The makers of Ayat Ayat Cinta, which has won Indonesia over with its portrayal of Islam, believe it will also win the world over with its theme of love.
IT is a love story that has enthralled a record-breaking 3.6 million cinemagoers in Indonesia. It has created resounding buzz in the region’s Muslim communities for its compassionate portrayal of moderate Muslims and understanding of Islamic values.
Ayat Ayat Cinta (Verses of Love), adapted from a best-selling novel of the same name by Indonesian novelist Habiburrahman El Shirazy, stars an impressive, and attractive, roster of upcoming young Indonesians. Actor/model/musician Fedi Nuril, 25, plays Indonesian student Fahri Abdullah Shiddiq, who is studying in Islam’s most prestigious learning centre, Egypt’s Al-Azhar University.
Popular MTV VJ/model and actress Rianti Cartwright, 24, plays the enigmatic burqa-clad half-German, half-Turkish girl and Fahri’s wealthy first wife, Aisha Greimas. And successful soap actress Carissa Puteri, 23, plays Maria Girgis, Fahri’s Coptic Christian neighbour who falls in love with him and converts to Islam to marry him.
The story’s complicated love quadrangle also involves an abused girl whom Fahri helps free.
The film’s box-office success was a surprise to everyone except for the producers, who were confident they had a winner on their hands.
Indonesia’s box office is traditionally dominated by horror and teen drama fare. But the world’s most populous Islamic nation has been swept off its feet by this movie, touted as the most expensive Indonesian film ever made. It cost US$1.5mil (RM4.9mil) in a country where the average film budget typically ranges from US$300,000 to US$600,000 (RM970,500 to RM1.9mil).
While it is essentially a melodramatic love story, what makes it stand out is its Islamic themes.
Ironically, the film’s producers, the father-and-son team of Dhamoo and Manoj Punjabi from MD Pictures, are not Muslims but Hindus. But the Indian Indonesians are keen on portraying the positive aspects of Islam.
“Islam is the background, but the main thing about the movie is love, which is universal. A movie like this is accepted by everyone,” says Manoj, 36.
But the owners of one of the largest film production, distribution and exhibition companies in Indonesia were also realistic about the need for mass appeal in their sixth film venture.
At a recent press conference in Singapore, Manoj says: “If you want to put a message and you don’t do an entertaining film, nobody will watch it.”
Hence the melodramatic aspects of the story and the eye-candy cast to pull in the younger crowd. The latter decision was not without its controversies as fans of the novel were sceptical about the choice of Cartwright for the role of the pious Aisha.
As she admits: “As an MTV VJ, I’m affiliated with things related to hedonism, America, music, partying, so there were a lot of doubts such as ‘can she play someone who is so religious?’”
But the canny combination of pulp and serious intent seems to have worked. The movie tackles head-on uncomfortable issues such as polygamy, the treatment of women and anti-Western sentiments among Muslims.
And it has won high praise from such luminaries as Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. He was so impressed by its balanced portrayal of Islam that he arranged a screening for several of his ministers and 60 ambassadors stationed in the country.
He called it a direct contrast to the controversial film by Dutch politician Geert Wilders released this year,
Fitna, which links the religion with violence and terrorism.
The cast members were equally enamoured of the script’s positive portrayal of Muslims.
Says Fedi: “Nowadays it is hard to find a good Muslim role model. Fahri inspires a lot of people.”
Carissa, a Muslim, notes that the film also helps clarify misconceptions about Islamic practices such as polygamy.
“Contrary to popular belief, it’s not about lust. It’s about helping out women who don’t have anyone to take care of them. But there are so many rules governing polygamy. It requires a husband to be equal and fair to his wives, and as seen in the movie, that is almost impossible.”
The Muslim Cartwright, whose English father is a Muslim convert, mother an Indonesian and grandmother a Protestant, says she was raised in an atmosphere of tolerance. “I was taught that every religion is positive, they all have moral codes. We all need to be more moderate and tolerant and say it’s okay to be different, we can still live together.
“Right now, Muslims have been getting so much backlash, I want to say, no, the majority of Muslims are moderate and tolerant and it’s a beautiful religion.”
All three add that their roles have given them a deeper understanding of their religion.
Cartwright says: “Even as a Muslim, I used to think that women were at the bottom of the food chain. But in this movie, you get to see how women are loved and highly regarded.”
The movie is also reaching beyond the Muslim community, says Manoj. “Through good word of mouth, the movie has built up full-house occupancies in cinemas in the areas of Indonesia populated by non-Muslims.”
Buoyed by domestic success, MD Pictures is now eyeing the world. After Singapore, the film is due for a run in Malaysia. A dubbed version for the massive Indian market is also in the works, and there are requests to screen the film in Turkey.
“This movie carries a lot of weight,” says Manoj. “It is a challenge for us to bring up the Indonesian film industry. Two years ago, local movies grossed only 25% of the Indonesian movie-going market. Now, I am happy to see home-grown films capture more than 50% of the movie market.”
Love, it seems, might indeed conquer all. – The Straits Times, Singapore / Asia News Network
‘Ayat Ayat Cinta’ opens in local cinemas on Thursday.
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