Asri Welas Shares That She Was Once the Subject of Gossip to the Point of Tears

"So this Tonggo Cocote is for my own life, whether I like it or not, I am definitely being judged, by netizens, by the press, and maybe by the neighbors," said Asri Welas when met in the Cilandak area, South Jakarta, on Tuesday (15/4/2025).

The 45-year-old actress could not hide her emotional feelings when discussing her personal experiences. She feels that many people judge without understanding what she is actually facing in life.   "Because you are not in my shoes, so I want to cry about what is happening in my life, I actually don't want to. But it happened," she said.  

Asri also realizes the changes that have occurred in herself over the past few years. This could be the reason why some people throw negative comments at her.   "So maybe the reason why others comment is that they might have seen Asri Welas like this before, but now she is different," she said.

From her experience playing Bu Pur, Asri actually gained valuable lessons. She learned the importance of restraining oneself from meddling in other people's affairs, because no one truly knows the background of each problem.

"It means being very involved in other people's affairs, because we actually don't know. I learned that we don't know the background of everyone's problems," she explained.

In addition to building her character emotionally, Asri was also required to practice the language for this film. Although she is known as someone deeply rooted in Javanese culture, she still had to relearn because the Javanese used in this film comes from a different dialect.

"The Javanese in Solo is very different, even though there are many Javanese people, we have a language consultant so that we don’t say the wrong things to those above us or below us," he said.

The film Cocote Tonggo tells the story of a couple, Luki (Dennis Adhiswara) and Murni (Ayushita), who own a fertility herbal medicine shop but have not been blessed with children. Their life becomes the subject of gossip among neighbors because it is considered inconsistent with the image of the products they sell.

This couple makes various efforts to save their reputation and the continuity of their family business. From there, conflicts arise that wrap the story with humor as well as social messages that are relevant to everyday life.

This film also features a lineup of other famous actors and actresses. Some of them include Bayu Skak, Sundari Soekotjo, Ika Dihardjo, Devina Aureel, Marwoto, and Yati Pesek. Directed by Bayu Skak, Cocote Tonggo is scheduled to be released in cinemas across Indonesia starting May 15, 2025.