What's so unique about 'Wah... Cantiknya'

By Tony Ryanto

JAKARTA (JP): Imagine Tom Cruise playing a mentally disabled man lucky enough to have Catherine Zeta-Jones tell him she wants to marry him because he is the only one she loves.

Well, something like this is happening in the TV drama-comedy Wah ... Cantiknya, which for several weeks has occupied the number one position in AC Nielsen Indonesia's weekly ratings.

Given a wide range of teleserials to choose from, the plots of which are more or less alike, Indonesian viewers, men and women of all age brackets and social classes, are flocking to Cantiknya, which like Pernikahan Dini is said to contain "something unique".

Playing the fictional Cruise-like character is Anjasmara, one of the nation's leading heartthrobs who is often cast as the love interest of not only one but several beautiful women.

In a role that at first seems too difficult to believe, he is Cecep, the mentally disabled son of Ibu Sar (Nani Wijaya) who only a few women care to be associated with.

So when the beautiful Tamara Blezynski (playing the role of Kartika) tells Cecep she loves him and wants to marry him, Cecep faints.

The question that immediately comes to mind for viewers is this: "Why would Kartika want to marry Cecep, even if he is sincere, childlike and good-natured?"

Well, the answer is something like this. Kartika hates men after Ronald (Ponco Buwono) breaks her heart. But her father Wiryo (HIM Damsyik) wants her to get married as soon as possible. Obviously, she objects to this.

Kartika thinks everything will be all right after her father passes away. But no, his will stipulates that she will not receive her inheritance until she gets married. And there is a deadline attached.

So Kartika, in a move that shocks everyone, chooses Cecep to be her husband, thereby galvanizing Ronald into an act of retaliation.

And for Kartika, her father is not really dead because she can still communicate with him, leaving other characters wondering why this beautiful women often talks to herself.

The casting of Nani Wijaya in the role of Cecep's mother is perfect because playing Ibu Sar is a complete departure from the usual roles that have been entrusted to her thus far: dignified elderly ladies.

It's like seeing Margaret Thatcher taking a turn at some Jim Carrey or Adam Sandler-like comedy.

On top of everything, the screenwriter introduces Kartika's two aunts, Maya (Misye Arsita) and Moni (Arum Puspitarini), who might remind viewers of the mother and butler characters in the comedy series The Nanny.

Says Dhamoo Punjabi of Multivision Plus: "The story is like the ingredients of a special dish, the director is the cook and the actors constitute the packaging, the glitter and the come- hither appeal of the end product.

"If the ingredients are bad, the cook cannot do anything about it. If the cook is bad, excellent ingredients will not be put to good effect. And if the casting is bad, the end product is a mess."

Asked why he accepted a role that could negatively affect his image, Anjasmara said he wants to be a full-fledged actor, which is understandable.

Cecep, however, is a very difficult role, so much so that in a number of instances exaggeration and over-the-top acting can't be avoided. But again, this is understandable.

One thing is as clear as day: there are a lot of things in this series that make you want to laugh. First Anjasmara; second Damsyik, who is said to be perfectly cast as a ghost; third the Iron Lady in a no-holds-barred all-out comedic role; and fourth the two aunts.

Wah ... Cantiknya is aired every Wednesday at 8 p.m. on SCTV.