Exclusive: Andri Mashadi Finds Love And Passion For Life Through Acting

Andri Mashadi (Photo: Savic Rabos, DI: Raga/VOI)

JAKARTA - The name Andri Mashadi may sound unfamiliar to society. However, if you look at the series of films and series that he has played in, fans of local content might be familiar with his figure.

2023 will be a fresh year for the actor born on July 28. The reason is that he became the main character in a film directed by Sidharta Tata entitled Waktu Maghrib. His second horror film made him incarnate as a character he had never played before.

“In the film, Waktu Maghrib, I play Karta. Karta was a human who was ostracized by the villagers so he lived in the middle of the forest. From the beginning he was bullied and ostracized, he was always considered to bring bad luck, bringing disaster, so he chose to live alone in the forest," said Andri Mashadi, starting a conversation with VOI.

This role is his latest project with director Sidharta Tata. Previously, Andri had played in the series Tunnel and Write Me a Love Song directed by Tata. But that experience of working together is not the reason Andri wants to play the Waktu Maghrib.

Andri Mashadi (Photo: Savic Rabos, DI: Raga/VOI)

“We chatted when it turned out that he was writing scripts. Debut horror script. Finally, we talk about horror, Mr. Tata's views, and mine, which turn out our horror views to be more or less the same. I like horror like this that is not normal. Then after a long chat, I shouted "Bro I want to play with you!" he said.

"Because the last two projects were fun working with Mr. Tata and I knew I would become something with him because I think he is passionate about his directing work," Andri continued.

Like Tata, Andri Mashadi is also full of enthusiasm in carrying out his role. The 30-year-old actor revealed several steps he took to join the Waktu Maghrib, starting from analyzing the character to making a video for his interpretation audition.

“I thought at that time there was no script, so I made a 5-7 minute improvisational video, a quick research about the mystical world of spells about people who are mentally disturbed, and then at night I made a video. He said he had not made the script yet," said Andri again.

“I think the film Waktu Maghrib is special. I researched pretty crazy and quite a lot. I made the background story. I'm used to not hearing the maghrib call to prayer. I'm trying to grow the history that is in the character," he continued.

Andri Mashadi (Photo: Savic Rabos, DI: Raga/VOI)

“Everyone has a method, the acting approach is different. It's as comfortable as it is, the important thing is the goal is to animate the character. I'm used to making a way in, a way out. Andri sits like this, this tempo, and moves like this, if I want to make a character like Karta what should I make," he said.

The film Waktu Maghrib is considered close to Andri Mashadi. Judging by the title, he remembered many activities he experienced when approaching maghrib like a child in general.

“I think that even though there are a lot of horrors, Maghrib time has been in our hearts since childhood without us realizing it. We must have experienced being told to go home quickly because we wanted to break the fast. At maghrib time, if we play football, or we must turn down the radio volume in the car, when we are filming we should take a break, there will be a break in anything. We also appreciate the existence of Maghrib time,“ continued Andri.

Andri Mashadi's involvement in KKN di Desa Penari (2022) made him want to explore the horror genre more deeply. Moreover, at that time he got a character that does not intersect with horror. Waktu Maghrib is considered appropriate for the next lesson.

“The consideration for taking horror is body stamina because, for example, we shoot from 4 pm to 3 am. Then the voice, stamina, the vocal cords screamed a lot and I don't know why I ended up taking horror," said Andri.

"I'm picky, but I have several horror projects going forward. So far, the characters are all different and I have had the opportunity to explore the characters and open my mind to dare not to play it safe," he said.

Acting Saves Himself

Andri Mashadi (Photo: Savic Rabos, DI: Raga/VOI)

Behind his cheerful figure, Andri Mashadi has experienced ups and downs to get to this point. Acting can be regarded as an activity that saves himself from great hatred. His desire to study acting has built since the man who was born in Copenhagen was in junior high school.

“I may have never told this story in any media. I think the acting world is my savior. I used to hate myself, and my life when I was little. Until I met acting in middle school, yes, a small theater at school,” he began again.

At that time, a teacher said that acting theater is a room to be naked. In quotation marks, it could be anyone. Then Andri presents various popular characters such as Shakespeare, Hamlet, Julius Caesar, and Romeo and Juliet.

“When I took a break in Andri's world and stepped into the character's shoes I was comfortable, calm. I'm not saying I have anxiety or anything, it's just that I'm much calmer when I play this character. I can express what I can't express in Andri in his life. This may be God's way of bringing myself back to life," he said.

Andri Mashadi (Photo: Savic Rabos, DI: Raga/VOI)

The first acting project he got in 2009 where he was cast as one of the extras. Then he played Rico in the film Mika (2013) with Vino G. Bastian and Velove Vexia. At that time, his daily life was also filled with acting classes, until he joined the Virgin Hill Waterfall (2014).

"It's only been at Betting (2017) but during that time I was playing while studying and I decided maybe it wasn't here. 2018 Ambu, 2019 Tunnel, and have started to get serious from 2017. When asked how much patience, well it's that patient. At that time, I didn't have a manager, so if I left home, I had to take a bus, which was right to the casting place, I was already tired from Bekasi," said Andri Mashadi.

During the casting process, Andri Mashadi also learned a lot from the long process. The thousands of rejections he received made him realize that acting is not about auditioning from one place to another. He also remembered his first meeting with actor Hardi Fadhillah.

"When I wash my face, I just put my profile. Casting thousands of times, what I realized was not an acting technique that I had to master but deepening my knowledge so that casting once or twice had content and quality, not really empty," said Andri Mashadi.

"I remember I was filming (Kadet 1947) in 2020, one of the players was Hardi Fadhillah, then I said this to Hardi "Back in 2009, Mr. Hardi was shooting a film at a hotel in West Jakarta and the casting director was bringing some extras and I was one of the extras," he continued.

"I'm really happy to be in the same frame as Hardi and make the impressive film Kadet 1947. It took me a long time from 2009 to 2020 but it was worth the wait, I didn't expect it and I wasn't competing with anyone to rush to the top," continued Andri.

Andri Mashadi (Photo: Savic Rabos, DI: Raga/VOI)

Who would have thought, this figure who loves acting graduated from Mining Engineering and almost worked at one of the well-known mining companies in Papua. He recalled the moment when he was accepted and asked to leave in four days. At that time, Andri Mashadi was still casting for an acting project.

“The point is, I feel that happiness cannot be determined by other people's choices. If you take it, you can't because you don't feel comfortable with person A or person B because you are the one who will be tormented, so I boldly give a statement because this is the choice I made, this industry and I feel the need for this acting, so I will enjoy it as hard as I can. Whatever happens financially, in life, ups, and downs, I vow to enjoy it," said one of the youth magazine alumni finalists.

"I'm also relieved to let go of a big job for me. And to this day I'm here, if not then I'm still there. No doubt," he said again.

Andri Mashadi still has a long way to go in his acting career. He admits that he is interested in joining Hollywood productions regardless of who the star is and who is the director.

"I'm really happy to play in Hollywood and any kind of film with actors and directors and stories that may be more serious and crazier in their way of thinking than us in Indonesia so we can learn a lot," he said enthusiastically.

Andri Mashadi has been involved with films that were shown internationally. Night & Day from Patrick Joshua involved a number of big names such as Yadi Sugandi, Aghi Narrotama, and others. This short film was a finalist for the 2022 South East Student Emmy Awards and the 2021 Rhode Island Film Festival.

"Even though it is still in a very small scope, at least it has been nominated and still gets appreciation," he recalled.

Regardless of his desire to enter Hollywood, Andri considers the greatest appreciation in cinema is when a film leaves an impression on its audience. Andri achieved this when he starred in Kadet 1947.

Someone greeted the man who was the presenter by praising his role as Adisoetjipto. This person said he was reminded of his father's figure when he saw Andri acting in the film. Two years have passed, Andri still remembers the words of this person.

“Only one person said that, I feel like he brought home something, right? He remembers his family, he remembers his father, and he gets messages from the characters we play but he appreciates them. So that is the best appreciation that falls to us personally," said Andri Mashadi.

He also wanted to express his greatest appreciation to Roberto Benigni, the main actor in the film Life is Beautiful (1997). This film made Andri love the role and learn himself better.

“When I meet Roberto Benigni or his son, who is probably grown up now, I will say thank you so much! If it weren't for the film, I might still be on the other side, not like the current side," said Andri Mashadi.

VOI's conversation that day ended with a dream of the role Andri Mashadi wanted to play. He wants to play a character who has Peter Pan syndrome.

"I want to do a drama film. Regarding the complexity of the characters, I want characters related to psychology. A mature person but he has a mind stuck at a certain age. He can't live in the present because he's stuck in the past," said Andri Mashadi closing the conversation.