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Dono (comedian)

Wahjoe Sardono (EYD: Wahyu Sardono, 30 September 1951 – 30 December 2001), better known mononymously as Dono or Dono Warkop, was an actor, comedian, and lecturer from Indonesia. He was a member of the comedy group Warkop. Born in Delanggu, Klaten, Dono's career began when he was still a student at the University of Indonesia (UI), where he worked as a caricaturist and social activist. He was later chosen as a teaching assistant by the sociology professor at UI, Selo Soemardjan, and began teaching several general lectures as well as group lectures with Paulus Wirutomo.

After graduating from college, Dono began building his popularity with the Warkop group, which went on to star in 34 comedy films between 1980 and 1995. They continued their success through a television series from 1996 to 2001. In addition, Dono was actively involved in writing several novels and articles on social issues in the mass media until the end of his life. He passed away at the end of 2001 due to lung cancer.

Early life

Dono was born with the full name Wahjoe Sardono in Delanggu, Klaten, Central Java. He was the son of Tjitro Soedijono, a police officer, and his wife, Soenarmi. He was the only son among four siblings. Dono explained the meaning of his name as follows: "Wahyu" means God's grace, "Sar" signifies being born in the Great Month in the Javanese calendar (coinciding with the month of Dhu al-Hijja in the Islamic calendar), while "Dono" means gift. Therefore, literally, the meaning of his name is "God's grace as the greatest gift".

Dono attended SD Negeri 1 Kebon Dalem for elementary school and continued his education at SMP Negeri 2 Klaten. As a child, Dono admitted that he often got into fights because he was provoked by his friends. However, in each fight, he ended up mostly defending himself and deflecting punches from his opponents. He also once got swept away in a river while returning home after watching a night-long shadow puppet show. Moving on to high school, Dono attended SMA Negeri 3 Surakarta. During this time, he had to commute daily by bicycle tens of kilometers from Klaten to Surakarta for school. It was during this period that Dono's leadership skills began to emerge as he was entrusted with the position of head of the Student Council (OSIS). Initially, Dono aspired to become a doctor. However, due to not putting in enough effort, he reluctantly chose the social sciences stream during the selection process. After this, Dono changed his ambitions to become a journalist. Around this time, he also started diligently drawing cartoons and caricatures, as well as writing poems in attempts to get them published in several newspapers.

Career

Early career

In 1971, after graduating from high school, Dono chose to move to Jakarta and continue his education at the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Indonesia, majoring in sociology. Dono's younger sister, Rani Toersilaningsih, who later became a lecturer at the Faculty of Economics UI, mentioned that her brother opted for sociology because he enjoyed observing people, environments, and such, which he later expressed through his writings and caricatures. Dono's father initially preferred him to study political science, but Dono declined. Despite this, his father eventually supported his choice under the condition that he remained consistent and achieved success. Dono then became close friends with Paulus Wirutomo, although they were in different academic years. They competed by establishing independent student magazines that were not tied to campus bureaucracy. Funding for these magazines came from their own pockets, but they did not collaborate on the same publication.

Subsequently, Dono actively worked for several newspapers, including Tribun and Salemba, primarily as a columnist and caricaturist. Both print media ceased publication in 1974. In 1975, Dono was invited to join a radio program called Obrolan Santai di Warung Kopi Prambors, alongside Kasino, Nanu Moeljono, and Rudy Badil. In 1976, after Indro joined, they officially named their group on the show "Warkop Prambors". The program aired every Thursday night, discussing various trending topics of the time, especially politics and social issues. During his university days, Dono also joined the University of Indonesia's Mountaineering Student Group (Mapala UI) with Kasino and Nanu. Therefore, several Warkop films featured scenes depicting their activities as nature lovers.

Becoming Selo Soemardjan's assistant

In his fifth year as a student, Dono was appointed as a teaching assistant by Selo Soemardjan, a distinguished professor of sociology at UI. He reunited with Paulus Wirutomo, who had been appointed as a teaching assistant earlier. Together, they shared responsibilities teaching general lectures and group classes. The general lectures were typically aimed at new students and covered fundamental sociological concepts directly taught by Soemardjan. For group classes, the teaching assistant's role was to lead the sessions. When Soemardjan couldn't attend the general lectures, the assistants would take over. The appointment of Dono and Wirutomo as teaching assistants signified their intelligence and diligence, as Selo was selective in granting teaching opportunities to his students.

During his tenure as a lecturer, Dono was known for his firm and disciplined demeanor. One of Warkop's members, Nanu Moeljono, happened to be a student taught by Dono. Incidentally, Nanu did not pass the class taught by Dono.

Activism activities

In the student movements, Dono was known as a highly critical individual. In January 1974, he participated in street protests famously known as the Malari incident. During this demonstration, Dono and other students took to the streets to protest against Japanese economic dominance in Indonesia. The protest ended with the arrest of several UI students by security forces, including Hariman Siregar, who was the chairman of the Student Council at UI at that time. Additionally, due to Dono's boldness in creating caricatures that were deemed sensitive as they criticized the New Order government, his parents' home in Delanggu was visited by intelligence teams and police. Dono's father calmly explained that what Dono was trying to convey was a truth without any intention to subvert the government.

In 1998, Dono again participated in demonstrations alongside students. This time, he courageously confronted security forces attempting to enter Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia. Dono fearlessly faced the soldiers, using only a fire hose to protect thousands of students who sought refuge inside the campus. According to former Kompas journalist Budiarto Shambazy, Dono played a memorable role in the May 1998 demonstrations that led to the resignation of President Suharto. Dono was involved in preparing the framework for speeches, organizing visits to the Parliament, and strategizing various student demonstrations.

The peak of success with Warkop

Dono's busy schedule once caused his thesis to be neglected. He wrote a thesis on the extent of educational equity achieved in his hometown of Delanggu. Entitled Hubungan Status Sosial Ekonomi Keluarga dengan Prestasi Murid di Sekolah: Studi Kasus SMP Negeri Desa Delanggu, he successfully defended it in a research session held in 1978. Shortly after graduating with a sociology degree, he began to leave his job as a lecturer to focus on the entertainment world with the Warkop comedy group. At that time, Warkop began venturing beyond radio broadcasts through the show Terminal Musikal produced by Mus Mualim and aired on TVRI. They also received numerous offers to perform outside the city.

In 1980, Warkop's first film titled Mana Tahaaan... was released. The film achieved great success during its screening period in cinemas. Between 1980 and 1995, the Warkop Prambors comedy group, later renamed Warkop DKI, starred in 34 comedy films and one docudrama. During this period, Warkop typically released only two films timed for Eid Al Fitr or Christmas and New Year holidays. However, Warkop films could not be marketed internationally due to copyright issues, particularly concerning the use of Henry Mancini's instrumental song The Pink Panther Theme without permission. Warkop also released 12 compilation albums of comedy and songs, collaborating on two of them with the Pancaran Sinar Petromak and Srimulat groups.

Behind his success as a comedian, Dono once received a scholarship offer for postgraduate studies in the United States, but he declined to avoid disrupting the Warkop group's formation due to his absence for studies abroad. Behind the scenes, Dono had a three-year feud with Kasino from 1988 to 1990, stemming from differences in views regarding Warkop's future goals. Nonetheless, they maintained professionalism while working with Indro, who acted as a mediator between them.

Outside the entertainment world, Dono often found time to be a freelance writer for several print media outlets and served as a guest lecturer in public lectures organized by universities. He also continued his hobby as a cartoonist using the pen name "Titi Kusumawardhani" (his wife's name). Additionally, Dono wrote his first novel titled Balada Paijo, published in 1987. The novel portrays the life of a village youth who is overly critical upon his first arrival in the city. Until his death in 2001, Dono had written a total of five novels. His last novel, titled Senggol Kiri Senggol Kanan, was published in 2009, shifting from themes of youth life to issues concerning the marital problems of an employee.

Dono also served as a producer and screenplay writer for the film Peluk Daku dan Lepaskan, released in 1991. In the film, Dono used the pen name "Ario Damar" (taken from his first son, Andika Aria Sena, nicknamed Ario, and his second son named Damar Canggih Wicaksono). After the release of Pencet Sana Pencet Sini in 1995, Dono, Kasino, and Indro agreed to stop making films as a sign of solidarity for the Indonesian film industry. At that time, the Indonesian film business was declining due to the abundance of adult-themed films and the influx of foreign films, particularly from Hollywood, Bollywood, and Hong Kong. The Warkop group then transitioned to television through the series Warkop DKI (later renamed Warkop Millenium after Kasino's passing in November 1997). Dono remained part of the series until his death in 2001.

Style

As actor

At the outset of his career, Dono portrayed the character of Slamet, depicting a simple and naive Javanese man during his time on Radio Prambors. When he transitioned to acting in films, he continued to embody Slamet in the initial trilogy: Mana Tahaaan..., Gengsi Dong, and Gede Rasa. In Gengsi Dong, it was revealed that Slamet's full name was Raden Mas Ngabei Slamet Condrowirawatikto Edi Pranoto Joyosentiko Mangundirjo Kusumo, originating from a wealthy farming family in his village. Meanwhile, Gede Rasa portrayed Slamet facing the consequences of dropping out of college and struggling in Jakarta.

It wasn't until the production of Warkop films was taken over by Parkit Film and later Soraya Intercine Films that Dono began portraying the character "Dono". Dono's character was depicted as consistently unlucky in daily life but remarkably fortunate in attracting beautiful women. In a 1995 interview, Dono humorously remarked that if his character faced excessive misfortune in the films, audiences might not watch them, hence his frequent pairing with attractive actresses. Initially dubbed "Si Bemo" early in his film career due to his resemblance to the bemo public transport vehicles, Dono initially found the nickname offensive when director Nawi Ismail coined it during the filming of Mana Tahaaan... However, he eventually accepted it as part of the occupational hazards of being a comedian.

Indro, another member of Warkop, revealed that Dono was the creative force behind the Slamet and later Dono characters. Dono intentionally crafted these characters, drawing inspiration from his background as an intellectual. Indro emphasized Dono's perfectionism in portraying these roles, noting his rigorous research before performances or scriptwriting sessions. Dono often refused to engage in spontaneous comedy if requested, underscoring his commitment to thorough preparation. Despite their comedic success, Warkop attempted a brief departure from their usual formula by collaborating with directors Chaerul Umam and Ami Prijono on more serious-themed films like Sama Juga Bohong and Jodoh Boleh Diatur. However, these experiments failed to meet box office expectations, as acknowledged by Kasino, who attributed Warkop's film market challenges to their reliance on using women as mere embellishments.

Renowned filmmaker Garin Nugroho praised Dono's character for injecting a unique flair into every Warkop film. Despite the perceived stagnation in plotlines, Nugroho suggested audiences continued to enjoy the films due to Dono's portrayal as the hapless victim of Kasino and Indro's antics. Additionally, author Wiwid Prasetiyo highlighted Dono's distinctive character as integral to Warkop's identity, suggesting the group felt his absence more keenly after his passing compared to Kasino's. Reflecting on Dono's comedic style, author Darminto M. Sudarmo observed that Dono's public humor often delved into beautiful political satire, a contrast from his film roles. Tempo magazine also compared Dono's comedic delivery to Benyamin Sueb and Charlie Chaplin in 2005, noting Benyamin's superiority in verbal wit during comedic performances.

As writer

Dono used mass media as a means to convey social criticism. Unlike his naive portrayal in films, Dono emerged with fresh and intelligent ideas in his articles. He realized that humor is often perceived merely as a tool for entertainment, both by the lower and upper-middle class. However, he believed humor could also serve as a means to deliver social critique. Dono also acknowledged that the interest in reading in Indonesia is still low. He disagreed with the necessity for a comedian to deliver comedic material using scripts that are often copied from others rather than originating from the writer's own thoughts.

Dono began his career as a novelist in the late 1980s. During that period, humorous themed books were popular. Therefore, Dono's novels always contained elements of humor. Nevertheless, he maintained his critical approach to media as a tool for conveying social messages. Writer Putu Wijaya, in his review for Tempo magazine, mentioned that Dono was able to craft storylines well in his novels. He also praised Dono's flowing and spontaneous writing style. However, Wijaya criticized Dono's tendency to portray overly dominant main characters and frequently place female characters as complements to the story. Ayuni Rianty and Etmi Hardi, in their chronology journal titled Pengaruh Jiwa Zaman dan Latar Belakang Penulis Dalam Dua Karya Novel: Laut Bercerita dan Dua Batang Ilalang, highlighted Dono's writing style which they considered neutral. Despite often satirizing the New Order regime, Dono attempted to remain impartial and unbiased in constructing the storyline depicting the encounters between students and the government in the novel Dua Batang Ilalang, published in 1988. Writer Udo Z. Karzi stated that he had difficulty following the plot of Warkop films, which he found lacking in humor, but he could follow the narrative presented in Dono's novels. Writer Saddam Cahyo, in his review of the novel Senggol Kiri Senggol Kanan, noted that Dono indirectly embodied the slogan "laugh before laughter is banned" in his works, subtly criticizing the government regime of that time.

Personal life

Family

Dono met his future wife, Titi Kusumawardhani, during their student years at the Faculty of Social Sciences (FIS) UI. Long before Dono attended junior high school, his family once played a supernatural game called "jailangkung" and asked about Dono's future spouse. The mystical doll mentioned Dono's destined partner as Titi Kusumawardhani from Madiun. Coincidentally, in adulthood, he found his beloved exactly as foretold by the "jailangkung". Dono and Kusumawardhani married in 1977 and were blessed with three children: Andika Aria Sena, Damar Canggih Wicaksono, and Satrio Sarwo Trengginas. Kusumawardhani passed away in 1999 due to breast cancer.

Illness and death

Dono's health began to decline in 2000. Initially, he was diagnosed with tuberculosis that required him to frequently be hospitalized. Additionally, Dono was found to have a tumor in his buttocks. He underwent surgery to remove the tumor at Kramat Hospital in Central Jakarta in September 2000. By 2001, it was discovered that the tumor had spread to his lungs and liver, leading to a diagnosis of lung cancer.

From November 2001 onwards, Dono underwent frequent examinations for his advanced stage lung cancer. On December 29, 2001, he was admitted to Saint Carolus Hospital in critical condition. After experiencing three critical periods, Dono passed away on Sunday, December 30. His body was buried at Tanah Kusir Public Cemetery the following day. Initially, there were plans to bury Dono in Surakarta, but these were cancelled after considering that all three of Dono's children reside in Jakarta.

Legacy

Until now, people often refer to Warkop films as "Dono films". The Warkop team, represented by Indro, once tried to investigate this phenomenon by consulting a psychologist. Indro eventually concluded that the word "Dono" is easy to remember because it consists of two syllables and is also placed at the beginning of the abbreviation "DKI" associated with Warkop DKI. Some media outlets have also drawn comparisons between Dono and the British comedian Rowan Atkinson, noting similarities in their educated backgrounds and frequent portrayal of naive and foolish characters in both films and television series.

One of the members of the comedy group Bagito, Dedi Gumelar alias Miing, remembers Dono as a figure who was simple, practical, and highly spontaneous. Meanwhile, Deddy Mizwar referred to Dono as a comedian who could never be replaced by anyone else and acknowledged his contribution as a significant figure in the development of comedy in Indonesia. Taufik Savalas viewed Dono and his two Warkop colleagues, Kasino and Indro, as mentors when he began his career as a comedian. Eva Arnaz described Dono as an intelligent and humble man, while Nurul Arifin regarded him as the most sensitive person regarding social issues. During Dono's 70th birthday commemoration in 2021, solo comedian Ernest Prakasa reminisced about Dono as a comedian who not only entertained but also endeavored to voice the truth, especially in critiquing the government.

Dono's figure was revived in the Warkop DKI Reborn film series produced by Falcon Pictures. In the first and second films, Dono was portrayed by Abimana Aryasatya. Aryasatya expressed feeling "something extraordinary" while playing the role of Dono. Dono's family also praised Aryasatya, noting his strong resemblance to Dono. In the third and fourth films, Aliando Syarief took over from Aryasatya as the actor playing Dono. In preparing for his role, Syarief was willing to lose weight and also changed his appearance by shaving his eyebrows and eyelashes.

In 2021, the public was briefly stirred by the emergence of a comedy group named Warkopi, which was perceived as imitating Warkop DKI. One of its members, Sepriadi Chaniago, was noted for his resemblance to Dono. The group disbanded after receiving a legal warning from the Warkop DKI institution, the holder of the commercial rights to the Warkop comedy group.

During the 2024 Indonesian presidential election campaign, one of the presidential candidates, Ganjar Pranowo, recalled Dono through a T-shirt with the inscription "Join Us We Fight For A Clean Government". This T-shirt was previously worn by Dono during the Malari demonstration in 1974.