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Ulema Buya Hamka’s life to be portrayed on the silver screen
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A biopic on Buya Hamka will see Vino G. Bastian (left) in the titular role and Laudya Cynthia Bella as Bayu's wife, Siti Raham. (Falcon Pictures /-)
T
he life of renowned Muslim scholar and literary figure Buya Hamka will be portrayed on the silver screen, with actor Vino G. Bastian cast as the lead.
“For me, this is an immense challenge as both an actor and a human. As an actor, this is a whole new level for testing my abilities, and as a human being, this is a chance for me to learn from Buya Hamka’s amazing personality,” Vino said in a statement.
Born in West Sumatra in 1908, Hamka – whose real name is Haji Abdul Malik Karim Amrullah – was the first chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI). He famously resigned from the position after pressure from the religious affairs minister to rescind a fatwa on Christmas celebrations for Muslims.
Hamka is a prominent scholar and politician, having been active in the Masyumi political party until its disbandment in September 1960 and subsequently in the Muhammadiyah organization until his death in 1981.
He is also known for his literary achievements, penning some of Indonesia’s notable classic novels such as Di Bawah Lindungan Ka'bah (Under the Shade of Kaaba), Merantau ke Deli (Migrating to Deli) and Tenggelamnya Kapal Van der Wijck (The Sinking of the Van der Wijck).
Falcon Pictures and Starvision will jointly produce Hamka's biopic film with support from the MUI. Fajar Bustomi, known for blockbuster teenage dramas Dilan 1990 and Dilan 1991, will take the director’s seat.
“This has been my dream for a long time to create a movie of an inspirational figure as prominent as Buya Hamka. Please pray so that the filming process can go smoothly,” Fajar said in a statement.
The two-month filming will begin in April and take place in West Sumatra, Jakarta, Tegal in Central Java, and Sukabumi in West Java.
Starvision producer Chand Parwez Servia said he started the biopic project following a suggestion from former MUI chairman Din Syamsuddin.
“In November 2014, I received a text message from Bang Din Syamsuddin, asking whether Starvision was interested in producing a movie about Buya Hamka. I replied with ‘Insya Allah [God willing], as long as we have the chance.’”
Chand Parwez went on to meet the MUI officials, developed the script and proposed a partnership with Falcon Pictures, which he considers to have a strong promotional team that can help pave the way for international releases.
“Alhamdulillah [Thank God], Pak Naveen [of Falcon Pictures] also admired Buya Hamka and loved the script,” Chand Parwez said. (yps)
