A musical rebirth in Rangga & Cinta
Though musicals may not be everyone's cup of tea, this was tastefully done and the creators tried their best to make the film relevant to the current younger audience.
SHAH SHAMSHIRI
More than 20 years later after the success of renowned (and probably the most impactful) Indonesian film to date, Ada Apa Dengan Cinta? (AADC), a reboot of this cult masterpiece returns to the big screen in the form of a musical called 'Rangga & Cinta.'
Depicting the same tale of the two lead characters from the original AADC flick, this one sees a simple revival of the movie told in a similar storyline, but through song and dance.
Though musicals may not be everyone's cup of tea, this was tastefully done and the creators tried their best to make the film relevant to the current younger audience.
However, rebooting a phenomenal masterpiece is never easy as the original AADC movie was considered a game-changer in Indonesian cinema history, gathering a huge following of fans and opening doors to other new films of the same genre.
The original AADC film also launched (if not relaunched) the careers of the lead stars namely Dian Sastro and Nicholas Saputra, catapulting their names into iconic regional figures. And though in this Rangga & Cinta flick, Nicholas does not reprise his role as one of the cast members, he however returns as one of the film's co-producers. And even then, his imprint is still felt thanks to the strong influence of his character, Rangga which pretty much created the AADC phenomenon in 2002.
Thus direct comparisons of this new Rangga & Cinta and the original AADC are inevitable and that is where the challenges lie.
Firstly, if this writer can boldly summarise Rangga & Cinta: It is actually just the old AADC movie with the original sound track performed through out the movie by the new cast of the film. Yes that is exactly it ( with some added tunes) and nothing more. But as the movie is produced and directed by the same creators who crafted the original masterpiece, they managed to tackle this musical revival carefully to suit their new Gen Z audience.
The pressure however lies on the two main stars, El Putra Sarira and Leya Princy who assume the roles of Rangga and Cinta. Bearing the burden of depicting the lead characters means that they will forever be compared with their award-winning seniors Nicholas and Dian, who are not only amazingly talented actors but also icons in their own rights, thanks to their successful portrayal of Rangga and Cinta in AADC and the sequel Ada Apa Dengan Cinta 2.
And being compared to such great seniors is never easy. However they were chosen from hundreds of hopefuls who went through a rigorous audition process.
Leya and El did their best in giving what their director wanted. Considering Leya had only been on screen for a few minor roles and El having no acting or singing exposure on TV at all, they gave a commendable performance in the movie and was very convincing in realising their roles.
It also didn't hurt that both stars can sing and El in particular has a distinct tone as a vocalist. He may just carve a career as more than just an actor but probably a singer as well. Only time will tell.
But in the meantime, Rangga & Cinta is worth the watch especially if you were a fan and follower of the original AADC. You are bound to compare the two movies but that is totally expected. Please also remember that this reboot is a musical and not a normal feature, hence expectations may vary.
This writer did hope that the movie would be written in the current 2025 setting and not the same 2000 one portrayed in the old AADC film, but the producer and writer Mira Lesmana said she wanted today's youth to feel and capture the nostalgia of yesteryears. She also said creating scenarios of this movie before the birth of social media allowed her to tell so much more and that is why the movie was made with such precision adhering to the era.
Simply put, Rangga & Cinta is wholesome entertainment for everyone who is looking for a good time at the cinema. For the older viewers, it is also an outlet to relive the memories of their teenage years and recapture those moments from the original Ada Apa Dengan Cinta?
Rangga & Cinta is currently showing in all cinemas across Malaysia since Nov 6.
Download Sinar Daily application.Click Here!
