Buya Hamka - A multifaceted persona
“Kalau hidup sekadar hidup, babi di hutan juga hidup. Kalau bekerja sekadar bekerja, kera juga bekerja (If living is merely living, even a pig in the forest lives. If working is merely working, even a monkey works).” - HAMKA
Haji Abdul Karim or famously known as HAMKA is not an uncommon figure in Malaysia. I grew up reading his works. Teguran Suci dan Jujur Terhadap Mufti Johor, Peribadi Hebat and Tenggelamnya Kapal Van Der Wijck are amongst the indelible, awe-inspiring magnum opuses that have profoundly influenced my thought in many aspects of life.
More interestingly, I even had a chance to have a conversation with his son, Buya Afif – HAMKA’s junior who resides in Jakarta a few years ago. During the conversation, we delved into various aspects of Buya Hamka's work, his impact on Indonesian society, and his enduring contributions to the Nusantara region. Also, Buya Afif generously shared the untold story of Tenggelamnya Kapal Van Der Wijck, shedding further light on the novel and its issues.
And there was something he said I could vividly remember up until today, “Buya Hamka itu punya 10 anak, yang ke - 11 itu ada di Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim namanya (Buya Hamka had 10 children, and the 11th child is in Malaysia named Anwar Ibrahim).”
To put it nicely, his works and ideas are like a compass of my journey, guiding me through unfamiliar territories of thought with phenomenal precision.
When I heard that a movie depicting his life will be screened in Malaysia, I be like, “Oh no, this is the moment I can finally feast my eyes upon it.”
So, let’s delve into this movie more deeply.
‘Buya Hamka’ the movie is directed by a prominent director, Fajar Bustomi. Wait, who doesn't know Fajar Bustomi? If I simply mention Fajar Bustomi, many would probably have no idea who this person really is. But if I say, Dilan 1991, Dilan 1992, and Milea, indeed, everyone knows this. Yes — he is the director of those movies.
It lines up prominent actors including Vino G. Bastian as Buya Hamka, Laudya Cynthia Bella as Siti Raham and Reza Rahadian as Tjokroaminoto.
Buya was a relentless religious scholar, a poetic writer and a great orator who endured his life with numerous obstacles and challenges. It starts with a scene of Buya who is physically ill, spending his 2-year solitary confinement during the brutally authoritarian President Soeakarno administration. He was awoken by a prison officer as his wife (Siti Raham) came to pay a visit and bring his favourite meal, fish head curry.
Later on, the plot continues with Buya’s life in his early era as a writer and a Muhammadiyah’s driving force in Makassar, and that’s the focal point of his life where all the trials and tribulations started to come through.
As a layman, I may not have deep knowledge to analyze the intricacies of colour grading and cinematography, but I can definitely share my personal impression of how they enhanced the movie's experience. The colour-grading seemed carefully chosen to flashforward works during that era. Similarly, the cinematography showcased visually striking the magnificence of Pandang Panjang, HAMKA's birthplace.
HAMKA’s determination and perseverance are well-presented, especially in his contributions to expanding Muhammadiyah’s boarding school to increase the literacy of the people at that time. His preaching contains the pearls of wisdom that we often hear including the one I highlight at the top.
Also, the role of the wife, Siti Raham is something I truly love. It shows how a supportive and understanding wife becomes HAMKA’s strongest backbone in enduring his challenges. The demise of his son, while he was not in town, was one of the heart-wrenching moments he had to encounter thanks to Siti Raham being on his side in every critical situation.
It’s worth mentioning that his romantic and witty side adds another dimension to his character including the funniest one when he was proposed to marry a young girl. The way he rejected it was so polite and demonstrated a high level of face-saving approach – this was my favourite scene.
The dialogue and lines towards his wife create touching and memorable moments in the film, allowing the audience to witness the undivided love and sweetness of their relationship. From here, we could learn that he was not just an erudite Islamic scholar but also a loving, romantic and charming husband.
As the last scene ends abruptly (you must watch why this happens), I couldn’t restore emotional balance, leaving me contemplating the far-reaching of HAMKA’s contributions towards religion, literature and society. Great work!
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