Nujum Pa’ Blalang is a 1959 comedy film directed by and starring P. Ramlee. The film is styled as a fairytale and is loosely based on a Malay folk tale. It follows the story of Pak Belalang and his son, who conspire to portray the father as an astrologer to help fellow villagers in trouble. Their ruse is successful, and the Penghulu (Chief) brings Pak Belalang to the royal palace to help solve a robbery. However, their lies begin to unravel, and the situation becomes complicated.

This film follows the lazy Pak Belalang and his smart and hardworking son, Belalang, who helps him pretend to be an astrologer who can locate stolen cows. After ‘successfully’ locating the cows, Pak Belalang gains a reputation as a powerful astrologer. When thieves steal from the royal palace of Beringin Rendang, the Penghulu brings Pak Belalang before the Sultan to use his powers to retrieve the stolen treasures.

Caught in his lie, Pak Belalang must find the items or face death. He hides in a cave and overhears the thieves dividing the coins they stole. Pretending to be a cave hermit, he scares them off and returns the gold to the Sultan. Appointed National Healer, Pak Belalang meets the princess and falls in love, but then he is challenged to a war of wits by the Kingdom of Masai’s National Healer. Pak Belalang tries to flee the country, while his son Belalang, hiding on the Masai ship, overhears the answers to the riddles.