Bastian Steel Reveals Challenges of Learning Javanese in 'SELEPAS TAHLIL', Became a Topic of Discussion During Reading

Kapanlagi.com - Bastian Steel makes a comeback to the big screen with the film SELEPAS TAHLIL which premieres on July 10, 2025. In SELEPAS TAHLIL, Bastian Steel will act alongside several actors such as Aghniny Haque & Epy Kusnandar.

As part of the promotion for his latest film, Bastian Steel visited the KapanLagi Office in the KapanLagi Show program to talk about SELEPAS TAHLIL in front of the Movievers community.

The 25-year-old actor then mentioned several challenges during the shooting of SELEPAS TAHLIL. One of them is the dialogue in Javanese which is quite difficult for him as someone who is not from the Javanese ethnic group.

"That's one of the challenging things too because honestly it's quite heavy since Javanese has many varieties, there is Central Java, East Java, and others, which have different languages and even different accents," said Bastian on KapanLagi Show recently.

"East Java but not fully Javanese, we still realize how to make it like Surabaya City, not completely Javanese," he continued.

1. So the Gossip

Due to difficulties and not being fluent, Bastian mentioned that he became the subject of gossip at the reading place because of this. When asked to practice a bit in front of the audience, Bastian referred to himself as only

"That became a topic of gossip too at the reading place because I didn’t know where to go with my answer," he said.

"What is it, ha-ha. I’m embarrassed myself. Just like that is a bit, yeah guys, just watch it in the movie. Bastian becomes Javanese, okay," he concluded.

2. Not a Regular Horror Film

This film has received praise since its Gala Premiere on July 6 due to its fresh approach, which is horror that does not come from outside the home, but from the people we trust the most. Not only does it send chills down the spine, SELEPAS TAHLIL also digs into old wounds in the parent-child relationship that never truly heal.

"This is not a regular horror film. Here, the ghost is your own father. And that is precisely what is most frightening," said Adriano Rudiman, the director of the film who is also known as the illustrator of Kambing Jantan.

The emotional acting from Aghniny and Bastian further strengthens the impression that SELEPAS TAHLIL is not just a supernatural story, but also a reflection of the inherited family trauma that is often hidden for the sake of reputation or love. In one scene, Saras is even possessed, risking herself to break the chain of curses passed down through generations.

(kpl/ums)