UNCOVERED. Four leads from the highly-anticipated “Moammar Emka’s Jakarta Undercover” portray a face of the city that few know even exist, where the nightlife is the only life worth living
On Lukman Sardi: Outfit by Dunhill London
On Ganindra Bimo, Baim Wong and Oka Antara:
Outfit by Ermenegildo Zegna
With the premiere of the new interpretation of Moammar Emka’s novel that really changed the tone of the nightlife in Jakarta, these four gents help shed a light on what is new on the 2017 movie and why it is worth watching every frame of it.
Outfit by Ermenegildo Zegna
Lukman Sardi
The Editor
Indonesian movie fans might remember that there has already been a movie adaptation of Moammar Emka’s bestselling novel “Jakarta Undercover.” Besides the title and overall theme, there’s one more link between 2007’s “Jakarta Undercover” and this year’s “Moammar Emka’s Jakarta Undercover”: veteran actor Lukman Sardi. “The old movie was simply inspired by the novel, while this new one tells the tale how Emka came to write his book,” Sardi explains, referring to the author’s controversial tome chronicling Jakarta’s notorious nightlife scene in shocking detail. Yet, both the book and the new movie have more to offer than depictions of wholesale sex and wild parties. “For me, the message of this movie is about life,” Sardi points out, “about how people survive in big cities like Jakarta, which aren’t just black and white but also has a lot of gray in them.”
Sardi is also no stranger to working with director Fajar Nugros, but what made him really excited to be part of the new “Jakarta Undercover” was the chance to play opposite Oka Antara—as his boss, to be exact. “I’ve acted with Oka before, but that was just for one frame,” he reminisces. “In this movie, I had the chance to play alongside Oka in a way that was actually intense and where there was a real connection between our characters.” Sardi’s sentiments are actually quite fitting, given another strong theme of “Jakarta Undercover” is—surprisingly—friendship.
Outfit by Lanvin
Oka Antara
The Reporter
A question that often pops up when people talk about “Jakarta Undercover” and its adaptations is: Is Jakarta’s nightlife really that wild? “It should be noted that this film is a reflection of life as it was in the early 2000s,” Oka Antara points out, “but it’s not actually set in that time period.” Still, a meticulously detailed depiction of this aspect of life in the capital is something quite novel. That’s exactly what drew Antara to the film.
“My reason to join the cast might sound a bit selfish, but I’ve always wanted to try out new challenges,” he reveals. “Not just in terms of theme or character, but movies with a whole different tone.” He then points out how his recent works, like the religious-themed “Mencari Hilal” and the action-packed “The Raid 2,” contrast sharply with the twist-laden “Jakarta Undercover.” “I don’t want to be pigeonholed into one genre,” he states.
Acting as Pras, the reporter who would go on to write the titular story, Antara finds himself playing a familiar role, that of a journalist, but in an entirely new tone and ambience. Or as he puts it, “a gray protagonist.” And this is perhaps the best description of “Moammar Emka’s Jakarta Undercover:” A representation of reality, one that is never perfectly black and white, but full of gray characters trying their best to survive in their own corner of the city.
Baim Wong
The Businessman
You can’t have a movie about the dark underbelly of a major metropolitan city without the people who actually provide the relevant vices, right? This is where Baim Wong’s character, Yoga, comes in. “Yoga is a person who is deep in the nightlife scene, who has a wide social circle,” says the 35-year-old actor. “But he also has few real friends, as people always try to take advantage of him.”
Wong further describes his character as someone who is tough, leads a hard life and—interestingly—is married, albeit not happily. His journey takes a turn for the better, as he eventually befriends a prostitute named Laura, who is played by Tiara Eve. And while it’s hinted that Yoga might find atonement by taking Laura off the streets, it won’t be a surprise if both their fates are turned upside down again before the movie ends.
Still, while most Indonesian moviegoers enjoy good plot twists, can they also appreciate the uncomfortable gray areas highlighted by the movie? “That I don’t know, as until now, Indonesian audiences are hard to predict,” Wong concedes. “But I am satisfied with how the movie came together. A lot relies on editing, but for the cast and story, all I can say is ‘wow’—it’s just great.”
Outfit byLanvin
Ganindra Bimo
The Lady
If there’s one thing that everybody involved in “Jakarta Undercover” can agree on is that the movie is challenging. Another thing that they all would probably agree on is that Ganindra Bimo has the most challenging role. “I play as Awing, a worker in Jakarta’s nightlife scene—a dancer—who’s very funny, energetic, loyal,” he explains. Then the muscle-bound actor adds, “And girly. So, my character is a woman trapped in the body of a man. My body.”
Perhaps “challenging” is an understatement, as Bimo had to dig deep and learn a laundry list of mannerisms to get into character. And then there’s also dancing. Pole dancing, to be exact, which easier said than done for somebody more used to fight scenes. Nevertheless, he believes that it’s all worth it. “Even before the shooting started, I knew it would be worth it,” he exclaims. “Not everybody has the opportunity to play a character like that, and not everybody has the guts to do it.” He’s also not too worried about how people will react to his character and the way he brings Awing to life, concluding that, “if people end up bullying me or thinking that I’m actually like that, it means I did it right.”
More importantly, however, his work in “Jakarta Undercover” also highlights his growing ability as an actor, as subtly illustrated in a scene he finds especially memorable. “So, the scene has me going back after a party, and it was all done in one shot, no cuts, but I was supposed to be drunk together with Oka Antara’s character” he recalls. “So, I had to act drunk and stay in-character at the same time. Man, that was hard!”
Photography Wong Sim
Styling Sidky Muhamadsyah
Grooming Zearistan
Videographer Dimas Anggakara