Indonesia : Hooq, the largest Video on Demand service in Southeast Asia, launches its first Indonesian original series – Brata, a new high-octane crime thriller produced in collaboration with Indonesia’s leading telecommunications company, Telkomsel. This launch comes on the back of a series of announcements underpinning HOOQ’s ambitious expansion in Southeast Asia’s largest market with both product and content manoeuvres including the largest line-up of FTA (free-to-air) channels on the freemium layer and the introduction of Pay TV channels through ‘skinny bundles’ for as low as IDR 3,300 per day.
The 6-episode series starring Oka Antara as Brata, will be released exclusively on HOOQ and Maxstream on 7 September. Set in Jakarta, one of the largest metropolitan cities in the world, the series follows the story of Brata, a gifted detective with a tragic past.Brata is notorious for his unorthodox methods — he’s tough and street-smart but also a man-of-the-people who possesses a photographic memory. Brata’s methods have solved almost every case that has come his way, yet he is still haunted by his past and the true identity of his father.
“Combining tremendous star power and a visual mise-en-scène that perfectly sets the stage for both nuanced human drama as well as thrilling action scenes, Brata is crafted specifically to be watched from the edge of your seat,” stated Jennifer Batty, Chief Content Officer of HOOQ. “We are extremely proud of our first Indonesian series and can’t wait for our viewers to immerse themselves in Brata’s world!”
Meanwhile Crispin Tristram, Vice President Digital Lifestyle of Telkomsel said, “We are very excited to be a part of this noteworthy collaboration. Telkomsel has consistently supported the empowerment of Indonesian creatives to hone their craft by providing platforms to amplify the reach of their creative work to the wider public, including filmmaking. This is in line with our mission in developing the digital ecosystem to give the best digital lifestyle experience to our customers.”
Moreover, HOOQ is Telkomsel’s strategic partner in delivering VideoMAX, a monthly video streaming subscription package offering video entertainment that are available through Telkomsel data package purchase for both prepaid and postpaid customers. “VideoMAX is a key initiative from Telkomsel in providing a variety of digital lifestyle services that suit the needs of customers,” added Tristram.
Guntur Siboro, Country Managing Director of HOOQ Indonesia, commented, “As our first Indonesian original series, our goal was to bring together the best talents across the local film industry to deliver an impeccable production for our customers’ viewing pleasure. I am proud to say that we have done just that and I am confident that our viewers will be exhilarated with the story of Brata!”
Star-Studded Crew Cut From Gold
Bringing to life the vision of the production crew is the cast. Winner of the Best Actor (2010) and Best Supporting Actor (2016) at Indonesia Movie Actor Awards, Oka Antara, plays the titular role of Brata. He previously starred in Killers, Sang Penari, The Raid 2, and in the upcoming and highly anticipated Foxtrot 6.
The dark, gritty and thrilling episodic also gathered industry heavyweights and up-and-coming film talents. Helming the series is show runner and creator ES Ito, writer of #republiktwitter as well as Indonesian thriller novel hits such as Negara Kelima and RahasiaMeede. The show is directed by Kuntz Agus and Michael Pohorly together with producer FauzanZidni.
The original series opens with Brata called to the scenes of a gruesome, ritualistic homicide – dismembered body parts adorned with Javanese cultural symbols hung on display in an old abandoned building just outside of town. In a classic Sherlock-Dr. Watson partnership, Brata works with his trusted friend Dr. Vera (Laura Basuski) to solve this mysterious case. What complicates the attractive duo’s partnership is the ruthless investigator’s desire for more than just a working relationship with Dr. Vera. As both his love life and investigations intensify, Brata finds himself unknowingly dragged into the corrupted world of power and status. The series takes a dark turn as Brata straddles between love, power and the truth, he is forced to battle internal demons of his past.Can Brata, the gifted detective, bring the truth to light? Catch Brata exclusively on HOOQ to watch the mystery unfold.
