Exclusive, Rezky Aditya Stepping Into A New World Of Film Producer

JAKARTA - Starting his acting career as an extra and eventually playing the main role in dozens of soap operas, films, web series, and FTV, Rezky Aditya has embarked on a new career as a feature film producer.

At the age of 38, Rezky launched the first film he produced, Hantu Baru. He will also appear as an actor, along with other actors and actresses, such as Acha Septriasa, Calvin Jeremy, Sudjiwo Tejo, Donny Damara, Electra Leslie, M. Adhiyat, Arief Didu, Totos Rasiti, and Ruth Marini.

By raising the comedy horror genre, Rezky did not deny that the reason for releasing the film Hantu Baru was because the horror genre was being loved by Indonesian film lovers.

“Why Hantu Baru? Why is the genre comedy horror? Because it is undeniable that the hype for horror is really fast," said Rezky Aditya when visiting the VOI office in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta recently.

"But I modified it with other tastes. What if it's a horror comedy, and the story happens to exist, I also agree with the story and premise, so let's try it, bismillah," he continued.

The choice of Acha Septriasa as the main character, said Rezky, started with Citra Kirana's suggestion. He felt that the 2004 GIDIS Cover finalist was suitable for the role and story being presented. Furthermore, the actress also stated her availability when Rezky and Citra first offered it.

Even though his first film was in the horror genre, Rezky admitted that he was fainthearted. He stated that he believed in the existence of spirits in this life.

"Honestly, I'm actually really scared, that's why I made a horror comedy. I am a person who does not dare to ghosts. In 2003 I finished graduating from high school, that's the moment when I was brave and confident that I could fight ghosts, I mean I wasn't afraid of ghosts," he explained.

Claiming that he has no experience of encountering spirits, Rezky feels that what he was taught since he was young made him a person who is afraid of ghosts.

"There is no (experience of seeing spirits), but the doctrines from childhood when we were raised by the nanny. Maybe there are those doctrines that affect us. Fix, I wasn't afraid when I was in high school, it was a bit late," said Rezky, laughing.

For the film Hantu Baru, Rezky feels that what is his first work as a producer has its own uniqueness, where the audience will get a different experience when watching a horror film.

"If in other films we are afraid of ghosts, here we can laugh at ghosts, that's the difference. We just laugh at the ghost, meaning the perspective about ghosts is different for us. That's the difference between other horror films," he added.

Meanwhile, becoming a film producer was Rezky Aditya's dream since 13 years ago, when he was still 25 years old. Starting to get leading roles, he was interested in producing his own films.

"Yes, because I work in the entertainment field, I am also an actor. So at that time I really wanted (to become a producer), to see my bosses like Mr. Manoj Punjabi and Mr. Leo Sutanto, back then where I worked. "Wow, someday I have to be like them," said Rezky.

Wife's Support for Producer Career

Together with his wife, Citra Kirana, Rezky has decided to create his own production house (PH), which is named Keene Entertainment in 2021. The goal is clear, to produce his own films.

The PH's name is taken from his son, Keene Atharrazaka Aditya. He hopes that his production house can be an inspiration, just like his son who is his inspiration.

"Because he (child) is also my inspiration, yes. So I and Citra and all my friends also agreed with that, 'I think the name of your child, the first one, Keene Atharrazaka Aditya'. 'Okay then'," said Rezky.

“In the end, we took it from his first name, Keene. Because his nickname is Athar, people rarely know his name Keene," he continued.

Being a producer, Rezky admits, is very different from being an actor. For him, acting is his comfort zone, but producing films is a challenge in itself.

"What's clear is that I've been playing (acting) for a very long time, from 2004 and I'm still playing. In this film (Hantu Baru), I played, so that's my comfort zone. And now being a producer I'm definitely not comfortable yet. Because at first there must be adjustments, there is still a lot of confusion, there is still a lot of questions So this is indeed a new thing, which is challenging for me," he said.

Unlike the opinion that a producer needs big funds, Rezky sees many things that must be taken care of, from ideas to broadcast.

“At first I thought being a producer means wearing cool clothes in the office, right? Keep coming up with ideas and imagination, keep creating an atmosphere, create things, and protect the players. I thought that was all, yes, it turned out that there were many obstacles in the field and in post-pro. That's all that the producer bears, it's more burdensome," he said.

Even though he felt that the producer's work was heavier than what he had imagined, Rezky said that he was not at all given up. For him, what he went through was the beginning for him to learn and understand more.

He said he felt something different when he saw the audience's response while watching the film. As a producer, he feels more satisfied than when he became an actor.

"I'm also happy at the premiere, special screening, the audience laughs. That turned out to be 'Oh like this huh'. It turns out that a producer feels happier when people laugh, nervous about whether this film will sell well or not. That's the fun part of being a producer," said Rezky.

In fact, for his first film, Citra Kirana's husband had already prepared himself if the worst scenario happened in his first film, it didn't sell well enough.

"To be honest, this Hantu Baru, even though I have tried as optimally as I can, but after all this is my first work, so there are definitely a lot of lessons that I can take from this first project," said Rezky.

"And even if, God forbid, this doesn't live up to expectations, yes, this is a lesson. But still, I try as optimal as I can, and in the future, we will try again. We will try again with better and better conditions until I can be good," he continued.

In the upcoming project from Keene Entertainment, Rezky hopes to produce a romantic comedy film.

“I really like cute romantic comedy films, cute couples but still romantic. I really like it, yes, someday I want to make it," he said.

However, with his dreams of becoming a film producer, it does not mean that Rezky has quit his job as an actor. He did not close the door to continue acting, even on projects in other production houses.

“If after this I have to do soap operas again or do movies elsewhere, that is totally possible. Not that I just have my own PH so I'm just focusing here. That's not the case either," concluded Rezky Aditya.

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