It may be a popular tourist destination for Indians, but now, Indonesia is proving to be a hotspot for small screen stars. The island nation is crazy about our desi actors and shows
Shivin Narang with fans,Barun Sobti and Dalljiet Kaur at a fan meet and greet
It may be a popular tourist destination for Indians, but now, Indonesia is proving to be a hotspot for small screen stars. The island nation is crazy about our desi actors and shows. Producers are roping in them in for TV shows, films and greet-and-meet with fans events. Mrunal Jain, Shakti Arora, Ankit Bathla, Shivin Narang and Shaheer Sheikh (a big draw among local girls) are familiar names to Indonesians. Their shows are dubbed in local languages while they are being offered major roles in telly shows as well as films.
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Shivin Narang, who is currently in Indonesia shooting for a TV show, says, "I made several friends from an earlier trip. My show, Veera, was a big hit here. The people are warm, there is not much difference between India and Indonesia."
Shivin is paired opposite Indonesian actress Margin Wiehreem. She is only 16 years old, but considered a big draw. Shivin adds, "I have asked her to come to India and try her luck in Bollywood."
Ankit Bathla with fans
Though the movies of the Khans and Kumars of Bollywood are lapped up, telly folk are considered stars in their own right as they appear on screens at home every evening.
Explains Mrunal Jain, "Indonesia is fantastic in terms of opportunity. The adulation is extraordinary. I am glad that I took up the opportunity. The money is good too. There is a liaison office who interprets the language for us so it's easier. My wife Sweetie is with me and we are living in an apartment, its like home."
The presence of a large Indian diaspora may make the actors feel at home. But their biggest fans are the Indonesians. They watch dubbed versions of Indian soaps, who are quite taken in with mythological fare.
The TV actors look at it as a work-cum-holiday. Ankit Bathla says, "The opportunity is good. Whenever I get time, I go sightseeing. Indonesian fans are good to us. They watch Indian shows with a lot of love. I am learning the local language."
Bathla, who was last seen in Thapki Pyar Ki, is currently doing a cameo in an Indonesian series for which he did an initial stint of shooting in Kathmandu. He will be in Jakarta for three months for a new series. Digangana Suryavanshi is also doing a cameo in the same series.
Apart from acting offers, there are also opportunities for shows and appearances. Dalljiet Kaur went to Indonesia along with Barun Sobti for four days to appear on a reality show. Dalljiet says, "It was crazy. Every single person watches our show there. There was an emotional attachment. We were part of a reality show called Academy 4 as judges. It's amazing how Barun and I didn't understand their language, but connected to their voice instantly."
Mrunal Jain on the set of an Indonesian reality show
Some actors like television heartthrob Shaheer Sheikh even had an Indonesian ladylove, singer Ayu Ting Ting. Shaheer had even gone public about his fondness for her, but they later broke up. What's drama without a bit of romance in foreign shores?
Shaheer considers Indonesia his second home. He captured the imagination of everyone as Arjuna from Mahabharat and went on to shows in Bahasa Indonesia like Cinta Di Langit Taj Mahal and Panah Asmara Arjun. He is considered to be one of the first among the Indian telly actors who made it big in Jakarta paving the path for others to follow.
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