As Borat Subsequent Moviefilm has been making the rounds, turning itself into an insane streaming hit on Amazon Prime Video, there have been some rather interesting consequences of Sacha Baron Cohen’s decision to revive his long dormant character. In some cases, it’s turned the movie into just as much of a political and pop culture firebrand as its predecessor was in 2007. But in the case of star Maria Bakalova, her star making turn as Borat’s daughter Tutar has put her on the Hollywood map in quite a quick fashion. However, it’s also something that’s made her mother cry more than a bit, as she’s seen the movie… twice.
Some would assume those tears might be partially due to the pride of the world’s metoric response to Ms. Bakalova’s standout role in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm. However, the Bulgarian actor shared some details that clarified where those water works were coming from, and it’s pretty sad. During her first ever late night talk show interview on The Late Late Show with James Corden, Maria Bakalova told James Corden about the following video call after her mother saw Borat 2 for the first time:
My mom Facetimed me after she watched the movie. And she was so sad. Her eyes were full of tears; she was crying for maybe 2 hours. Because she’s kind of a masochist, obviously, she watched it twice, and she was even more sad.
These weren’t the only tears that Maria Bakalova’s mother shed because of Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, as she also told James Corden that when she won the role, her mother was afraid she might not see her again. Winning the honors to play Tutar out of a field that saw 600 other actors auditioned for the part, Bakalova took the gig because she knew it would be a chance to travel, on top of making comedy gold. The results are true history, with Borat 2 becoming a certified blockbuster for Prime Video, but that’s also come with some worries that are pretty familiar territory.
The COVID-19 pandemic is, in its own small way, a blessing in the mind of Maria Bakalova. The reason she gives is because she’s afraid that, much like Sacha Baron Cohen, she would be instantly recognizable without a facemask. And that could lead to people doing everything from quoting her role back to her, to trying to mimic some of Tutar’s more outrageous behavior seen on screen. She’s probably not wrong, as even Borat Subsequent Moviefilm poked fun at such moments in its first act, as we saw Cohen’s Kazakhstani reporter being spotted from a mile away in his memorable costume.
The cat is out of the bag, or rather the daughter is out of the cage, with Borat Subsequent Moviefilm running around the world on Prime Video. So from this point on, Maria Bakalova’s career will have that film to thank for whatever happens next. Which, if the public’s reaction is any indication, should be a future that could bring her mother to tears of a proud and happier variety. If you haven’t seen it for yourself, head over to Prime Video and see the Borat sequel everyone’s been talking about. While you’re at it, check out the 2020 release schedule, if you want to see what’s still on track to debut throughout the rest of this calendar year.
