JP/Triwik Kurniasari

The appearance of former teen model Revalina S. Temat in some local films adds to the country’s list of models who have become actresses. She is in a leading role in Rano Karno’s latest movie, Satu Jam Saja (Just An Hour).

She got media attention after winning the Most Favorite Award in the Gadis Sampul, beauty contest,  a cover girl competition sponsored by teen magazine Gadis back in 1999.

Her win in the competition really lifted her popularity. She was born in Jakarta on Nov. 26, 1985. Eventually, she got the chance to star in several commercials, ranging from anti-dandruff shampoo and cosmetics to candy.

From modeling, Revalina Sayuti Temat , more usually known as Reva, made her way to the TV screen by playing in a TV series called Percikan (Splash), taken from the famous short story in Gadis magazine, alongside other alumni of the Gadis beauty pageant in the early 2000s.

This was later followed with a series of roles in sinetron or soap operas and made-for-TV films, locally known as FTV, such as Cintaku di Kampus Biru 2 (My Love at  Blue Campus 2), Bawang Merah Bawang Putih (The Good and The Evil), Dara Manisku (My Sweet Girl) and Hikmah 2 (Wisdom 2) as well as some music videos.

The sequel of horror flick Pocong 2 in 2006 marked Reva’s debut to the big screen.

“When I was a little, I always wanted to be a stewardess. But I had to bury my dreams because I did not meet the requirements as I was supposed to wear glasses since I was in junior high school,” Reva told The Jakarta Post recently after the screening of her latest film Satu Jam Saja (Just An Hour).   

“Besides, my mum disagreed if I became a stewardess. She was worried about my safety. So I just forgot the dream.”

It turns out that she makes the right choice for her career. She finally sealed a leading role in Perempuan Berkalung Sorban (Woman With a Headscarf), directed by prominent filmmaker Hanung Bramantyo, who has gained recognition through a number of box-office movies like Jombo (Single), Get Married, Ayat-ayat Cinta (Verses of Love) and recently Sang Pencerah (The Enlightener).    

In Perempuan Berkalung Sorban, which is an adaptation of a novel by Abidah Al Khalieqy, Reva impersonated the role of Annisa, a smart, tough, strong yet independent Muslim woman who is raised in a conservative pesantren (Islamic boarding school) in East Java.

Anissa daringly questions Islamic patriarchy and the position of women in Islam. But no matter how strongly she struggles for equal rights between men and women, she had to face sad moments in her life, for example, when she was forced by her father to marry a man she did not love.

The bitterness even doubles when her husband proposes polygamy by marrying another woman.     Reva was voted as a favorite actress for that role in the 2009 Indonesian Movie Awards.

“I’ve never formally learned how to act. I’m an autodidact, learning by doing. Usually, I learn from the directors and senior actors,” she said.

“But someday, I want to take some acting courses.”     

She has shown her seriousness in the movie scene by acting in some other movies, including Wakil Rakyat (The Legislators) and The God Babe, both alongside actor Tora Sudiro; Red Cobex together with Lukman Sardi, Cut Mini and Sarah Sechan; and the latest one Satu Jam Saja (SJS), which was released in early October.  

SJS centers around the friendship among Gadis (played by Reva), Hans (Andhika Pratama) and Andika (played by Vino G. Bastian).

The bond among them, however, suddenly becomes a mess when after making Gadis pregnant, Hans chooses to run away and declines to marry her. Feeling guilty for not being able to “protect” Gadis, Andika takes Hans’ place and decides to marry his best friend, sacrificing his promising future to take care of Gadis and her future baby.

The drama is written by actor, director, current Tangerang deputy regent Rano Karno and directed by Ario Rubbik under Karnos Film, while the title itself is taken from the name of a famous ballad popularized by Asti Asmodiwati back in the 1980s.

The 106-minute flick reminds us that romantic drama used to be popular in Indonesia more than two decades ago.

“In some ways, Gadis is a bit stubborn, but she’s strong and brave [in going through her new life as a pregnant woman],” said Reva when she asked about her new character.

“This is my first time portraying a pregnant woman. It’s a bit difficult because I haven’t gone through it before. I learned a lot from my older sister, who is expecting her baby. I noticed her every move and asked her a lot of questions.”  

Reva said she’s excited to star with three Indonesian senior actresses like Widyawati, Rima Melati and Marini Burhan in SJS.

Reva said that she really loved acting and still wanted to continue in the world of acting for a long time to come.

“It’s so exciting when you can be somebody else, portraying characters which are way different from yourself.

Another fun thing about this world is you are able to meet new people,” she explained.

The 24-year-old added that she aimed to try more challenging roles in the future.

“I want an antagonist role. So far, I always star as a protagonist in my movies. It’s not that being a protagonist is not fun. It [playing as a protagonist] is interesting and challenging because I’ve played different types of protagonists, from good, weak and tough girls through to a crybaby,” Reva said.

“I feel like I really need to try the role as an antagonist sometimes. I hope there will be a producer or filmmaker who come to offer me such a role.”

During her busy time doing big-screen productions, Reva occasionally plays in FTVs.

“I still often play for FTVs because those offer me various roles, from becoming a taxi driver to a kampung girl,” she said.  

She, however, sometimes misses playing in sinetrons (soap opera), just like in the old days.

“It’s been a long time since I last starred in a sinetron. I really miss to be part of it because nowadays the characters and the stories are more varied. So far, there is no role that really fits me.”

Reva has often heard many stories on the set about how time-consuming it is to shoot a sinetron. Also, she was amazed by how the actors can “survive” the tight schedule (very often, the filming of a sinetron runs from morning to the next morning, seven days a week for several weeks).  

“I know it would be time-consuming, but I want to give it a try [again]. It might be difficult to do TV series and films in the same time, but there are times where you have to sacrifice something,” she said.
“I’m preparing myself physically and mentally when there is a right role for me.”

Not only acting in big screen and TV, Reva has also started to expand her acting experience by playing in Bobo Operetta, organized by  kids magazine Bobo in Juli 2010.   

Reva admitted that playing in a theatrical production was more nerveracking than filming in front of the camera since she performed in front of the audience.

Modeling? Check. Acting? Check. How about singing? Also a check for this one. Don’t be surprised, because Reva is also following the trend among Indonesian actresses: to becoming a singer.

Last year, Reva released a new single for a compilation Ramadan album, titled Sang Penciptaku Vol. 2 (My Creator Vol. 2) together with fellow actresses Intan Nuraini, Melanie Putria and Asmirandah. The album was produced by prominent singer Rossa.

“For me, this is a new experience. There’s no harm in trying it,” Reva used to say, noting that she wrote the track in the album by herself and that it is only one of a number of songs she has written.

“I usually write songs based on my experiences, or others’. There’s even one song about street children.”

In the near future, Reva stated that she would not release any songs since she still wanted to focus on learning and improving her vocal skills.

“Singing career? Maybe later.

I’m really interested in developing my singing career. I’m not really confident with my voice. I’m practicing a lot right now and when the time has come, I’ll show it,” she said.

Aside from the bright light of the entertainment industry, Reva has got a dream of establishing her very own business, investing her income for the upcoming future.

What kind of business that she’s already had in her mind?

“Fashion boutique? No. I like fashion, but I’m not an expert in the field. Beauty salon? I used to want to have a salon, but I’ve realized that it’s not easy to establish a salon because you have to know exactly what people want,” she said.

“I’m a pet lover. I like animals and want to have a pet shop,” said the woman who own a dog at her home.
She exclaimed that she began to learn all things about setting a pet shop. “I’ve made ‘surveys’ to some pet shops in town, asking them about the capital and stuffs that I might need to have my own shop.”

Ask Reva about her career, new movie or upcoming dreams, but don’t ever try to dig her personal life because you will get nothing.

The woman, who is reported to have a relationship with actor Ringgo Agus Rahman, was reluctant when she was questioned by some TV reporters about her relationship with the 28-year-old actor during the interview.

She just smiled and gave no comment about it.

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