Exclusive! Arya Vasco Learns Antagonist Role and Juvenile Delinquency Through Catatan Si Boy

JAKARTA - Arya Pralabda Vasco de Haan, better known as Arya Vasco, is starring in the film Catatan Si Boy, which will be rebooted on August 17. He plays Jefry, an antagonist character played by Leroy Osmani in the original version.

The actor who was born in Denpasar 23 years ago told how he was able to join the other cast members in Catatan Si Boy. He admitted that he already knew that this reboot version had been planned for several years ago.

"What I know is that this film project has been worked on by MD Pictures, Dapur Film, and MVP Pictures since several years ago. But I was cast in this film in June 2022. That was around the time when other cast members were also casting," said Arya Vasco when visiting VOI in Tanah Abang some time ago.

After undergoing casting, Arya Vasco was chosen to play one of the roles. He also had time to undergo a reading process and workshops for a month before filming.

"After the first casting session, I was informed, if I'm not mistaken, two or three weeks after the casting, I got the project. After that, I immediately went into intense reading and workshops for one month," said Arya Vasco.

Arya Vasco admitted that he already knew that the reboot film Catatan Si Boy was one of the big films to be produced by the MD Pictures production house. Not only himself, Arya also said that many other actors and actresses who played also knew it.

"They (the production house) also don't hide what the title is. So, from the start before going to the casting room they told me that this was a reboot film from the 1980s, Catatan Si Boy. Moreover, we as players know that MD wants to work on Catatan Si Boy," he said.

After getting the role of Jeffry, Arya Vasco admitted that he immediately watched the original version. He admitted that he had never watched Catatan Si Boy before.

"The problem is that in 1987 I wasn't born yet, so I couldn't watch it in old cinemas. But the film Catatan Si Boy has been shown on several OTTs many times, so I was able to watch it at one of the OTTs,” said Arya Vasco.

After watching the original version, Arya said that the film Catatan Si Boy, which was released in 1987, was one of the films that could properly describe the situation in Jakarta and Indonesia and their youth at that time.

“I rarely watch films from the 1980s, but in that film, the aspects of Jakarta and Indonesia are really visible. And other things like what the 'hanging out' culture was like or what the life of the people in Jakarta used to be like (well described)," said Arya Vasco.

"Indeed, Boy's life is different from society in general, but I like watching it. So, I can see what Jakarta was like that year. It's great to watch," he added.

Meanwhile, the difference between the original version and the reboot version lies in the use of the time setting. Hanung Bramantyo as the director is working on the reboot version with a background in 2023.

Even though the storyline and characters are still the same as what was broadcast in 1987, there will be interesting things in the appearance of the condition of Jakarta and Indonesia in the latest version.

Talking about the character of Jefry, Arya said that this role is his second antagonist during his career. He admitted that he tried to apply what was in him to apply it to the role.

"Surely everyone has good and bad qualities. So, I studied myself, which aspects match Jefry's character. So I draw from myself and I also learn about people whose characteristics are like that and what their habits are like," said Arya Vasco.

"For example, Jefri has a very high ego, if he wants something he has to get it, and he's also easily provoked. I haven't watched the film yet, but yes, I hope I can play it successfully," he added.

Unable to Act Together With Cinta Laura

Even though his role this time is antagonistic, Arya Vasco can still learn a lesson from Jefry's character. It's not always bad, he also sees Jefry's traits that are worth emulating, even though they can't be fully justified.

“I learned not to be a person like Jeffry. Maybe Jeffry is smart in maintaining a relationship with his partner's parents. So, I'm in front of her mother Vera, played by Alyssa, I look like a golden boy, even though I am a bit slicky," he said.

Overall, although Catatan Si Boy features a lot of juvenile delinquency, Arya sees that there is still some visible value. He said that his latest film also had an important message for teenagers and young people.

"Like all films, Catatan Si Boy also has a conclusion at the end, where what is bad will not continue to be bad if they have learned from their mistakes," he said.

Discussing one of the scenes in the trailer where Boy is ganged up on by Jefry's friends, Arya sees similarities between Jefry's character and Mario Dandy which has become a public conversation due to his behavior.

"Yes, you can see that the characteristics are very similar, like a very high ego and extreme anger and don't want to stop. That person should know his limits. And it's clear that MD (Mario Dandy) knows no boundaries," said Arya.

However, Arya stated that what Jefry and Mario Dandy did could not be called representative of the behavior of teenagers and young people in Jakarta today. Arya sees many of her friends who don't behave that way.

“But in my own opinion, Jakarta is not like that. I see all my friends nothing like that. So maybe this is one in ten thousand people who are like that," he said.

At the age of 23, Arya Vasco still has a long way to go as an actor. He was happy to be able to join the film Catatan Si Boy reboot. During his career, Arya admits that he often gets the same role. Therefore, Jeffry's quite different character makes him happy.

“I often get stereotyped casts, so it's often used for roles with slightly similar characters. But if I get something different, I'll be happy," said Arya.

It's not only about the characters being played, Arya Vasco admits that he really likes the storyline and the director who worked on the reboot of Catatan Si Boy. He mentioned these two reasons as his considerations when choosing a project.

"From the script, my character looks like it has a heartbeat, it has a life, I'll definitely take it. Those are usually roles where the character is strong, not basic. For example, I asked the production house what this character's background was like. If they explain, I can like it, and from there I dig deeper," he said.

Meanwhile for co-stars, Arya admits that he has never had a problem. He finds it easy to relate to his co-stars, even though it's the first time working together.

However, he refused if he had to compete acting with his current girlfriend, Cinta Laura. Instead of being comfortable acting with a lover, Arya Vasco felt nervous and believed that his acting would not be optimal.

"When playing with a partner in real life, I think it's quite heavy. Maybe it's different, but for me it's quite difficult. The eyes (when acting) can't lie. Maybe I don't have the experience to act with my girlfriend," he said.

Apart from the different characters, Arya Vasco also revealed one thing that is his hope for the future. Even though he heard from his friends that his wish was difficult, he hoped to play in a comedy genre film.

“Never been in a comedy. If you tell it to your friends, they say comedy is really hard to play. Maybe what we think is funny, may not be funny for other people," concluded Arya Vasco.