Classic literature turned into a new television drama
Tantri Yuliandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The success of TV Quiz Siapa Berani? (Who Dares?) has propelled its creator and co-host Helmy Yahya into the limelight of television production. Now, he embarks into alien territory by producing TV drama Anak Perawan di Sarang Penyamun (A Virgin in Bandits's lair).
The TV drama marks a debut for Helmy's production house PT Triwarsa and is a loose adaptation from classic Indonesian literature of the same title by famed author Sutan Takdir Alisjahbana.
"We wanted to do something new for our first production, something different from other productions, that's why we chose a theme from classic literature," Helmy said at press gathering here.
After spending three years producing non-drama television shows, Helmy said he felt it was time to begin exploring new drama series.
"But I don't want to just plunge into drama without looking. I'm not a drama person, that's why I went and looked around for experienced people," Helmy explained.
Bringing in seasoned actor Alex Komang into the production does not hurt either. Five-time winner of the Citra (Indonesian equivalent of the Oscars), Alex will play ruthless bandit Medasing who falls in love with his hostage, Sayu (played by Meisya Najelina).
Anak Perawan will focus mainly on the love story between Medasing and Sayu.
"It won't stray far from the original story, but we explored more in the family scenes and scenes in the forest," director Herly Wahyono said.
Cast in a village in South Sumatra, the story tells of a girl -- Sayu -- who was forced to live with the bandits who had robbed and killed her father and left her mother (played by Asmiar Yahya) for dead.
Under the protection of Medasing, the chief of bandits, Sayu was saved from molestation by the other bandits, including from the informant Samad (played by Eeng Saptahadi).
The bandits' lair was far into the forest in South Sumatra and Sayu was too afraid of wild animals in the forest to run away, instead cooked and cleaned for the bandits.
Being a bandit is precarious and one by one Medasing's original group dies. Medasing, too, comes back badly wounded after a raid and had to be taken care of by Sayu.
Medasing is finally persuaded to leave the forest and look for Sayu's remaining parent in the village. Through the following days both Medasing's and Sayu's feelings towards each other began to soften.
"(My role) is about a bandit learning to be civilized," Alex Komang described, adding that his character was complex with a blend of good and evil and a dash of "gray area" to measure.
"He's not all white, nor is he all black. A man's character isn't all that simple, otherwise how very easy it would be for me to play an all black character," he said.
Anak Perawan began shooting on July 1 and is expected to screen 26 episodes on private television station Indosiar in October this year.
Besides Anak Perawan, Triwarsa has also prepared the production of Cinta Disaput Awan (Love Shrouded by Clouds) -- a TV drama based on another classic novel Atheis (Atheist) by Achdiat Kartamihardja, as well as Mentari Rekah (Rising Sun) and comedy series Tessy "Detektif Partikelir" (Tessy "Private Detective") featuring famous comedian Tessy.