Jakarta. Falcon Pictures, one of the biggest film production companies in Indonesia – currently in the middle of adapting Pramoedya Ananta Toer's epic 'Bumi Manusia' – has also gone ahead with another project to make a biopic of the legendary pop rock band Koes Plus, often considered as Indonesia's own The Beatles.
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Koes Plus started as Koes Bersaudara (Koes Brothers) in 1960 as a family band made up exclusively of the Koeswoyo brothers: John, Yok, Yon, Nomo and Tonny.
After Nomo left the group in 1968, replaced by Kasmuri (Murry), the band changed its name to Koes Plus.
Some of the band’s most popular tunes include 'Pelangi' ('Rainbow'), 'Diana' and 'Kolam Susu' (“Pool of Milk”).
Indonesia's first president Sukarno, an arch anti-imperialist, often criticized the band for playing Western-influenced 'ngak-ngik-ngok' ('noisy') music.
In June 1965, the band members were put in jail in Penjara Glodok in Central Jakarta without trial or explanation, though they were soon released in September.
According to a press release from Falcon, the script for the biopic has already been written and the company is currently looking for the right actors to play the Koes brothers.
The company has started a campaign on Instagram asking people to nominate their favorite actors.
Producer Frederica said the biopic is going to go all out on the juicy details of Koes Plus' long career and the ups and downs of the band members' personal lives.
'Everyone knows Koes Plus. They were the number one band in Indonesia from the '60s right through to the '80s. The film will invoke a lot of nostalgia for many people,' Frederika said.
Rako Prijanto, who directed '#TemanTapiMenikah' ('Friends But Married') for Falcon – currently this year’s fourth highest-grossing local movie according to filmindonesia.or.id has been selected to direct the Koes Plus biopic.
Rako said he was so 'excited,' he 'got the chills' when he received the news because 'Koes Plus' songs are so close to my heart.'
He said he could already picture how the film would look from the script.
'Three things make up a good movie: dialogue, action and sound. Koes Plus has all of them. The dialogues I read on the script are great. The actions are handled very deftly. And of course, there's the incredible music,' Rako said.
Jakarta, CNN Indonesia — The journey of the legendary band, Koes Plus, will soon be made into a movie. The film will be made by Falcon Pictures production house, that had previously worked on Si Doel The Movie.
Falcon Pictures’ producer, Frederica, shared that they have already finished writing the film script. But they have yet to find the right actors to portray Tonny Koeswoyo, Yok Koeswoyo, Yon Koeswoyo and Murry.
“We are still looking for the right actors to play the Koes Plus personnels,” said Frederica in the press release received by CNNIndonesia.com, Friday (12/10).
The director’s chair will be filled by Rako Prijanto, who had previously worked on Teman Tapi Menikah movie. He admitted to being very excited to direct the movie when he first received the offer.
“Koes Plus songs are very close to our hearts, so we can imagine how the scenes are going to be, with all the emotions, and all the familiar Koes Plus songs playing in the background,” said Rako.
Koes Plus is one of Indonesia’s most popular band in the 1960s to 1980s era. Formed in 1960, the band was formerly called Koes Bersaudara.
Their name changed to Koes Plus in 1968 with the addition of a member who did not share the Koeswoyo name.
Koes Bersaudara was once jailed without due processes in Glodok Penentiary, Central Jakarta, in June 29, 1965.
The cause of their imprisonment was from their insistence to play rock n’ roll music with heavy Western influence, although it had been banned by Presiden Soekarno.
Koes Bersaudara was released in September 29, 1965. And until their release, there was never any clear explanation released by the government.
In March 2016, CNNIndonesia.com had met Yok and asked their incarceration case. He said that the sentence received by their band was just for dramatical emphasis.
“Back then, Bung Karno said, ‘Don’t play ngak ngik ngok music, or anything Elvis-like.’ Although we had no other intentions than to entertain our fans,” said Yok.
According to Yok, the Western-type music that they played was merely a small portion, because Koes Bersaudara was still playing lots of Indonesian songs, such as Senja, Telaga Sunyi and Dara Manisku.
“I feel that Koes Bersaudara was very cornered in that particular case,” said Yok.
Koes Plus Members Band
Yok and his brothers said that they never want to tarnish Indonesia’s souvereignty. Koes Bersaudara’s intention was to make Indonesia known through music. For Yok, strengthening the country doesn’t always have to be through the military, but it can also be done through art.