Dilraba Dilmurat and Arthur Chen’s Bogus Kiss Scene

Currently working on Love Beyond the Grave <慕胥辭> alongside Arthur Chen Feiyu (陳飛宇), a kiss scene between Actress Dilraba Dilmurat (迪麗熱巴) and Arthur in a sea of flowers was recently critiqued for lacking chemistry, and exposed by fans using a camera trick!

Dilraba’s Thick Makeup Was Criticized

Facing several challenges while filming Love Beyond the Grave, Dilraba’s styling was initially criticized for being outdated, and fans also remarked on her makeup being “too heavy”, leading to comments that she looks more the villain than a heroine, and found it hard to imagine her having any on-screen chemistry with lead actor Arthur Chen, who was eight years her junior. Some even suggested that she seemed to pair better with the onscreen villain played by 34-year-old Miles Wei (魏哲鳴), who is closer to her age. After strong protests from fans, Dilraba’s styling has noticeably improved, and filming progressed more smoothly.

Recently, behind-the-scenes footage of a kiss scene between Dilraba and Chen Feiyu showed the two standing in a sea of flowers under the night sky. Chen Feiyu gently places a flower crown on Dilraba’s head, and they slowly lean in closer. Just as they are about to kiss, Dilraba’s lips hover near Chen Feiyu’s cheek and neck. While the two appeared to be kissing from a distance, they are in fact not. This has led to speculation that the kiss was filmed using a camera trick, and while it looked romantic, fans complained about the lack of chemistry and sparks between the two, with many expressing disappointment that the leads did not share a real kiss, though some were drawn to their height difference.

Not the first time that she has used tricks in kiss scenes, her “kiss” with Leo Wu had been humorously replaced with footage of two kissing parrots in 2021 drama The Long Ballad, which became a joke in the industry. Others defended the two artists, suggesting that the leaked footage might just be a rehearsal, or maybe the director intended for the kiss to be subtle right from the start, believing it’s best to wait for the official release to get the full picture.

A Love Story Transcending Time

Based on Carrying a Lantern in Daylight <白日提燈>, a novel by Li Qing Ran (黎青燃), the drama tells the story of a talented ghost king, He Simu (Dilraba), and a cunning young general, Duan Xu (Arthur Chen). The two characters test each other, with He Simu uncovering Duan Xu’s dark past and ambitions, while Duan Xu learns about He Simu’s perseverance and loneliness. Together, they use their love to resist the passage of time, as their destinies intertwine, and they protect the beauty of the human world.

Dilraba, who previously starred in hit dramas like You Are My Glory <你是我的榮耀> with Yang Yang (楊洋), The Blue Whisper <與君初相識·恰似故人歸> with Ren Jialun (任嘉倫), and The Long Ballad <長歌行> with Leo Wu Lei (吳磊), Rosy Zhao Lusi (趙露思), and Liu Yuning (劉宇寧), has risen to the top as a leading female star. Meanwhile, Arthur gained popularity from Lighter and Princess <點燃我，溫暖你>.

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