(JP/Novia D. Rulista)

From being a teenager who starred in popular high-school flick Ada Apa Dengan Cinta (What'€™s Up With Cinta?), Adinia Wirasti has turned into a young woman whose acting skills should not be overlooked.

At 26, she has received two Piala Citra Awards; one for Best Supporting Actress in Tentang Dia (About Her) in 2005 and another one for Best Actress in Laura & Marsha in 2013.

But for Adinia, who goes by Asti, receiving an award means that she cannot slow down, as receiving such accolades makes her want to look deeper into herself as an actress.

 '€œAwards motivate me to do better, meaning it'€™s time to evaluate my weaknesses and keep learning. I will not become less disciplined just because I have received an award. If I did that, I would feel complacent and stop learning,'€ she said. '€œThat'€™s my biggest fear.'€

Asti'€™s role as Marsha, a travel writer, in Laura & Marsha beat out Happy Salma in Air Mata Terakhir (Last Tears), Imelda Therine in Belenggu (Shackles), Laudya Cynthia Bella in Belenggu and Laura Basuki in Madre at the 2013 Indonesian Festival Film (FFI), which was held in Semarang in December.

She was a bit confused when she learned that she was among Best Actress nominees at the festival as she was not overly satisfied with her acting. '€œIt was very hard to play Marsha. When filming was over, I felt like I could have done better,'€ Asti said.

'€œBut when my name was called as the winner, I was surprised but very happy at the same time because I was glad that Marsha was somehow acknowledged.'€

Asti'€™s foray into acting began with Ada Apa Dengan Cinta in 2001 when she was just 14 years old. She soon fell in love with it because she enjoyed bringing characters alive.

With no formal training, Asti proved her acting talents in 2005 in her second movie, Tentang Dia, which earned her a Piala Citra award.

She considers herself lucky to have been given the opportunity to work with such brilliant directors as Rudi Soedjarwo, Teddy Soeriaatmadja, Riri Riza and Lasja Fauzia, from whom she has learned so much about acting.
'€œOur relationships have grown and that has made it easier from me to learn about acting, even just by observing the way they work. Luckily, they are the type of artists who never hesitate to share,'€ Asti said.

Moreover, Asti said her involvement in many television films (FTV) had also provided her opportunities to improve her acting skills.

'€œI can learn regularly through television projects. The preparation required for FTVs is different from that of big screen films. But that only means I have to work more seriously and I see it as a way to explore my skills,'€ said the huge fan of veteran actress Jajang C. Noer.

Although she had the chance to learn from the masters, she wanted to study formally. To fulfill her desire, Asti went to the United States in 2007 to study scriptwriting at the New York Film Academy for a year.

Her goal was to be able to analyze screenplays and know how to dig deeper into a character in order to support her acting.

'€œI believe that a character in a film does not only live while filming takes place, but also before and after. So I think it'€™s important to imagine that well,'€ she said.

 '€œI got a '€˜C'€™ in acting class, by the way,'€ Asti said, laughing.

She added that she got the grade for skipping classes due to a tight schedule.

When she returned to Indonesia, she realized that she had become more critical of scripts, admitting that she had also become more selective in picking roles.

'€œBut I have to be careful to not become film school snob just because I know how to write scripts'€”I can'€™t mock scripts written by other people,'€ she said.

With no plans yet to become a professional screenwriter, Asti has so far written scripts for three feature films, one short movie and a TV show.

'€œMas Aris [noted screenwriter Salman Aristo] and Riri asked me to show them my scripts, but of course I said no. I'€™m not confident enough to show them,'€ she said.

In the meantime, she still wants to focus on improving her acting skills by getting more involved with theater. She previously took part in the Wayang Urban Show directed by puppeteer Nanang Hape.

'€œI want to do more plays, especially ones that are traditional. But first I want to equip myself with the proper skills, so I'€™m currently in the process of learning how to sing, dance and speak Javanese,'€ Asti, a yoga enthusiast, said.

In her 13-year film career, Asti has starred in eight film productions. She has two new movies set to be released between February and April.

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