Indonesian Guntur Triyoga will set hearts a-flutter with his role in the HyppTV series Mr Delicious
IF you’re a fan of the hit US TV drama series Grey’s Anatomy, you’d be familiar with character nicknames such as McSteamy and McDreamy.
Well, if Americans have their McDreamy and McSteamy, over on our shores we have Mr Delicious.
He’s no doctor — just a self-proclaimed “love doctor” for three of his female best friends. He constantly gives them advice on love as they’re always out of luck when it comes to finding Mr Right. Things, however, get complicated later on but that makes it all the more interesting.
This comedy/drama TV series of the same name on HyppTV, which premiered last Wednesday, stars Indonesian Guntur Triyoga as Mr Delicious (Aiman) and Malaysian actors Kila Fairy (Zaraa), Reen Rahim (Fina) and Ieda Moin (Zita). Supporting cast include Zaidi Omar (Datuk Rashid) and Erwin Shah Dawson (Farouk).
SHOULDER TO CRY ON
If you’ve ever been in a situation where you find yourself and your best friend having a crush on the same person, or if your friend suddenly confesses that he or she wants to be more than a friend to you, this TV series has all that and more!
Zaraa, Fina and Zita share a best friend, Aiman. Having been friends since secondary school, all three girls promised one another they will never have romantic feelings for Aiman.
It was initially easy as none of them thought of Aiman as “their type”.
But their journey in finding their Prince Charming brings them more heartbreak than happiness.
Aiman becomes their shoulder to cry on and he starts falling for each of them.
One by one, the girls have a crush on Aiman too but because they value their friendship over everything else, none of them confesses their true feelings.
Deep down, however, the girls want to win Aiman’s heart.
NEW KID ON THE BLOCK
The name Guntur may not ring a bell compared to Indonesian actors such as Nicholas Saputra and Dian Sastrowardoyo, who both starred in the hit movie Ada Apa Dengan Cinta 1 and 2.
But some may be familiar with Guntur, for he has starred in Astro’s telemovie Antara Cinta, Mimpi Dan Bintang with actress-singer Marsha Milan Londoh in 2012.
With dashing good looks and boyish charm, this 28-year-old is well on his way to become the next big star here.
“I was a little nervous when I was offered the role of Mr Delicious. Aiman is of Malay and Indonesian parentage, but I was required to be more Malay than Indonesian.
“And that meant speaking fluently in the Malay accent. That was hard for me.
“Also, it was my first time working with the cast so I really didn’t know what to expect.
“Thankfully, despite being the new kid on set, everyone welcomed me with open arms and we clicked right from the start,” said Guntur.
As for the challenge of the Malay accent, he said Kila and the cast guided him when he didn’t know how to pronounce certain words.
The Jakarta-based actor lived in Kuala Lumpur for three months when filming the TV series.
Guntur feels blessed that he can adapt to the working culture here.
In fact, he has been offered several acting projects, so Malaysian TV viewers will be seeing more of him.
“It feels great to venture into a film industry outside of my own country. I hope that other producers will notice my work and talent so that I’ll be able to further my career here,” he said.
KILA ON GUNTUR
“Honestly, when I was told that I would be acting alongside Guntur, I had no idea who he was. I’ve never heard of him before!” said Kila, whose real name is Syakila Nisa Jahangir Khan.
“It also made me a little anxious because of the language barrier.
“But when Guntur came on set, he was so eager to learn to speak in the Malay accent so that made it easier. He is also not one who is shy to ask for help.
“Even though he is fairly new to all of us, he blended well and creating the chemistry onscreen became a breeze,” added Kila.
On her character Zaraa, Kila said she’s fun, sassy but she can be a little childish at times.
“Of the three girls, Zaraa is the ‘baby’. It was difficult to portray Zaraa but it felt good to have the freedom of acting out Zaraa’s different personalities. That was fun,” she added.
Mr Delicious marks Kila’s first TV series for the year.
“I haven’t been able to take on any acting projects since my focus is on my singing career. I’ve also been busy managing
my clothing line, Rack,” said Kila who recently collaborated with US singer Sean Kingston in her single Put The Word In, out by year-end.
ZITA AND FINA
Reen, who plays Fina, said: “My character is a strong and mature woman. It was difficult for me to deliver, compared to, say, a psychotic character.
“This TV series appears to be a light TV drama-comedy but there are positive messages in it.
“The main theme is friendship. Towards the end of the story, things get emotional and viewers learn what friendship is all about, and the sacrifices that come along with it,” said Reen.
Ieda, who plays, Zita said: “My character is the oldest of the trio. She’s successful and over-the-top in everything she does, whether it’s the way she talks and dresses, or her make-up.
“Each of the girls has her strengths and weaknesses but they complement one another. “It’s not just a story about three girls fighting over a man — there is more to it than that.”
“A lot of us can relate to these characters. I love the friendship between the three girls and Aiman. It’s exciting to see what will happen in the end.”
Mr Delicious airs every Wednesdays and Thursdays on HyppSensasi (HyppTV channel 116) and HyppTV Everywhere (HyppTV mobile app)
DELICIOUS FACTS
•Mr Delicious executive producer Wan Rozita Aladad Khan reveals that the series will be adapted into a novel (instead of the other way round, as is the norm).
•HyppTV had Zul Ariffin and Syukri Yahya in mind as Mr Delicious but they were unavailable. The role went to Indonesian Guntur Triyoga.
•Several episodes of the drama series were filmed in Istanbul, Turkey.