'Si Doel' still maintains its popularity

'Si Doel' still maintains its popularity

By Sri Ramadani

JAKARTA (JP): Come Monday evening many people are glued to the
TV screen watching Si Doel Anak Sekolahan V (Doel the Graduate),
one of the most popular local programs -- and one of the best.

Si Doel, a comedy series about the lives of a group of Betawi
people, has long been a favorite among TV viewers. It is even
well-known among Indonesian communities in countries as far away
as the Middle East -- a restaurant in Saudi Arabia is named after
Doel.

While Si Doel airs only once a week (Indosiar, 7:30 p.m.),
Rano Karno, who plays Doel, and other actors from the show, such
as Suti Karno -- Rano's real-life sister who plays Doel's sister
-- Mandra, Basuki, Aminah Cendrakasih, Maudy Koesnadi and
Cornelia Agatha, appear in TV commercials every day. They pitch
various products, ranging from motorcycles, televisions,
refrigerators and washing machines to mosquito repellents,
sarongs and balm. In addition, they can also be seen in public
service ads like the Anti-Polio Drive and the School Drive
Campaign. Rano was also the first Indonesian ambassador to the
United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef).

Si Doel, directed and produced by Rano Karno, was named
favorite and best sinetron (TV program) at the Indonesian
Sinetron Festival in 1995 and again in 1996.

The series first appeared on RCTI early in 1994. Following its
early success, sequels began to appear -- again and again.

The first three sequels included Benyamin Sueb as Bang Beni,
Doel's father, a prominent member of the Betawi arts circle. The
actor died of a heart attack in 1995 and accordingly the story
line was adjusted. Pak Tile, who played Doel's grandfather, died
in late-1998 and this was also mentioned in the program.

Si Doel is the story of a typical Betawi family facing the
challenges of a changing society. Much of the action in the
series takes place in the day-to-day surroundings most people
find themselves in, which is one of the strengths of the program.
Focusing on an average family in typical surroundings brings the
show its freshness and sets it apart from other sinetron, which
often tell of love intrigues or just sell dreams.

Doel is the only child in the family to have enjoyed a
university education, but he finds it difficult to find a job.
His uncle Mandra drives an old minibus and tries to hide his
illiteracy, while trying to win the heart of the next-door
Javanese girl, Nunung, the younger sister of Karyo, played by
Basuki. (Nunung and Basuki are members of the popular Srimulat
comedy group). Interestingly, Basuki, who does not get along well
with Mandra, falls in love with his niece, Atun.

As for Doel, he is loved by two women -- Sarah (Cornelia
Agatha), who is from a well-off family, and Zaenab (Maudy
Koesnadi), a modest Betawi woman.

It is in Si Doel V, which consists of 26 episodes, that Doel
must decide which woman to choose.

Si Doel is not an original story. It was based on the wide-
screen comedy Si Doel Anak Modern (Doel, a Modern Guy), directed
by the late Sjumandjaja, who examined the ways in which Betawi
society and culture was changing in accordance with the
development of Jakarta. The movie, which starred Benyamin Sueb,
Christin Hakim and rock singer Ahmad Albar, while a comedy,
contained pointed social criticism of the people of Jakarta. The
movie was adapted from the story Si Doel Anak Jakarta (Doel, a
Jakarta Guy) by H. Aman Datuk Mojoindo.