Courtesy of Kapanlagi.com

Acting was not his first love. The actor of Balinese descent has been in and out of various fields – from banker, being an emcee and a rapper, before finally hitting the big screen.

The 31-year-old actor made his acting debut in a drama entitled Gue Kapok Jatuh Cinta (I Don’t Want to Fall in Love Again), directed by Awi Suryadi and Thomas Nawilis, in 2005.

Upon Nawilis’ request, Oka, a big fan of American hip hop groups like N.E.R.D and The Neptunes, penned songs for the movie’s original soundtrack and performed a duet with songstress Sabria Kono for the track So Special, which became a hit.

Even though people knew him more as a rapper, Oka chose to pursue his career in the film industry, starring in other movies like Dunia Mereka (Their World) and a horror flick titled Hantu (Ghost).

Oka received more recognition as an actor when he was cast in Hanung Bramantyo’s religious-themed Ayat-ayat Cinta (Verses of Love) which earned him a nomination at the 2008 Indonesian Film Festival, locally known as FFI.

A year later, he once again took part in a Hanung project, Perempuan Berkalung Sorban (Woman in Headscarf), and bagged an award as best supporting actor at the Bandung Film Festival in 2009.

In 2010, his role in the drama Hari Untuk Amanda (Days for Amanda) earned him another award as best actor at the Indonesia Movie Awards.

His acting versatility attracted noted producer Shanty Harmayn to include him in Sang Penari, a latest adaptation of the critically acclaimed trilogy Ronggeng Dukuh Paruk (The Dancer from Paruk Village), penned by Ahmad Tohari.  

It tells the love story of Srintil and Rasus, against the backdrop of 1960s Banyumas in Central Java.

Brushing shoulders with veteran actors such as Slamet Rahardjo, Dewi Irawan, Tio Pakusadewo and Lukman Sardi as well as newcomer Prisia Nasution, Oka sealed the leading role as Rasus, a poor, naïve yet innocent young man who possesses nothing other than his love for Srintil.

Srintil has dreamt of becoming a ronggeng or traditional dancer since she was little. Rasus, meanwhile, strictly opposes her dreams, saying he does not want Srintil to get cozy with every man in the hamlet.

A dancer has to undergo a series of rites, including a ritual called “buka kelambu” (literally, open the mosquito net) in which she must choose the man who makes the highest offer to sleep with her.

Locals believe that a born-to-be dancer is sent by their ancestor Ki Secamenggala to bring peace and harmony to the hamlet.

For the Rasus role, Oka was willing to cut his daily food intake to truly immerse himself in the character of a man with malnutrition.

This strategy paid off in terms of his acting, which is a convincing portrayal of emotions.

“I had to starve myself in order to look unhealthy and a physical mess. It worked. I looked skinny and my eyes looked weary,” Oka says, adding that he also worked hard on speaking with a Banyumas accent.   

A different approach was taken when it was the time for him to portray the Rasus character as a soldier whereby he had to look cool and a bit cocky.

“Right after I finished playing the naïve Rasus, the director gave me a three-day break. I was allowed to eat anything because I needed to look fit and strong,” he goes on.

“Such treatment really lifted my confidence and was essential in building the character as an army officer. To be honest, it was much easier to portray a soldier than a poor man.”

Besides depicting the romance between Srintil and Rasus, Sang Penari also highlights one of the nation’s darkest points in history; the abortive coup of Sept. 30, 1965 involving the Indonesian Communist Party, locally known as PKI.

Oka was a little emotional when we hit the subject of the gruesome massacres of that period.

“This film is also a portrait of the darkest period in the country’s history. I believe that there are people out there who feel attached to this movie.”

“This is not a movie only for old people who know about the history, but also for youngsters who have no reference to those grisly events. It’s difficult to find books on what happened in 1965; therefore, young people can find out about it through this film.”     

One of the most touching scenes for Oka was when he is told to enter a closed building without being told what was inside.  

When he opens the door, he sees dozens of people squatting on the floor with their hands on the back of their necks. Their frightened faces are “bloody” and “black and blue”. When Oka steps further inside the room, they recoil.

“I felt that I was going to cry. Then I asked myself, ‘So, this is what really happened in that year?’”

“I can’t help thinking that here is a nation which could do all those terrible things to its people. I don’t know who ordered all those killings and beatings, but they were unacceptable,” says Oka, choking back the tears.

Being in the scenes where people were cold-bloodedly slain was like watching a homicide case reconstruction and chilled him to his backbone.  

Oka admits that Sang Penari has also had an immense effect on him as a person. He likes to spend his time reading history books, especially on the 1965 calamity, confessing that he even has to “hang on to something” every time he reads books about the tragedy.       

“It may be just a movie, but it really gets me. In real life, I am completely the opposite of the Rasus character. I am a super modern guy,” he adds.

“During the filming, I felt ashamed of myself, how could I not give a damn about the history of my own country? How could I be so neglectful, not knowing about all of this?”  

He pauses for a few moments, struggling to calm himself down before moving to other subjects.
After engulfing himself in Sang Penari, wrapped up in three years production, Oka decided to take a break from the movie industry for a while, trying to get himself out of his character.

“This movie has really taken a toll on my energy. I am fatigued. It has taken me out of my comfort zone,” he explains.

“I’m not a mellow guy who can easily break down and cry, but I get very emotional with this [film].

Therefore, in the near future, I don’t want to take an offer that has as deep a story as this film does.”
While taking a one-month break, Oka busied himself spending some quality time with his family, taking care of his two children.

He said he felt guilty for not witnessing the birth of his baby boy in April this year. At that time he was away filming Sang Penari.

“My son was born a few weeks earlier than the due date. When I got a call from my wife, I quickly hopped on a train from Tegal [Central Java] to Jakarta, but it was too late,” he says.

“Forty minutes after the departure, my son was born. I was baffled at not being able to be there for him. My disappointment doubled when I had to come back to the set in the morning.”  

Now, Oka is enjoying his life by starring in made-for-TV films which mostly depict everyday simple life.
After shooting Sang Penari, he pledged to himself that he would only take on film projects which were produced in Greater Jakarta – a promise that has been broken.  

“It’s hard to find projects which take place in Jakarta. You see, they mostly film out of town, like in Bali or Puncak (West Java).”

However, it does not matter as long as he does not have to stay away from his family for months, adds Oka.

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