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Vino Bastian on 'Wiro Sableng' and his father's legacy
Indonesian actor Vino G. Bastian shares his stories about Wiro Sableng and how he got involved with the film.
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Vino G. Bastian as Wiro Sableng in Lifelike Picture's "Wiro Sableng." (instagram.com/wirosablengofficial/File)
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s one of the children of late writer Bastian Tito, creator of the character Wiro Sableng, actor Vino G. Bastian has his own opinions on the fictional warrior – who he plays in the upcoming film Wiro Sableng under Lifelike Pictures.
“The truth is, although I’m his son, I’m not the one who knows the most about Wiro Sableng; my older siblings are actually closer to the character,” Vino said during the launch of the film’s teaser trailer on May 11 at Plaza Indonesia, Central Jakarta.
Vino reminisced about the time he discovered Wiro through his father instead of from the book the latter had written.
“My father narrated [the story] directly to me,” said the 36-year-old. “He said, ‘I’m making this character a warrior.’”
The actor explained that he never intended to play Wiro.
“As a representative of [Bastian Tito’s] family, I handled the rights [to the story and character],” said Vino. “I found out that I had been cast to play [Wiro] nearing the press conference […] It was really a last-minute decision.
Read also: ‘Wiro Sableng’ stays loyal to books with modern touches: Producer
To portray the wacky warrior, Vito was required to take martial arts and acting lessons for months alongside his fellow cast members.
“We were trained in front of the camera, using real props (http://www.thejakartapost.com/life/2018/05/15/wiro-sableng-includes-indonesian-batik-patterns-on-its-weapon.html) and costumes, so we just needed to adjust ourselves to the temperature when started shooting on location,” Vino said, adding that he was injured during the shoot.
“The location of our training camp was very hot and then we had to shoot in the mountains.”
He also prepared himself by reading his father’s “Wiro Sableng” series, but felt there was a difference between the character in the books and in the 1990s television show.
“Wiro is actually smart, but because he lived with his teacher, Sinto Gendeng, for a long time, he was influenced by Sinto’s crazy way of thinking,” Vino explained. “It was all part of a long discussion with Mas Yayu, our acting coach who also plays Kakek Segala Tahu, the crew and producers.
“So, the version of Wiro we portrayed [in the movie] is based on our [perception of the character]. It’s Wiro’s way of thinking that is crazy, not his gestures; it goes deeper than that.”
“Hopefully, Wiro Sableng will receive a place in the hearts of his old and new fans, especially children and teenagers who [are not yet familiar with the character],” Vino said.
“And hopefully my father is also happy up there looking at the work of our film crew and actors here, because it’s important for me as the representative of the family. I’m proud to have joined this film.”
Wiro Sableng is set to hit theaters on Aug. 30. (asw)
