MANKIND: The Story Of All Of Us, which premieres today on History Channel, is available in both English and Bahasa Malaysia. The Bahasa Malaysia version is narrated by award-winning actor Datuk Jalaluddin Hassan.

Besides his outstanding portrayals in movies (Astana Idaman, Magika, Setem, Hantu Gangster) and TV dramas (Ringgit Kasorga, Aishiteru, Nur Kasih, Cinta Berkalung Dur), Jalaluddin is also well known for being the larger-than-life host of the Malaysian version of the popular reality TV series, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

“It’s an honour for me to be the Bahasa Malaysia narrator of this monumental series which tells the story of our evolution and ultimate success,” said Jalaluddin in a phone interview last week.

“I couldn’t believe my ears when I was contacted by History Channel to be a part of this epic series. I have always been a fan of History Channel. When I received the phone call, I remember thinking to myself ... is this real?” he recalled.

“After watching the English version narrated by Josh Brolin, I did my narration according to how I felt. The first two episodes were the hardest and I almost gave up. I was haunted by Brolin’s narration as it made me feel humbled.

“I also discovered that doing narration is much harder than acting. Just imagine, there are 30 pages of script for just one episode and it took me five hours to record that.

“I pushed myself and took the challenge head on. It’s fun and educational,” said the 58-year-old Kuala Lumpur-born Jalaluddin.

Michele Schofied, senior vice-president, programming and marketing for AETN All Asia Networks said: “The English version is narrated by Oscar-nominated American actor Josh Brolin and by having a renowned actor like Jalaluddin to narrate in Bahasa Malaysia, we can make this series accessible to all Malaysians.

“As a veteran actor, Jalaluddin brings credibility to the series, he has a great voice and recognises the importance of this project.”

Jalaluddin added: “I have eight more hours to go and I’m feeling good. After the initial hiccups, everything is going smoothly as I’m getting used to the dubbing studio.”

Jalaluddin, who has just completed two movies, is looking forward to taking a break next month when he and his family will be visiting Spain, Morocco and United Arab Emirates.

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