GAYA 2018: MERAKI

Eccentric, playful and mischievous, Nenek is very much unlike her daughter, Dhien. She fell ill when her husband was taken away from her by the Dutch. While she may seem uncontrollable, she exudes a sense of wisdom that nobody else possesses.

A renowned commander, highly experienced in warfare. Intelligent, firm and convincing, he is no stranger to taking risky and daring decisions for the sake of his success.

Hasan’s younger sister and Dhien’s student as well, she is rather playful, loud and loving. She enjoys making fun of Hasan, and pulls him back to reality whenever he speaks of his crazy ideas.

Despite his intimidating demeanour, the General is careless, impulsive and unorganized. Being the excessively narcissistic person he is, he carries a hand mirror around wherever he goes.

Although a fellow aristocrat, Adijaya is everything Dhien is not. Despite having enough, he is a greedy, manipulative and conniving man. He is more than willing to work under Dutch authorities in the name of personal gain.

A female figure who is known for her perseverance, courage and wisdom. She was born into an aristocratic family, and honored by the villagers due to her kind deeds. However, her life turned around following the Dutch colonial rule. Despite being haunted by her past, she doesn’t let anything stop her from what she believes she truly needs to do.

Being Dhien’s only daughter, she wishes to rebuild the connection with her dear mother whom she once shared a deep bond with. She is sweet, kind-hearted and emotionally vulnerable, yet she is tougher than she knows.

A charming man with the best intentions, he was Dhien’s childhood sweetheart. As the son of the village chief, his father sent him and the rest of his family away from Aceh to avoid the war. He eventually returns to Aceh for one purpose: Dhien.

Dhien’s 18 year-old student, Hasan is a big man with big dreams, and a big heart. Although he lost his parents during the war, his bubbly personality never fails to brighten the mood especially during hard times. He loves eating, and speaks his mind without thinking most of the time.

Even as Adijaya’s wife, she is not half as cunning as her husband is. She is ill-mannered, unpleasant, and speaks without fear of the consequences her words bring, as she knows Adijaya will always be by her side.