Titi Handayani Rajobintang, known by the name Titi Sjuman during her marriage to Wong Aksan, is an Indonesian actress and musician.
Biography
Titi was born on 10 February 1981. She is fond of sports and never wears skirts. In high school, she supposed to study economics but she switched to drums because she wanted to do something "different". She furthered her drum studies at Farabi Music School and Daya Music Institute. After graduation, she performed at the Java Jazz Festival; she also performed with artists such as Ruth Sahanaya. Titi made her feature film debut in Djenar Maesa Ayu's 2007 filmMereka Bilang, Saya Monyet!. She was initially contracted to provide a soundtrack for the film with her husband, Sri Aksan Sjuman, Maesa's brother. However, Maesa later asked her to take the lead role; after being cajoled by her husband and sister-in-law, Titi accepted. Aksan told her "in a kissing scene, when kiss a man, body should not reject it". In 2010, Titi starred in Minggu Pagi di Victoria Park, a film about immigrant workers in Hong Kong. For her role, she met with immigrant laborers in Indonesia and Hong Kong to "get a deeper understanding" of the role. That same year, she and her husband provided the soundtrack to Tanah Air Beta. Although there were some scheduling conflicts, she was able to complete both. In February 2011, Titi took her first role as an antagonist, appearing in Rindu Purnama. She disliked the role as she disapproved of her character's actions. Later that year, she and her husband composed the score to Sang Penari, a film based on the Ronggeng Dukuh Paruk trilogy by Ahmad Tohari, over a period of a month and a half.
Inspirations
Titi enjoys the work of American composer John Williams, citing his works on Star Wars, Memoirs of a Geisha, and Home Alone as some of her favourites.
Awards and recognition
Titi has won the first annual Extra Joss Awards in November 2000. Eight years later, she won two Indonesian Movie Awards for Best Actress: Her first was Best Newcomer for Mereka Bilang, Saya Monyet, while the second was for her role in Minggu Pagi di Victoria Park. Her role in Mereka Bilang, Saya Monyet! garnered her a Citra Award at the Indonesian Film Festival for Best Actress, while Titi and her husband won a Citra Award for Best Soundtrack for the 2009 filmKing. She has said that receiving awards is a bonus which drives her to work harder.
Personal life
Titi was married to fellow musician Sri Aksan Sjuman, who was one of her instructors at Farabi. They often collaborate on writing film scores. The couple have a daughter. Titi is sister-in-law to writer-cum-director Djenar Maesa Ayu. She filed for divorce from Aksan on 14 February 2013. They were divorced by March 2013.
