This is where it all begins: ‘Amber Manipulates Malik’… Oscar Al Hafyan tells us all about his character’s complicated love story.

Malik’s search for love, played by Oscar Al Hafiane, promises to get more complicated on It All Begins, which moves into Season 4 tonight, with its share of new faces and unexpected twists in the program.

After the great arrival of Leonard, Maya and Jimmy, who made a strong impression on the show in the last episode and did not leave Jasmine unmoved, this is where it all begins. Viewers will meet this Monday, August 28, Malik, Penelope, Berenice and Carla. Auguste Armand Institute Entrance Exam.

Just mentioned by Ambre (Claire Romain), Malik Benaissa apparently arrives at the institute hoping to pass the competition. But not only. Behind his desire to join a prestigious cooking school is also hidden a much more romantic goal: he wants to win the heart of Ophel, with whom he has been chatting on a dating app all summer. But what he doesn’t know is that Ophelia doesn’t exist and that she was actually talking to Amber.

Amber, who will be spoiled by the sight of Malik, will appear in the first test of the competition. But luckily for him, the young man has never seen Ophelia’s photo, so he can’t get rid of it. At least for now…

Introduced last month on Here It All Begins, Oscar Al Hafyan, Malik’s translator, tells us more about this new Sun character who, between a complicated love story and a very strong friendship with fans of the famous character, promises to establish himself as one of the show’s new standout newcomers.

AlloCiné: Who is Malick that audiences will discover here on screen tonight?

Oscar Al Hafian : Malik is a 19-year-old boy who entered the competition at the Auguste Armani Institute out of love because he met a girl on the app who claims to be Ophel and who attends the school. They discuss for weeks and Malik chooses to join the institute for him.

Malik is a very special character. You will find a young man who is funny, kind, and also very confident. But beware, he is sure of himself without being arrogant. Basically, Malik is a nice guy, but his confident side can quickly annoy some people. They will get the impression that he feels a little more comfortable, that he has a little more confidence.

Isn’t this trust in him a facade? What is he hiding deep inside?

Of course, it’s a bit much, yes. But I’d say it mostly hides his purpose because the love he feels for Ophelia destroys every emotion in him. Even when she’s cooking or when she’s supposed to be serious, when love takes hold, her weaknesses overwhelm her.

What did you like about Malik’s character while casting?

I liked that he was very similar, in his presence, in his mentality. When I read the lyrics and the character description, I said to myself “I need it. I want to be Malik. I want to interpret Malik”. Already reading it, I felt very comfortable in the skin of this character.

Will Malek discover that Ophelia is actually Amber?

No, it’s going to be a real mystery to him at first, the story is really based on that mystery. Ophelia’s secret, because initially Ophelia is a blank page for Malik. He doesn’t know her face. So he will investigate and do everything to find out who it is. That’s why it’s so funny because she tries to get close to different people in unmasking Ophelia.

The audience knows from the beginning that Amber is Ophelia. She will do anything to hide this secret and keep Malik from finding out who she is. He even tricks her into thinking Ophel is someone else at the institute. He leads her to this other person, which could lead to another love story. Amber is going to manipulate Malik, there’s a lot going on in this plot.

What’s interesting about this story, beyond the game of secrets and manipulation that will play out between them, is what it all says about Amber, who can’t deal with her new body and the scar left by the train accident…

quite. Amber is badly burned, she is hiding this very large burn. She no longer wants to show her body and is afraid that Malik will not like her. He no longer trusts himself. That’s why he’s so cold to her and doesn’t have the same motivation as when he was chatting on the dating app.

Will Malik make friends as part of the institute’s new promotion?

Of course. He will form a strong bond with Suleiman, who will be his right-hand man. He’s definitely the person he’s most likely going to be in a relationship with. And I think it will be a very beautiful friendship in the image. Especially since I love Dembo Camilo even in life.

Did Dembo and you hit it off right away?

Yes, immediately. We immediately had a good laugh together. He addressed me in certain matters, because he is “an old man” (laughs). It’s here, it all starts for a while. He helped me a lot, whether it was for the installation here or to understand the specific working rhythm of everyday life.

How did you experience the first day of filming?

I didn’t sleep all night. Like the day I had to take the train to get down here just to do the fittings. So imagine the day when I have to shoot my first series (laughs). I was tired until I met the director. It gave me a boost because I knew it was my moment.

My first scene was in front of the refrigerator. And when I saw it in the reflection of the refrigerator, I said to myself: “Come on, it’s your first scene, now your life is changing, it’s starting. Good luck, get started”. And that was it.

Do you hear the public’s feedback about your character?

Yes, a little. Will people like my character? I hope so, but there are intrigues that some viewers may not like. I can’t tell you more, but there are conspiracies that will be very difficult to understand. Be careful, if you watch it here, it all starts a long time ago, it gives you a heartache and a headache (laughs).

What is your level of cooking in life? Are you as good a cordon as Malik?

My mother, who is North African, taught me how to cook. Since I was a child, I saw him cut vegetables, I saw him cook and I learned a lot from him, I cooked a lot with him.

Later I worked in a restaurant in the 17th arrondissement of Paris and learned a lot there. Especially in terms of work discipline, because cooking is not just about chopping vegetables or adding flavor to dishes. This is the whole. Organization, time management of each preparation, cleanliness of the environment where you work.

So to answer the question, I’m fine with a yes because I used to work in a restaurant. But I have competition with Loan Beckmont, who plays Jim, who is very nice and cooks very well.

Discover Malik and the new promo from the Institut Auguste Armand tonight at 6:30 PM here on TF1 and MyTF1 Max.