Trusted to be one of the directors the best rom-com series from MD Entertainment, Induk Gajah, Muhadkly Acho stand up comedy sharing many things about the shooting process, messages that can be drawn, and the story behind the Mother Elephant series. Come on, read until the end!
Also read: 5 Facts about Mother Elephant Series, Comedy Series based on Reality!
Muhadkly Acho Stand Up Comedy Sharing Many Things about Directing the Mother Elephant Series
Not only experienced in the field of stand up comedy, Muhadkly Acho also works as a director. Most of the works he worked on are in the comedy genre.
Incidentally, Mother Elephant is a series produced by MD Entertainment which is also a comedy genre. Mother Elephant premiered on the Prime Video streaming platform and has been booming ever since.
Also read: Mother Elephant Soundtrack, Pepita ‘Tides’, Loving at the Wrong Time
Not surprisingly, the Mother Elephant players are also not cans. There Marshanda, Tika Panggabean, Dimas Anggara, Micah TambayongAndri Mashadi, Rendy Kjaernett, Tamara Geraldine, Paulus Simangunsong, Kezia Caroline, Dicky Difie, and others.
This time, let’s chat with Muhadkly Acho about the Mother Elephant series.
The Meaning of Mother Elephant According to Director Acho Stand Up Comedy
‘Elephant Mother’, according to Muhadkly Acho as the director, is an allusion to the representation of the character of Ira’s Mamak, Mamak Uli.
“From the POV of their children, this mother is a parent who is too demanding, controlling, wants a lot, manages. But, what Ira didn’t realize was that what Mamak was actually doing was like a mother elephant who only always protected her herd rather than herself,” Acho explained.
Also read: Pepita Releases Tides Video Clip, This Is the Real Meaning!
Acho added that in this series, there are different perspectives, that sometimes everyone has disagreements with their parents, but as a child, you must still provide space to understand that what parents do is of course to protect their children.
What are the special features of mother elephants so that they are attracted directly?
Acho said that Mother Elephant is not only about love, but also family and uses a Batak background which is still quite rare in Indonesian series.
“Usually, right, the majority family, Javanese, is Muslim. Here we raise issues that we both know about but are rarely discussed. How can minority families living in Jakarta continue to want to find a mate, while there are too many taboos with regional backgrounds that can hinder that,” said Acho.
According to Acho, the Batak family that is highlighted in this series is one of the cultural values passed down from generation to generation, that if you marry you have to be with certain clans, while the population of these people is not large in Jakarta.
“The narratives will always clash. Parents want their children to get married on time, while children think they will marry at the right time. So, the two perspectives of mother and child that are different from this regional obstacle are the interesting premise of this story,” added Acho.
The process of preparing for the production of the Elephant Parent Series
The pre-production of the Elephant Elephant series took about 1 to 2 months, while the development story took 6 months.
“There we read, deepen character, explore the sides of the Batak family. There are things that we might rarely find in films with a Batak background, such as clan debates. Some of the actors here are native Batak people such as Tika Panggabean, Pak Paulus, Tamara Geraldine. Then, we are hunting for locations, location is key in this series because we are photographing two different socioeconomic classes between the Ira and Marsel families,” said Acho.
Acho admitted that he had alternated between the right players for the Mother Elephant series until he finally found Marshanda as Ira and Tika Panggabean as Mamak Uli.
Special Treatment Performed in the Mother Elephant Series
Acho emphasized the comedy element in the Mother Elephant series. In his experience as a director, generally Acho separates drama and comedy actors, whereas in the series Induk Gajah, Acho no longer separates these two things, because his main focus is on the lives of Ira and Mamak Uli.
“Even though there are supporting actors from the stand-up comedian circle, the comedy has been instilled in Ira and Mamak. I designed it so that this comedy is not a patch, but participates in the storytelling process. So, it’s not just a sweetener, but to move the plot,” explained Acho.
What is the Impression of Directing the Induk Gajah Series Cast?
“I’m really excited to meet Caca and surprisingly the flight hours don’t lie. Caca, it’s like he’s really mature in this industry so getting into Ira’s character doesn’t take long, he’s like he’s already been trained. That’s what makes this process so fun,” said Acho praising Marshanda’s acting.
“Ka Tika also brings the spirit of the Batak family here. It’s a separate color. I learned a lot about Batak culture with Bang Paulus too. We are discussing clans. We still studied the history, so we understand about the Batak people who have strong reasons to marry off their children from certain clans,” continued Acho.
The difference between the Mother Elephant Version of the Novel and the Series
“It is shaped like personal literature, so there really is no drama, a love story in the form of a story. I’m just describing the relationship that happened at home between Ira and Mamak, adapting it and creating a new plot,” Acho replied, because actually, Induk Gajah had not yet reached the process of being made into a novel.
Favorite Scene according to Muhadkly Acho
Apparently, director Muhadkly Acho has two favorite scenes. The first is in terms of drama, the second is in terms of comedy.
“From the drama, there is one long take scene between Ira and Mamak when they have to argue and the tense is really high. Just one take from the front of the house to the palace, followed using a camera. When the preview, make goosebumps. These two actors have extraordinary chemistry. Maybe the packaging is comedy, but there will be moments where the audience sheds tears because the family drama is quite heavy,” said Acho.
In terms of comedy, Acho likes the scene where Ira’s boss, Mas Yogi, played by Lolox, catches Ira playing a dating app the most.
“My favorite comedy is in the office between Ira and her friends and her boss, Mas Yogi. So, when Ira told her to avoid her boss, it turned out that his boss had pinned Ira on a dating app. It was really funny,” added Acho.
The Toughest Obstacle to Visualizing Stories in the Mother Elephant Series
According to Acho, one of the toughest obstacles is the weather. The Mother Elephant filming took place in November when it was the rainy season. Acho admitted that he often waited a long time for the rain to stop to shoot scenes again.
“Then, I don’t want to be trapped that this is a Batak film, because this is not a film about Batak. But, a universal family, can be enjoyed by all families. The problem will also relate to the family. The main topic was about matchmaking. It’s just that if you describe a Batak family who migrated to Jakarta, there will definitely be a mix of culture and lifestyle too,” said Acho.
What message do you want to convey from the Mother Elephant Series?
Here’s what Acho said: “Sometimes when we hear of arranged marriages it’s already negative, even though on the bright side, matchmaking can come from anywhere, right. Why don’t we just try running it first, after all this is just an introduction, if it doesn’t fit then fine. But, don’t be rejected right away, because it’s not fair either.”
Why isn’t it fair?
Because Acho said that, for example, if your friends make fun of you, you will accept it. However, it’s your parents’ turn to match you up, you don’t want to. It’s as if this illustrates that the old man always has old-fashioned tastes, but not necessarily.
“If for example the match was opened by the parents, try to see who came out of that door and try to explore it, don’t immediately avoid it,” continued Acho.
Apart from that, Acho also said that the messages conveyed from the Mother Elephant series were also about the parents’ point of view.
“How is it that an arranged marriage is not something that is coercive in nature, but captivates the child. So, children don’t think that parents are authoritarian. Actually these two sides can meet as long as there is a common understanding.”
So, for those of you who haven’t watched Mother Elephant, you have to watch it right now on Prime Video. Really exciting, funny, and a lot of lessons that you can take from it.