Petris (Titi Kamal) is an up-and-coming alternative rock singer in Indonesia. However, she is arrogant and selfish in nature. The only person who can understand her is her elder sister Yulia (Kinaryosih), who is also her manager. One day, due to a misunderstanding, both of them are forced on the run. They end up in a village where Rizal (Dwi Sasono) recruits Petris to join his dangdut group. To make ends meet, Petris reluctantly becomes the main dangdut singer and changes her name to Is Maduma. She slowly learns to hang on to the hard ropes in life and adapt to a new identity.
Step aside, "Papaya Sisters". Move away, "Hula Girls". Feel like watching a movie that defies star rating logic? All you need to make a movie is a gun and a girl - that's what Godard famously said. While we're no part of any French New Wave here in South East Asia, the fellas across the Straits Of Malacca have started the disturbing trend of shooting movies in only seven days (talk about mendadak) and this movie belongs to that dubious category.
So it does come as a huge surprise that a movie as embarrassingly rudimentary as "Mendadak Dangdut" became a modest success in many ways. While it is guilty of every boo-boo common in those under-financed indie productions, it is truly amazing to discover that a good story, a handheld camera and some decent actors are all you need to make a movie really.
Titi Kamal (best known to Malaysians in "Ada Apa Dengan Cinta?" 2003) and Kinaryosih completely owned the screen in "Mendadak Dangdut", a disarming little adventure about a spoilt MTV pop-rock starlet and her overworked PR manager sister when they are arrested for a crime they didn't commit. On the run, Petris (Titi Kamal) disguises herself as a lowly dangdut singer to make some quick money and Yulia (Kinaryosih) helps her through the ordeal. Taking on the stage name Is Maduma (masuk, duduk, mabuk! ) given by the organ player who takes them in (Dwi Sasono), Petris learns the hard way what friendship and family is all about - but not before shaking some good dangdut ass and taking the village by storm.
The deadpan humour and twisted comedy gives away Monty Tiwa's handiwork, especially if you've watched "Pocong 2". Thoroughly engrossing, the realistic, often nonsensical dialogue is decidedly fresh and rewarding, especially if you've been fed one too many pre-processed Hollywood lines. When you're watching "Mendadak Dangdut", you feel like you're watching interesting real people, not actors who are dressing down for the occasion.
So who cares if the movie is grainy or sketchy, or if the camera shakes for no reason - if the screenplay is spot on? Tight editing binds a good story together and "Mendadak Dangdut" is never boring although it has every reason to be. Titi Kamal sings some seven songs herself and one concept tune from the film, "Jablai", meaning 'jarang dibelai' as hilariously explained in the film, even won awards and turned into a hit on the Indonesian charts!
"Mendadak Dangdut" is a movie for the people. Capturing the essence to entertain, Rudi Soedjarwo forgoes all other movie-making basics to deliver another admirable effort, although it arrives at our screens more than a year after its Indonesian release. Still, better late than never. To quote dangdut great Fetty Manis Madu in the movie - do it because it's not about you, it's about the people who are here to be entertained from a hard day's work. "Mendadak Dangdut" asks only to entertain.
