Film 'BABY UDON' Present, Denny Sumargo Becomes Producer and Actor Hajime Kondoh

Kapanlagi.com - BABY UDON is officially introduced as the first feature film production of Sumargo Films. Collaborating with LYTO Pictures and director Fajar Bustomi, Denny Sumargo is directly involved as a producer while also portraying the character Hajime Kondoh, with Caitlin Halderman entrusted to play Fanny Kondoh.

The poster and trailer for BABY UDON were presented to the media at XXI Senayan City, Jakarta, on Monday (3/8/2026). The film is scheduled to be released in theaters on September 3. This project tells the true story of the couple Hajime and Fanny Kondoh, who are already known to the public.

The meeting between Fanny and Denny Sumargo in 2025 on the podcast Curhat Bang marked the beginning of this film's development.

"At first during the podcast, I didn’t know who he was, I just knew he went viral. Viral for buying a grave after getting married. Viral for giving out charity. But his clothes were quite revealing. That’s what I initially knew," explained Denny.

1. Production Collaboration and Cast Lineup

BABY UDON marks the first step for Sumargo Films in the realm of feature films. In the process, this production house partnered with LYTO Pictures, with Fajar Bustomi taking the director's chair.

In this project, Denny Sumargo takes on a dual role as producer and lead actor. He plays the character Hajime Kondoh. On the other hand, Caitlin Halderman plays Fanny Kondoh.

Initial promotional materials in the form of posters and trailers were launched at a media event at XXI Senayan City on Monday (3/8/2026). The film is scheduled for release on September 3. The poster and trailer launch event was also attended by filmmakers and the main cast of Baby Udon.

2. Starting from Curhat Bang: The Viral Story of the Kondoh Couple

The idea for BABY UDON originated from Fanny Kondoh's appearance on Denny Sumargo's podcast Curhat Bang in 2025. From that meeting, the story of Fanny's struggles with her Japanese husband, Hajime Kondoh, became widely discussed in Indonesian society.

In public, Fanny is known as a content creator who often shares donations with street workers. During the podcast opportunity, Denny admitted that he initially only knew Fanny through the viral stories associated with her.

Behind that image, Fanny and Hajime went through In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) to conceive. While waiting, Hajime was diagnosed with a quite aggressive cancer. Denny recounted the story he heard from Fanny on the podcast last year, that Fanny diligently donated to appeal to God's heart for her husband's healing. Hajime was later declared deceased before Fanny gave birth to their child.

3. Emerging PH Offers, Fanny's Choice Falls to Densu

The viral episode of Curhat Bang featuring Fanny has led to her being contacted by many production houses in Indonesia. At the same time, Denny Sumargo admitted to having a hunch that the story was worthy of being adapted for the big screen.

"So, in that podcast, I suddenly said something. My intuition told me. This would be great as a movie. It turns out that intuition happened after the podcast. She was contacted by many PH (Production Houses)," Denny revealed.

Fanny did not immediately accept every offer. She stated that she did not want her life story to simply become a viral film. Fanny then prayed and sought guidance to determine which production house to choose.

"I prayed to Allah, O Allah, I have been approached by so many PHs, show me which one I should choose, and the answer was with Densu," Fanny stated.

(kpl/kin/ums)