According to media reports, Stephen arrived at 4.15pm with his older sister. The two of them stayed for just nine minutes and left without saying a word to the reporters gathered at the venue. The 58-year-old filmmaker was described as looking very sad and having a “haggard” appearance.

During his brief visit, Stephen was said to have offered his condolences to Man Tat’s family and told actor Tin Kai Man, who helped to arrange the funeral: “Let me know if there’s anything else I can do.”

Arriving not long after Stephen at around 4.55pm was Andy Lau, 59, who also declined to speak to the press. The Heavenly King, who starred alongside Man Tat in many films such as A Moment of Romance and Lee Rock, stayed for about 25 minutes before leaving.

Kai Man later shared that in addition to expressing his condolences to the family, Andy had asked him about the details of Man Tat’s illness.

One star who agreed to be interviewed was Sandra Ng, who told journos that her most memorable collaboration with Man Tat was one where they played father and daughter. “I was really invested in my character and felt as though he were my real dad,” she recalled.

The 55-year-old actress added that she had hoped to work with Man Tat again in more recent years, and that it was a shame it couldn’t happen. She also admitted that she wasn’t aware he was sick.

“I’ve been thinking of Man Tat every day for these past 10 days,” she said. “I’m so sad. It was so sudden. I never expected it to be so fast.”

While not all of Man Tat’s famous friends were seen at the service, many of them sent condolence wreaths, which filled the hall. Some familiar names spotted on the cards were Chow Yun Fat, Aaron Kwok, Donnie Yen and his wife Cissy Wang, Jackie Chan, Miriam Yeung, Carol Cheng, Alex To, as well as Leon Lai.

Man Tat’s body will be cremated today (Mar 8) and his ashes will be sent to Malaysia, where his wife is from.

Photos: Apple Daily, IMDb, HK01