BY now you have already watched Wang Lee Hom’s directorial début Love In Disguise. Watching the singer playing pop star Du Minghan is like watching him play himself. It is hard not to notice the resemblance and wonder: how much was inspired by real life encounters?

A lot, apparently, said the first-time director when he hit Petaling Jaya, Selangor in mid-August to promote his latest flick and new album, The 18 Martial Arts.

Remember the scene where Du disguised himself as a security guard to avoid being mobbed by fans after a concert? That, according to Wang, was not pure fiction.

Art imitating life: In his directorial début, Love In Disguise, Wang Lee Hom’s Du Minghan punches a paparazzo.

“I remember after a concert in Dalian (China), I really got cornered. There was no way out. It was chaotic. So I had to disguise myself as a security guard to get out of the venue, and it worked! It sounds ridiculous, but sometimes you just have to do what you have to,” he said.

While fans might enjoy getting a glimpse of a rarely seen side of their idol, it was this realistic portrayal of showbiz life that struck a chord with Wang’s celebrity pals at the movie première in Taipei.

“The guys from (Taiwanese alternative rock band) Mayday were sitting at my left, while Jay Chou was at my right. There were also Blackie (Chen Chien-Chou) and Mavis Fan. We were the loudest and rowdiest in the theatre! We were laughing so hard because what we were watching was exactly what we go through in our lives,” he added.

Of course, Love In Disguise is more than just a semi-autobiography of a celebrity. It is a milestone for Wang, who is practically one of the most celebrated Mandopop stars in the region.

The musician, born in New York, made his acting début through Stanley Tong’s fast-paced actioner China Strike Force in 2000, starring alongside Aaron Kwok and Norika Fujiwara. Seven years later, he was handpicked by Ang Lee to play a patriotic young man in his Golden Lion-winning espionage film Lust, Caution. Early this year, he headlined action comedy Little Big Soldier with Jackie Chan.

After starring in a string of high-profiled projects and working with the biggest names in the film industry, the American-born Taiwanese star decided to make the switch from Mandopop’s golden boy to budding filmmaker, by making Love In Disguise.

Trust him when he says that the process was not a stroll in the park.

“It is something I don’t have much experience with. Music is like a familiar neighbourhood to me. I can drive around easily as I know every corner so well. In filmmaking, I have new roads to tread. I’m less familiar with the territory and I need more time,” he said.

His willingness to explore the territory was mostly driven by his desire to be versatile. It is apparent that the 34-year-old is not contented with just ruling the music charts.

Probably the title of his new disc, The 18 Martial Arts, sums up best what he aspires to be.

“We have this English idiom, ‘Jack of all trades, master of none’. If you ask me, that’s a pessimistic way of looking at things. In Mandarin, ‘the 18 martial arts’ carries similar meaning but with a twist – it means that you can master multiple skills.

“These days, people change profession. It’s not like you would remain a blacksmith your whole life. I think we should be open-minded and willing to try out different fields, not afraid to take on things that we don’t know. That’s why I jumped into directing. There are of course setbacks and difficulties, but I survived,” he explained.

Branching out: Wang Lee Hom’s not satisfied just ruling the music charts.

Why pick romantic comedy as the first attempt?

“Directors and actors usually steer clear of rom-com, but I think I have a funny bone. I’ve always wanted to do a comedy. I just hadn’t come across the right script, so I decided to write one instead,” said Wang, adding that comedy is a way for him to express how he feels about some of the absurd things he has come across as an entertainer.

“I’ve been in the industry for so long and I’ve seen a lot of ridiculous things. I want to reveal it in a funny and sometimes, sarcastic manner, because that’s how I deal with it. There’s no other way to deal with it other than to make light of it.”

That remark might remind one of a particular scene in Love In Disguise, where Du imagines punching a reporter for quizzing him about his romance rather than his concert.

However, at the core of it, Love In Disguise is a love story through and through, which sees a superstar going the extra mile to woo a girl he deems his soulmate.

Somehow, to tell a love story seems an unlikely choice by someone who is noted for fiercely guarding his love life from the paparazzi.

“I’m a romantic and sentimental person. This is the story I wanted to tell, so I did it with complete disregard of any qualms I might have in my personal life,” explained Wang.

In fact, he claimed that in real life, he related more to Ah De, Du’s alter ego in the film – who is a goofy and clumsy village boy – than to Du the popstar.

“In real life, I am like that – really goofy, silly and awkward. That’s more of the guy I am,” he said.

That is also why he does not want people to call him the more authoritative-sounding Wang Dao (director Wang).

“If you call me that when we are on the set it’s totally fine. But now that the movie is done, you don’t have to call me anything other than my name or nicknames. Just a simple ‘Lee Hom’ will do. You can even call me Wang Er (silly Wang),” he said with a laugh.

Other than reaching a new career milestone with his directorial début, musically, Wang, who is a four-time winner of Taiwan’s Golden Melody Awards, is also breaking new ground in his new album The 18 Martial Arts, by incorporating hua yue (Chinese orchestra) into the music.

“As far as I know, nobody has ever combined Chinese orchestra with pop music. So it’s a new chapter in my sound.

“Hua yue is a non-mainstream genre and very few young people know how to appreciate it. I hope to bridge the gap between the young generation and hua yue. That’s why I featured it heavily in both Love In Disguise and The 18 Martial Arts,” he said.