Sammi Cheng has been plagued with rumours for the past year or so. Headlines declared her as suspecting suffering from bouts of depression and cancer, her split- off from longtime beau, Andy Hui graced the tabloids and even photos of Sammi showed an unflattering, plump side of her.

So does the K-pop queen herself, Sammi Cheng looks bothered at all? Not from we have seen yesterday at "Everlasting Regret" press conference at Goodwood Park hotel.

Sammi and Stanley Kwan, the director famous for such award-winning films, "Rouge" and "Red Rose, White Rose" was here for the "Everlasting Regret" media junket. "Everlasting Regret" tells the story of a legendary Shanghai beauty, Wang Qiyao from her glamourous days to her simpler life while going through numerous turbulent love affairs. It's a much demanding role for Sammi who for the first time have to act in such a dramatic story than spans from the character's youth to old age.

When prompt about which phase of Wang Qiyao's life do her find demanding to portray? The radiant and ravishing looking Sammi simply answer since she is now in her thirties, this is the phase which she finds easier to relate. All thanks to Director Stanley Kwan for offering her the project, Sammi accepted it immmediately even without reading the script.

Sammi has nothing but praises for her co-stars Tony Leung Kar-Fai and Hu Jun (the leading male actors were not here for the local press conference), she added since both of them were more experienced than her in drama-oriented films, their guidance and presence adds more weight to the whole shoot.

Filming was halt for 3 weeks due to Sammi's illness, Director Stanley Kwan has to make use of the period to edit "Everlasting Regret" with his editor and apparently, the editing room was a great place to shelter him from impounding investors and producers, he added with a chuckle.

The gentle director who has a penchant for old nostalgic Shanghai further explained that since it's impossible to condense a complete novel to a film, he would prefer to capture the essence and theme of the original story which is more important.

Dispelling rumours that she is critically ill and offering an ambiguous answer to her ever-popular status of her love life, the press conference was over in 20 minutes as Sammi and Stanley has plenty of activities line-up for the day.

With 2 movies in the pipeline and an album due next year, the star power of Sammi is destined to be everlasting. Her star presence and megawatt smile is good enough to put the vicious rumours to rest for the time being.

"Everlasting Regret" opens on 6 October 2005 and is reviewed here


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