Former child stars say it was fun while it lasted

By Bruce Emond

JAKARTA (JP): When you are 33 and the mother of three, being called "Cinderella" can be a bit much at times.

Ask Ira Maya Sopha, the onetime child star who became known as the girl with the glass slipper to a generation of Indonesians after she starred in Ira Maya Si Anak Tiri (Ira Maya the Stepdaughter) in 1978.

"I love laughing and joking with friends, I have a really good sense of humor," Ira said recently. "But sometimes people will say to me, 'you shouldn't be saying things like that, you're Cinderella'."

Ira was part of a select group of child stars in the 1970s that also included Rano Karno, Adi and Uci Bing Slamet, Chica Koeswoyo and Dina Mariana. They made the rounds of shows and appearances, starred in films, were featured on the covers of children's magazines and became the idols of their peers.

But it was a very different time from today, when child entertainers have taken over the TV airwaves with shows and music videos. Ruling the roost are Joshua, singer-actress Sherina and Tasya (the little girl sparring with her brother in a commercial for a major toothpaste).

Beginning with her first record, Abang Helicap, in 1976, Ira's singing and acting career continued until 1992. She then married, studied public relations in Singapore for three years and now runs an event management company in addition to occasional stage performances.

She acknowledged she lost part of her childhood, but said she was able to balance her public and private commitments.

"I'm very proud of the fact that you can count on the fingers of one hand how many times I missed school," she said. "My performances were always scheduled for the weekend. I never felt a great burden -- I went out to play, climbed the trees outside ... so otherwise life was normal."

Ira credited her parents (her father had been a member of a band during the 1960s but had retired) for helping keep her focused.

"From two sides, they saw that I had the talent and that the opportunity was there for me, so they pushed me in a supportive way. But they also would say to me that I could sing, I could do the shows, but I should never forget about school."

Her father handled her finances and she first saw a contract when she was 21. Ira said her parents kept separate bank accounts for her and for them from her earnings, and the division of the money was never an issue for her.

"I knew I was working not just for me, but for my whole family, including my three siblings, to put them through school, too. I was proud I could help my family."

Pressured

Dina, who began performing at the age of seven and a half years after her housewife mother noticed her unusual facility for memorizing song lyrics, said she occasionally felt "pressured" by school and entertainment commitments.

"In elementary school, when there were a lot of demands, especially at exam time, I would feel like things were a bit 'crowded'," the 36-year-old mother of two said. "Formal education was important to both me and my family, and my mother would find out the exam schedule beforehand so I could prepare."

Dina said the difference with today's child stars was that "before it was about achievements, showing what we could do. Now it is more about the children being entertainers".

She gradually stopped her singing and acting commitments by the age of 15 (she still occasionally sings in shows) and graduated from university with a degree in economics.

But her turn as a child star was fun while it lasted.

"I felt very happy, and not like I lost my childhood," she said. "I'm always grateful that I had parents who raised me the right way, who never treated me any differently from other kids."

Adi dealt not only with his own fame, but that of his father, comedian Bing Slamet, who died when his son was only 10. As Adi's own popularity soared, it often became difficult for him to go out in public.

"Sometimes I felt uncomfortable, especially as a teenager, when I would see other people going about their business, like shopping, without being bothered by other people."

After his star had risen, he also had to deal with its fall, but he was pragmatic about the change in his life.

"By my teens, I already knew my schedule wasn't as full as it used to be and that my heyday was pretty much over. But I never regretted any of it, because I've always believed that life is always changing and you just have to look for the best you can do with it... if you can't be the most successful entertainer, then be as successful a husband as possible, or something else."

He continues to perform as a TV host and guest star, as does Ira, who is now hosting a new TV show on a private station.

The irony that it is a family show which pairs her with a young child actor is not lost on her. "It's hard for producers to think of me any way other than how I used to be as a child star. I know that they still doubt I can play anything else."

A full 22 years after she played her most famous role, Ira Maya Sopha is still waiting to grow up on screen.