In anticipation of the DVD release of "Merantau", I would like to talk a little about the leading actor in this action film and how an ordinary truck driver who studied Silat since childhood was lucky enough to become a real star of the Indonesian film and Indonesian action cinema in general.
Iko Uwais (Iko Uwais), actor and fighter, was born on February 12, 1983 in Jakarta, Indonesia. His real name is Uwais Qorny, Iko is just a stage name (pronounced "Iko" not "Aiko" in Indonesian). Yuwais is the ancestor of the Betawi (native Jakartans). He began studying the traditional Indonesian martial art of Silat at the age of 10 at the Tiga Berantai Silat School, where his uncle taught, using the characteristic Betawi style of Silat. In 2003, Iko won 3rd place in the local Jakarta tournament, and in 2005, first place in the national Silat championship in the “best demonstration performance” category.
Apart from Silat, Yuwais has only one passion - European football. As a midfielder for an Indonesian B League club, due to its bankruptcy, Iko had to give up his dream of becoming a football star. Meanwhile, thanks to his skills in Silat, he was given the opportunity to travel abroad with several exhibition performances in the UK, Russia, Laos, Cambodia and France.
In 2007, the talented young man was noticed by Welsh director Gareth Evans, who was filming a documentary about Silat at the school where Uwais studied. Natural charm and photogenicity became decisive factors - Evans asked him to take part in the casting for the main role in his first feature film, Merantau. After signing a 5-year contract with Evans and his firm, Iko quits his job as a driver for the telephone company.
In his screen debut, Iko played the role of a young Minang named Yuda. A new style for him, Silat Harimau (tiger Silat), was taught to him by master Edwel Datuk Rajo Gampo Alam. The Indonesian premiere of "Merantau" took place on August 6, 2009. The film was shown at various film festivals in Asia and America and received extremely positive reviews. You can find some of them at this label.
Iko Uwais's next project will be a new film by Garret Evans, which I will briefly talk about in the next publication.
thank you, I liked it very much