Ratna Assan, the beautiful Indonesia-blooded girl who penetrates Hollywood. Artistic and artistic talent make it popular but dims in a short time.

Ratna Assan dalam sesi wawancara dengan Wimar Witoelar
"I just met the most beautiful woman I have ever seen," recalls Wimar Witoelar.

Wimar paused for a moment. His eyes looked upward as if imagining an encounter with Ratna Assan again. "Beautiful!" She cried again. "Compared to whites, the skin tends to be dark but when compared with the white Indonesians." Laughter was laughing from the man who is now 72 years old.

In the 1990s, Wimar was known as a prominent talk show hostess and former President Abdurrahman Wahid's presidential spokesman. To Historia, Wimar said his experience interviewed Ratna who was at the peak of popularity.

In the early 1970s, Wimar was assigned to California, United States to meet Ratna. At that time, Wimar was a student who nyambi as a television reporter for the show titled Report from America in Washington DC. The report from the United States is a production show of the United States Information Agency (USIA) on anyone concerning Indonesians in America.

"It was still famous Ratna Assan. The movie Papillon is playing. Papillon means butterfly, "said Wimar.

Wimar got a different impression when chatting with Ratna. "The impression is very different from what I see in the movie. The impression of home children is polite, good. Until I can not quite believe what he is. So his showbiz persona with the persona in his house is different. He's smart, "said Wimar.

Ratna Assan's name skyrocketed after starring in the film Papillon with Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman in 1973. Papillon became the most expensive film (12 million dollars) produced in his time. Ratna plays Zoraima, an Indian beach girl who helps a French criminal fugitive named Henri Charriere "Papillon" (Steve McQueen). In a scene, Ratna who appeared bare-chested roles with veteran actor Steve McQueen as a pair of lovers.

"I think this crazy, can topless. The movie is great. Exciting! "Wimar said.

Ratna's art talent declined from her mother. Ratna Assan was born on December 16, 1954 in Torance, California, USA, from Indonesian couples Ali Hasan and Soetidjah. His mother Soetidjah is better known as Dewi Dja, a dancer and choreographer who appeared in Hollywood production films.

From the age of three and a half, Ratna has been taught her mother to dance, sing and play acting. Dewi Dja often also include Ratna in several dance performances.

"Dja trained Ratna Indonesian dances daily and featured her as a star in her dance troupe called 'Devi Dja Far Eastern Ballet' and 'Devi Dancer' in the 1960s," said Matthew Issac Cohen in Performing Otherness: Java and Bali on International Stages, 1905-1952.

According to Cohen, Southeast Asian performing arts specialist at the University of London, Devi Dja plays a major role in delivering Ratna career in the American entertainment industry. Dja aggressively promotes Ratna playing roles in television series and movie studios. "Hope that Ratna succeeds, where Dja herself has failed there." Dja failed to penetrate Hollywood due to lack of fluency in English.

Ratna's professional debut starts at the age of seven. At that time, he performed a traditional Javanese dance in a musical concert at an amphitheater in the Hollywood area called the Hollywood Bowl. After that, Ratna began appearing on television, dancing and playing the little artist in the drama series Destry to Bonanza. He grew up as a cheerful California teenager and became a cheerleader during high school.

Growing up, Ratna blooms into an exotic exotic girl. Colombia Pictures, the production house working on Papillon soon brought him to play the character Zoraima, the female lead. Ratna Assan penetrates Hollywoood's stage.

"Someone who can and never play the same as Steve McQueen then included (artist, -red.) Is taken into account," said Wimar.

Papillon was a great success. The film earned revenue of 53 million dollars. He was also nominated for an Oscar for best music category and Steve McQueen won the best male actor award. Ratna Assan's name went soaring and became known to the American public.

"This is the newborn star, Ratna Assan. Miss Assan is a beautiful young woman who is 18 years old who also holds a brown karate belt, "reported The Milwaukee Sentinel, 30 November 1973.

Her stunning performance at Papillon drew Playboy to show Ratna in the pictorial section a year later. Ratna became the first Indonesian woman to appear in the famous adult male magazine. "Ratna Assan the butterly girl is not a familiar name, but her performance with Steve McQueen in Papillon makes her face and figure so familiar," wrote Playboy in February 1974.

The popularity of Ratna Assan did not last long. The star dims instantly. His career in the art world of Hollywood's role stagnated. What is the reason?

"Apparently Ratna is a spoiled child and has no ape's will

"Apparently Ratna is a spoiled child and does not have the willingness to climb up. The film contract was signed but he did not want to memorize the script. Or not exactly come to the place of filming, "wrote Tempo, October 16, 1977.

Ratna's name began to disappear from the entertainment stage when married to an American young man who works as a carpenter in Las Vegas. From the wedding, was born a daughter named Aisah Dewi. Ridna's household cucumber did not last long and ended in divorce.

It is not known exactly where Ratna Assan currently exists. "I wish I knew. Wallahualam, "Wimar said. "If he's still in the mortal world, I think in America."