Exclusive, Sherina Munaf And A Thin Line Between Music And Film

Sherina Munaf (Photo: Savic Rabos, DI: Raga/VOI)

JAKARTA - Sherina Munaf's face again adorned the big screen through her latest film, Petualangan Sherina 2. This film marked 23 years since her first film was released in 2000 as well as a debut of her acting on the big screen.

Actually, Sherina did not completely retreat from the entertainment world, but various choices made her reconsider what she was going to do. This is natural because Sherina did everything from a young age.

As the name implies, Petualangan Sherina 2 is still focused on the character Sherina who is now growing as an adult woman. She worked as a journalist and felt the reality that her desire was not always in line with what was in sight.

"This time I'm not a kid, not a 10-year-old kid. I don't know how old she was, it's 23 years later and now she has grown to be a journalist and she has aspirations and remains like a little Sherina," said Sherina Munaf trying to save her voice that day.

Sherina Munaf (Photo: Savic Rabos, DI: Raga/VOI)

Sherina tried to keep answering a question in the midst of her almost exhausted voice condition. Petualangan Sherina 2 promotion activities and taking care of music and so on made her have to hold a break. But from there, we saw Sherina very enthusiastic to intervene in every process.

"Actually, when there was a discussion about Sherina and Sadam's work, we explored several kinds of work. I remember we made a pros and cons and made the reason behind it why the work was chosen. So each pitching with ideas. Finally, we are settle with journalists because we feel the little Sherina that I describe has a huge curiosity and we see that in the first film, how brave and outspoken she was, and call out what she thinks is not true," Sherina said.

"The journalist works on a TV station, as a reporter who works in the field that sometimes obliged to fast decision-making, depending on the cycle or coverage that is being made or change. It's very dynamic job. I think that's the right thing for Sherina (character)," she said again.

Not everyone has luck like Sherina. First, she became the main character in her first film. Second, the first film is one of Indonesia's popular cultures. Third, she is trusted to play the same character 23 years later. Fourth, she acted with people growing up with her, one of them is Derby Romero.

Sherina Munaf (Photo: Savic Rabos, DI: Raga/VOI)

"During those 23 years we haven't stopped being friends. So even though we're not always together, he had lived in Singapore, I was in Japan, Australia, we didn't always hangout together but we still keep in touch and if we could hangout, we hangout together," Sherina recalled.

"That's what finally also made the process of reading and the deepening of the character became smoother. Because we don't need ice breaking, we are comfortable with each other, there is no distance and finally we need to do learning the character and build with chemistry according to the backstory prepared for Sherina and Sadam," she said.

Derby Romero and Sherina developed as public figures known to the public. Derby which is now also a director and manages production houses has a similar path like Sherina. Both of them even tighter when working on Petualangan Sherina 2.

"Many moments outside of work are fun, chatting with each other. This is not Sherina and Derby 23 years ago. This is our own journey and passion in the same industry. You do what you want to do, and I do this. Maybe it's not realistic, but the important thing is to just express it out first," continued Sherina.

Grow With Petualangan Sherina

Sherina Munaf (Photo: Savic Rabos, DI: Raga/VOI)

The familiarity of Derby Romero and Sherina continues to exist because they grow in the entertainment world together. The actress who was born on June 11 admitted that both of them filled each other because they had developed when they were shooting as a child. They also consider that even though the characters in Petualangan Sherina 2 are their characters, they also need to learn.

"Maybe it's not like working, because in the end we are here to play, so the only character is that we have more concious decision to do a good job. In the past, we just act and we entrusted Uncle Riri (Riri Riza) and Aunt Mira (Mira Lesmana) and adults at that time to make decisions," she said.

"This time we also want to make decisions for ourselves and bring out the characters. Because conciousness ultimately makes me think, and finally, yes there is validation with each other," said Sherina.

The 33-year-old artist not only returned with acting, but also with music. After working on music for the film Earwig and the Witch, Sherina became a music director for Petualangan Sherina film music.

"In the film, we sing as a character, a musical theater film, we make a song to turn on the scene so the end is imaginable. I don't have to make that full decision, but that's my singing character, I just like to explore another character and sing as another character," Sherina explained.

Sherina Munaf (Photo: Savic Rabos, DI: Raga/VOI)

Sherina released her last solo album titled Tuna in 2013. You could say, this album became her last work before she returned with the film Petualangan Sherina 2. When asked the reason, Baskara Mahendra's wife had a long time with a long hiatus. She could not choose whether to be a full musician or an actress.

"To be honest, I had a hiatus in the world of music and I didn't know whether to return like before or not, because maybe this (Petualangan Sherina 2) run at the same time, so I didn't know exactly, I finally went hiatus, I never purposely did that," explained Sherina slowly.

"I honestly don't know which one to choose while we are making music through a story, the story determines, but it's not me who made the decision. What album to make, what genre? And I have to stick with that genre from the recording phase to the promo, it continues to be part of my identity, while my real identity likes to try random things," she continued.

After working on Ghibli, Sherina was even more interested in making music for films and scoring films. According to her, she felt more freedom in telling stories with signs or ideas that had been distributed to her.

"Making music for other stories which is not my life, turns out to be fun. I also did it in this film. Although there are guides for the scene, but I actually feel free to tell stories in a broader scope, that is telling a story for a visual, a story which is not for myself, but for an ecosystem. I found it after a hiatus, this is what I like," said Sherina.

"Maybe I'm more happy if for example representing myself as a character. I didn't know what I wanted to say about myself, it didn't come out. Like I have no idea, and when I was given the story, 'this song later, approximately from this time, in the afternoon, there will be an interior, exterior', this kind of feeling immediately flows smoothly with many ideas," she said.

"I love supporting the story, either of them requires work hard. I did not underestimate the songs that I made by myself, because I would have thought about concepts and others, but this one was fun due to the story. I also like movies. I love watching movies, I'm happy to go to the film festival, I really like story telling, I like to jump from one project to another project and we shouldn't stick only to one story," she said again.

Sherina Munaf (Photo: Savic Rabos, DI: Raga/VOI)

Petualangan Sherina 2 film clears the direction she likes. Through this production, Sherina can reveal her love for nature through music and instruments. She does not want to be limited only as a singer or actress or anything.

"I also experienced various phases in my life. I think I want to be a pop musician continuously, but apparently there is existential crisis too and finally I feel I don't know that in music will be like this. Found this film also recently, even though 23 years ago I made Petualangan Sherina. I was lucky enough to be part of it but after that I never had a concious decision for 'Ok I want to be in the film!'" Sherina said.

"Only now, I love story telling and it has various platforms, comic books, animations, series, anything that has to do with storytelling. It seems taking a long time, but there are many discovery processes for one project on the long time, Petualangan Sherina 2 was when in pandemic time," explained Sherina.

So, when will Sherina Munaf realize her solo project? She revealed that she would continue a musical film, the project she initially proposed to work with Mira Lesmana and Riri Riza.

"I have a desire to make a musical film that was originally before Petualangan Sherina 2 was almost a way, that was first. But all of us are determined for Petualangan Sherina 2 that must be shown this time. After this, I want to go back there, there are some songs already, and the script is being drafted. Hopefully it can be my next project. Another musical film," she said smiling to end the conversation that afternoon.