Undying spirit

A star is born

Anita features songs such as Debts of the Heart, Lady and The Song of Sunset, which were hits in their day, and have, ever since Mui's passing, become karaoke staples.

Wong said performing these numbers has a special resonance for her, now that she is around the same age as when Mui was at the peak of her powers.

"I think now I am coming of age, (transitioning) from girl to woman. So my favorite songs are about a woman's desires," she said. She has a soft spot for The Song of Sunset as it dwells on "how to cherish the now."

The line between fiction and reality would constantly get blurred on the set of Anita. Fellow cast members and the crew had started addressing Wong as Anita. The day she shot her last scene with Lau who plays Cheung in the film, "I felt I was saying goodbye to him in real life. So after the shoot, I held hands with him and cried."

Wong said such was her immersion in the role that when the shooting of Anita was over, she had to learn how to be herself all over again.

"But I feel very lucky to have been able to play this role, and through the help of everyone who taught me how to act, sing and perform I was able to train myself and really become Anita," she adds.