Adipati Dolken doesn't eat curry, but enjoyed Malaysia's film set culture
The Indonesian actor says food was his biggest challenge during more than 50 days of filming 'Mojoku Hilang!' in Perlis.
Popular Indonesian actor Adipati Dolken says the toughest part of his first film shoot in Malaysia was not the acting — it was the food.
Adipati, whose full name is Adipati Koesmadji, 35, admitted he is a fussy eater who does not like curry or heavily spiced dishes, which were commonly served during the more than 50 days of filming Mojoku Hilang! in Perlis.
"Actually I am very fussy about food. If I don't like something, I simply won't eat it. I don't like curry and I don't like food with too many spices," he said.
"So when food like that was served, I would think I can't eat it. On many days I ate the same thing because my options were so limited. But there was a silver lining. It put me on a diet," he joked.
Smaller crew, same quality
Despite that, Adipati described breaking into the Malaysian film market as a new chapter in his artistic journey and a chance to understand the local industry better.
The most striking difference between the two industries, he said, was the size of the production team.
"In Indonesia, the crew can number 200 to 300 people. But in Malaysia, based on my experience, it wasn't even 100. So the team is smaller and more compact.
"But I think that's just a different shooting style. Everything still ran smoothly. Even with a smaller crew, the work turned out just as good," he said.
He acknowledged the working culture here was somewhat different, but said that as long as he could discuss the script and his character openly with the director, it felt the same as shooting in Indonesia.
"For me, it all depends on the relationship and the chemistry. Whether I'm in Indonesia, Malaysia or anywhere else, as long as that connection exists, I would definitely want to work there," he said.
Open to returning
The actor added that he remains open to further offers from local productions, provided the material meets his criteria.
"If there is another opportunity, as long as the film is good, the script is of quality and it meets everything on my checklist, why not? I am always open to every opportunity that comes," he said.
This article was produced with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI), in accordance with our editorial policy.