Unique Tricks of Hanung Bramantyo Directing Child Actors, Muhadkly Acho Until Feeling 'Tense'

"Ali and Zahra are indeed made for each other, but the difference lies in the location and, what can I say, the outfits; everything is made to be more Indonesian," said Faradina Mufti when met in the Kuningan area, South Jakarta, on Monday (13/4/2026).

Meanwhile, Muhadkly Acho described the character of the principal that he plays as having its own color. Unlike the original version which might be more dramatic, Hanung added a unique situational comedy touch so that the atmosphere isn't too tense.

"Also, there's a little added comedic color where Mas Hanung has the principal character like to use rhymes for everything. So there are some differences from the original principal, maybe to avoid being over-dramatic during school," Acho revealed.

One thing that left a deep impression on Acho's heart is how Hanung Bramantyo directs the child actors, Jared Ali and Humairah Jahra. To evoke genuine feelings of sadness, Hanung often employs clever psychological tricks without hurting the feelings of these young main actors.

"Sometimes Mas Hanung enters the room and pretends to be angry at the crew to create a tense atmosphere so that the child also feels like, 'Wow, I'm not the one being scolded, but why does the atmosphere feel like this,'" Acho said regarding the director's tactics.

The effect is truly extraordinary, where the young actor can naturally shed tears due to the atmosphere created on set. This made Acho feel amazed and touched to see the dedication of the production team in maintaining the emotions of the child actors.

"So he was immediately triggered again, suddenly his tears just came out all at once. So it’s not just about the child, but it turns out to be around, but this child can have an impact without having to cause trauma," she added in amazement.

The acting prowess of this young actor is also acknowledged by Faradina, who finds it very easy to build chemistry with them. She mentioned that Jared Ali is a very critical and professional child, even though he has to go through a busy shooting schedule until late at night.

"Ali is such a critical child. Critical. So when the director says this and that, 'Do I really have to do it like that?' So he can question back. 'I shouldn’t be this sad.' Wow," Faradina concluded, admiring the talent of her young co-star.