Indonesian Religious Romance Series ‘Santri Pilihan Bunda’ Is An Ultra-Popular Gen Z-Conservative Values Clash Based On A Wattpad Hit — Global Breakouts

Sara Merican
·5-min read

Welcome to Global Breakouts, Deadline’s fortnightly strand in which we shine a spotlight on the TV shows and films killing it in their local territories. The industry is as globalized as it’s ever been, but breakout hits are appearing in pockets of the world all the time and it can be hard to keep track. So we’re going to do the hard work for you.

This week, we go to Indonesia and take a look at a religious romance series with a “Gen Z twist” Santri Pilihan Bunda, which has emerged as local streamer Vidio’s most popular title in 2024 so far. Conservative values clash with progressive views in a show that’s based on an uber-popular Wattpad series

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Name: Santri Pilihan Bunda
Country: Indonesia
Streamer: Vidio
Producer: Vidio, Screenplay Films
International sales: Vidio
Where To Watch: TBC
For fans of: Gen Z programs, My Nerd Girl 2

Based on a Wattpad story by Salsyabila Falensia Agustian that notched 54 million reads, Santri Pilihan Bunda sits at the crossroads between conservative and progressive views, and between the perspectives of the younger and older generations in Indonesia.

It tells the story of Aliza (played by singer-musician-actress Naura Ayu), a progressive college student from a conservative family who dreams of continuing her studies abroad. Due to a misunderstanding with her mother, Aliza is forced to accept the reality of having to enter into a ta’aruf (Islamic courtship via an arranged marriage) with an Islamic boarding school student, Kinaan (played by Fadi Alaydrus), chosen by her mother.

Santri Pilihan Bunda also stars Teuku Rassya, Sarah Sechan, Irgi Achmad Fachrezi, Alika Jantinia and Ika Dihardjo. It has racked up more than 25 million plays on the platform. The show is produced by Screenplay Films and directed by Angling Sagaran.

“We have to kind of teeter between spiritual and cultural elements of the show and ask how these are relevant to the characters and their growth,” says Anthony Buncio, producer of Santri Pilihan Bunda and Senior Vice-President of Streaming at Screenplay Films. “Aliza’s character is a bit unconventional and she is rebellious, but then through her faith and meeting Kinaan, she finds herself.

“It is pretty progressive in the beginning and eventually we weave in some of the more conservative parts, but without being too heavily preachy. We’re not going against any values, but we want to put values into perspective, allowing the audience to question and think about the relevance of these to their lives.”

On taking on the role of Aliza, Naura Ayu said: “I was a bit scared because people may think that I don’t deserve to be the character. The story and the character are pretty famous and I felt pressure because Aliza and I are polar opposite, but I felt trusted and challenged. This is a very beautiful story and I know that people might perceive things differently. A lot of Gen Zs are discussing about religion, also in part because of the series, so I feel like we’ve made a good impact.”

Ramadan release

Screenplay Films first acquired the rights to Santri Pilihan Bunda in 2022. Producers at the production outfit decided to pitch the story to Vidio after finding out that the streamer was looking for shows to be released during the month of Ramadan in 2024. Debuting in mid-March and running through April, the release came during the Islamic holy month.

“We never did something like this before and with the religious aspect, we didn’t want to take it lightly,” says Keke Mayang, the series’ producer and story editor. “We really needed to adapt this story well because during the Ramadan month, people actually try to avoid watching lovey-dovey romance kind of things. During the religious month, most of the series released are usually about family, so we focused on the romance between these two young characters. People accepted that and related to the show.”

Getting the tone right was something that Mayang and Buncio spent a lot of effort on, alongside Vidio’s original series team. From Buncio and Mayang’s perspectives, the success of the show can be attributed to the timing of the show’s release, as well as the “fresher spin on a very familiar genre.”

“The religious genre is heavily produced in this country from free-to-air television to movies, but this one gave a very intergenerational and Gen Z perspective,” says Buncio. “There’s also a certain authenticity to the show when you watch it, like when Aliza is laying in bed complaining about something, it feels like quite a Gen Z thing.”

Mayang adds: “Even though it’s about young people falling in love through ta’aruf and starting a new family, it has also become an attractive show to the older generation. Forty-something-year-old mothers and fathers also watched and enjoyed the show.”

“Aliza’s parents question if they’ve done something wrong because she’s not the perfect daughter that they wanted her to be,” says Buncio. “It’s very Indonesian in that sense. But we see that Aliza is not going to give them the answer as it’s up to them as parents to find it.”

Another element that contributed to the show’s success was the solid chemistry between Naura and fellow actor Fadi, which generated a lot of comments about “couple goals” among the show’s viewership. Both stars previously acted together in another Vidio original series, titled My Nerd Girl 2.

Naura points out that the show’s popularity might also be attributed to its “baper” style, using a contraction of the Indonesian slang bawa perasaan, meaning overly emotional and sentimental. “Gen Zs in Indonesia love something that is baper or something that is cheesy. That’s what we served and that’s what makes it popular.”

Looking ahead, Naura shared that she would like to be part of a musical project in future, which will allow her to combine her singing and acting careers. “Growing up, I used to be in musicals and I’ve loved Broadway since I was a kid,” she says.

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