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Jakarta Post

Naga '€˜Lyla'€™ Intrigued by acting

kapanlagi

Niken Prathivi (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Sun, February 8, 2015

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Naga '€˜Lyla'€™  Intrigued by acting

kapanlagi.com


For musician Indra Perdana Sinaga, acting is an intriguing world filled with exciting things that he likes to explore.

Better known as Naga, the front man of the pop band Lyla says that acting has brought a positive vibe into his life.

'€œI find it refreshing. I mean, I'€™ve been doing music for years. It'€™s my identity.

'€œActing is another thing. I'€™ve discovered many valuable lessons that aren'€™t found in music,'€ Naga, 31, said during the recent release of a trailer for his latest comedy, Anak Kos Dodol (Silly Roommates), in Jakarta.

Naga says that acting is different from music, where he typically works as an arranger, which gives him liberty in interpreting songs and lyrics. '€œIn acting, I have to listen to directions from the director.'€

Anak Kos Dodol, adapted from the novel of the same name, is the second film for Naga. In 2011, he had a part in the drama Ayah, Mengapa Aku Berbeda? (Father, Why Am I Different?).

In the new film, which will hit theaters on Feb. 26, Naga plays Rafi, a religious college student who falls in love with a woman played by Ayudia Bing Slamet.

'€œHere I play a guy who is a [student] senate leader as well as the chief for a religious organization on campus '€” a situation that'€™s quite tricky for my character, as most chiefs from such organizations don'€™t date,'€ Naga says.

However, Naga said he could adapt, drawing on his personal experiences during college, when he, too, was a student representative '€” and had an on-and-off romance.

He says it was harder to maintain focus while acting.

'€œI'€™ve never taken an acting class '€” I'€™m an autodidact. I do acting in music '€” in Lyla'€™s video clips, but they don'€™t require dialogue. I just need to focus on my facial expressions.

'€œMeanwhile, in film, we have to do all that stuff: maintaining our expression and the dialogue as well as making sure that our voice is loud enough,'€ he added.

Naga, who is from Medan, North Sumatra, also had to deal with nervousness and time management while shooting Anak Kos Dodol.

'€œI got nervous because my last film project was in 2011 '€” it was quite a long time ago.'€

He further said that shooting for his second movie took place in Yogyakarta. '€œI had to go back-and-forth '€” Yogyakarta-Jakarta '€” because I also had some things scheduled with Lyla.'€

Despite the challenges, Naga said that he saw his future in acting.

'€œI really hope that if in the future I get an opportunity to take part in another feature film, I'€™d love to play a unique character '€” one that pushes my limits in acting, for example Joker character in the Batman movies,'€ said the big fan of actors Johnny Depp and fellow Indonesian Reza Rahadian.

On Lyla, Naga said that the band was busy making their upcoming fifth album, which follows Yang Tak Terlupakan (The Unforgotten, 2008), Lebih Dari Bintang (More than the Stars, 2010), Dengan Hati (With All My Heart, 2013) and Dunia Sempurna (The Perfect World, 2014).

In January, the band is slated to work hard to finish the new album, as well as a single, to be released in February, he says.

'€œLyla doesn'€™t get a lot of gigs in January. Therefore, we usually focus on new albums. At this moment, we'€™re selecting songs for the new album,'€ said the vocalist of the band that is known for hits, such as '€œJantung Hatiku'€ (My Sweetheart) and '€œMagic'€.

Naga said that he proposed 30 songs of his own for the new album. The band, however, only took two.

'€œMaking songs isn'€™t like cooking food from a recipe. There is no formula in producing a popular song.

'€œSongs that are made in several minutes that are underdogs can become hits,'€ he adds.

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