Nani Widjaja Net Worth, Measurements, Birthday, Height, weight, Age, Family Facts & Life Story

Born in Canggu, West Java, Nani Wijaya was a name that the film director, Satie Indonesian did not want her to use. Her real name was Anita Widjaja, but her film industry professional name was Nani Widjaja, so she just went by Nani Widjaja in her acting beginnings. Nani later changed her name to Nani Wijaya after marrying another actor, Leijen Husain. In her early acting career, she appeared in a number of low budget movies that failed to capture the public’s interest. However, she was able to establish her name in the world of films when her first major role came in a drama entitled “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon”, a Chinese film directed by Luc Besson.

In this film, Nani Widjaja plays the role of Hoke Lin, an archaeologist who becomes involved in the search for a legendary figure from the Ming Dynasty, known as the Golden Phoenix. She meets Sun Yatseng, a Chinese Buddhist monk, during one of her many archaeological digs in Canggu. Together, they come across the tomb of the great Pharaoh, Khufu, and are told that this would be the key to the gates of the afterlife.

Nani plays the role of a researcher, excavating the tomb with Sun. During the excavation process, Nani sees a mysterious foreign body trapped inside the marble tomb. She frees the body, only to be attacked by some locals. Although one of the men tries to kill Nani, Sun is able to flee to safety in a boat, leaving Nani devastated. Nani then vows to kill anyone who enters the Valley of the Kings and begins a mission to find the Golden Phoenix, which has been sealed away for centuries.

Like many Indonesian movies, the film revolves around a love story between an American lady, who are played by Nani, and an indigenous Indonesian girl, played by Zia. The romantic relationship between Nani and Zia is often taken as sexual advancement between a Western woman and an Indonesian man (it is in Indonesian, after all), however Nani’s interest in Zia is based on her disgust for the way the locals abuse the villagers. This leads Nani to become determined to help the people of East Timor, who have been subjected to decades of brutal rule by the former regime. The film also shows Nani’s distrust and dislike for foreigners, which fuels much of the tension between her and Sun during their first meeting.

Like most Indonesian films directed by Ensla Malay, ‘Nani widjaja’ revolves around a gripping romance story that combines elements of horror and melodrama. Despite being released in 1998, it is still notable for its graphic depictions of war and killing. The movie is often taking multiple roles, with Nani playing Nani Widjaja, the mother of the two main characters; Cinta, who act as Nani’s assistant; and Sun, the film’s lead character. In one scene, Cinta finds herself shot in the leg. It is here where the film’s duality comes into play: while Nani cares for the dying Cinta – who is played by Zia’s daughter, Satya – in the last moments of the film, Sun sees her dead body lying on a bed in the house.

The late Ensla Malay is best known for her films such as ‘Kanyakum’ and ‘Usui Bambang’, but Nani Widjaja managed to stand out from the rest of her contemporaries through her poignant and powerful performances in ‘Nani widjaja’. Though not as successful as her previous films, ‘Nani widjaja’ nevertheless stands out for its riveting pace and its realistic portrayal of a typical Indonesian village. It is a masterpiece that Hollywood is yet to make. The late Ensla Malay is a must-see film November, if not the best film of all time.