The best Rhoma Irama’s movies

Rhoma finds Camelia, a desperate girl attempting suicide, as she can no longer bear the physical and emotional torture from her stepmother, Joice, who accuses her of stealing a diamond. After being saved, she becomes good friends with Rhoma. Rhoma invites her to live with him by disguising her as a mute boy. But Rhoma’s mother sees through this disguise and throws her out of the house. Rhoma returns home after signing a contract for a show. He manages to convince his mother to accept her back. Then he searches everywhere for Camelia but he cannot find her. Sadly, Camelia has been tricked by Joice’s friends into being a prostitute. In the brothel, Camelia sees her stepmother. Rhoma reports Joice to Camelia’s father, who then informs the police. Joice is arrested and Camelia goes home with Rhoma’s mother.

There is a street food stall in a village where unemployed men hang around, singing and gambling. Ani’s parents and Heri’s father, a judge, are angered by the gambling. But Rhoma, son of a poor widow, often sings his self-composed songs there, as he is still unemployed. A friend suggests that he should go to a recording company. He succeeds and his songs are hits. Then Heri falls in love with Ani, Rhoma’s girlfriend. So he conspires with the friends that he often gambles with at the eatery, and when Rhoma tries to help a hostess who has been killed, he is instead accused as the murderer and jailed. In the end, the true murderer is discovered, and Rhoma and Ani can be together again.

The major success achieved by dangdut musician, Rhoma Irama, makes his siblings, Deddy and Herry, want to follow their brother’s footsteps. Coincidentally, the two brothers have twin girlfriends, Ela and Eli. The love of the two couples is so deep that when the parents of Ela and Eli want to match one of the twins to another man, they refuse. For Deddy, the challenge does not only come from Eli’s parents, but also from someone attracted to Eli. It hurts Deddy to witness Herry holding the hand of his girlfriend, Eli. Then Rhoma steps in to resolve the problem of his brothers.

Rhoma tries to pull Ratna out of her dark life. Ratna’s pimp opposes the attempt. In a fight, Ratna is stabbed with a knife. Rhoma is shaken and advised to go to the village to rest. There, he falls in love with Sumi, the village beauty. Misfortune also falls on her when she is attacked with sulphuric acid that ruins her face. Returning to the village, he is surprised to find a woman who is similar to both Ratna and Sumi.

Rhoma’s father, Subrata, a businessman living in Bandung, expects his son to be an Economics graduate. Rhoma instead pursues his love of music, which is considered lowly by his father. This often causes conflict between them and Rhoma is finally thrown out of the house. So Rhoma travels to Jakarta and calls himself Budi. He lives with a group of street musicians and when one of his friends is seriously ill and needs money for medical treatment, his father rejects his call for help. So he grabs the bag of Ani, who is looking after his father’s paperwork. Budi pays for his friend’s treatment and returns the important papers to Ani. Budi’s friend dies, but Ani and her parents sympathise with him. Budi is hired as a personal driver for Ani. Love grows between them. Meanwhile, Subrata follows his wife’s suggestion to match Ani to Rhoma, with the hope that Rhoma’s attitude will change after marriage.

In a neverland, King Wasit Aron organises forces to reclaim his throne that was seized by Abu Garin. The greedy Abu Garin is not satisfied, as he still wants to marry Wasit's daughter, Tirza, and get Wasit’s sacred stone. The battle between their two forces continues to go on. Then, King Wasit meets Rhoma, a wanderer who is always carrying a guitar. After the wanderer shows his power in fighting and his skill in healing the wounds of the King's daughter, Tirzah, King Wasit and his followers are successfully persuaded by Rhoma to convert to Islam.

Rhoma Irama and his girlfriend, Kartika (Yatie Octavia), are affected by a disaster. Rhoma accidentally kills a woman with his car. Apparently, the woman is the sister of Ikang Fawzi, a rock star. The tension between Rhoma and Ikang intensifies.

Rhoma and Ricky not only have a different taste in music but also differ in the way they live. Rhoma tries to promote Dangdut music and has a religious life, while Ricky likes rock and has a reckless and free lifestyle. Ricky, who is also a good boxer, joins the group, Apache, and becomes the lead. He becomes angry when he hears that Rhoma’s music group has a successful performance in Jakarta. Ani, who was a singer in the Apache group, starts to change. She prefers Rhoma and is getting tired of all the drinking and drunkenness. Rhoma and Ani start dating and get engaged. Conflict between the two groups becomes heated. Rhoma is tortured and his hand crushed so he cannot play guitar anymore. Wounded, Rhoma goes to a teacher in a secluded village. Here, his wound is healed and he is taught martial arts. After returning from the village, he finds that Ricky is raping Ani. So a final fight ensues, and this time it is Rhoma’s turn to crush Ricky’s hand.

Rhoma is too preoccupied with his music, which makes his wife, Ani, feel neglected. Then Ani falls ill and suffers from blindness. Concerned for his wife’s condition, Rhoma leaves his music and starts to look after livestock in the village instead. Pursuing a business that he knows little about is difficult. Then other farmers dislike the competition he represents that leads to disputes and fights. Finally, Rhoma decides to return to the music world.

Rhoma, aka Budi, a vagabond again, is hit by a motorcyclist on a rainy day. Budi is taken back by friends and treated. Meanwhile, Ani finally finds the sick Budi. They then meet often causing Surya to become suspicious and he finally catches them together at Budi’s place. Ani is forced home. Budi urges his friends to stop playing music on the street like beggars. He becomes a taxi driver while some of his friends sell newspapers or work as construction workers. Then Budi disguises himself with a thick moustache and sunglasses and goes to Ani’s house as a piano teacher. Now Ani and Budi can be together freely in her house. Meanwhile, a taxi passenger hears Budi singing to himself and offers musical instruments that he just bought. Budi forms a dangdut (traditional Indonesian music) group with his friends and calls it Soneta, which quickly gains success.

Jaka Swara witnesses the slaughter of his parents by John Da Costa’s gang, a Portuguese who still controls a remote area. Jaka Swara painstakingly learns martial arts to seek revenge. When Fatma, is held captive by Da Costa, it spurs Jaka into action. Rhoma Irama’s rôle as Jaka is somewhat different from his norm due to the nature of the action film. He sings five songs for the romantic scenes.

Rhoma and Rika have a steady relationship. But it is hard for Rika to refuse her father’s request for her to study abroad. Rika and her best friend, Ani, both hide each other’s respective boyfriends as Ani had a bad relationship experience in the past. On Ani’s birthday party, something unexpected happens when both, Rike and Ani, discover that they have the same boyfriend. Rika then concedes that Ani is the one for Rhoma so she fulfils her parent’s expectation to continue her studies abroad.

The people of Pandanwangi village are upset at news that their land will be appropriated by a large conglomerate. Conflict over the land emerges and escalates between the villagers and representatives of the conglomerate. The villagers have come to view the situation as more of a matter of morality than of land ownership after finding out that a bar and billiards center will be built there. The head of the village’s Islamic boarding school, H. Murad, who is assisted by H. Rhoma, attempts to influence the villagers to refuse to sell their land. Eventually, the charismatic religious leader KH Zainuddin MZ succeeds in mediating the conflict, and even influences the conglomerate owner, Bustomi (WD. Mochtar), to rethink his plans. The land conflict theme of this film is interesting in that it reflects the social issues arising out of the rapid pace of development of the time. This may be Rhoma Irama’s best film, even though it was not very popular.

Rhoma Irama and his Soneta Group visit various regions to preach religion. He receives both warm welcomes and accusations of commercialising religion. This challenge becomes Rhoma’s struggle. He tries to persuade his fellow professionals to avoid drinking and women. He also manages to help his future father-in-law who almost rapes Laila, his own daughter, in a drunken state. Despite opposition from the Al Muthainah college, Rhoma manages to convince them that music can be used as a means of preaching. Rhoma sings no less than seven preachy dangdut songs in this film.

Ridho, who is studying overseas, is called home by his father, Rhoma Irama, to continue his struggle of giving "a new style" to Dangdut music. But Ridho is undecided about going back to Thufa, his love from junior high school or to stay with his new love, Haura, an Australian college student who is researching dangdut music. Meanwhile, Thufa is asked by Delon, a talented young singer, to get engaged. Their lives are complicated by Bruto, an obsessive fan of Rhoma Irama, the king of dangdut of Indonesia.

Structured as a film within a film, Rhoma Irama and his girlfriend, Aida, are hired to make a film by Leo and his right hand, Richard. While Rhoma has several shows in the same city, Leo pursues his criminal activities. For him, moviemaking is a camoulflage for his crimes. Richard, who is still in love with Aida, tries to separate Rhoma from the girl. While filming a scene, Rhoma is stabbed for real. While Rhoma is in hospital, Imron, a Rhoma impersonator is introduced. Then a scenario is written for Richard to get Aida. Later, Rhoma impersonates Imron and pulls Imron’s girlfriend Nina out from prostitution. Finally, Rhoma is able to solve the whole drama and Aida is back in his arms. Rhoma’s songs, which are his trademark and selling point, continue to be used.

Rhoma (Rhoma Irama), succeeds in rescuing a young woman, Maya (Ria Irawan), who was forced into making pornographic movies by a gang led by Santos (Leroy Osmani). This causes tension between Rhoma and his wife, Aida (Ida Iasha), who misunderstands the situation. In the meantime, Rhoma is abducted by the Santos gang to exploit as a partner for Maya in a pornographic film. Everything turns out all right for Rhoma, Aida and Maya.

Even though he has become successful with many fans, Rhoma remains modest, is still religious and listens to his parents. But Ida, a fan of his, has been sending more than 100 letters to him. Rhoma sympathises with her and falls in love. Meanwhile, Ida’s mother is a poor widow who sells gado-gado (traditional Indonesian salad). Rhoma’s mother wants him to marry another girl, Mira, who has a higher social standing. Rhoma rejects his mother’s choice and both mother and Mira, mock Ida and even tries to consult a shaman. Rhoma does not like Mira’s "modern" attitude. When Mira has an accident and Ida helps her, her attitude changes, and Ida and Rhoma end up marrying each other.

The wedding plans of Oma and Ani are shattered due to the presence of Ir. Dana in the plantation where Ani’s father works. As her father is ambitious and wants a higher position, he wants Dana to become Ani’s husband. Ani works in the plantation as a secretary and Dana is interested in her but she does not reciprocate. Ami and Oma are having a long-distance relationship and things start to change when Oma does not come on her birthday. So she goes to Jakarta and finds Oma in the middle of persuading his singing partner, Shanty, who is sulking, to finish a recording. Suspicious and jealous, Ani goes straight home and decides to marry Dana. Oma is shocked to receive the invitation. He goes home and the root of the problem is uncovered.

While driving his car, Rhoma sees some car robbers in action. He notifies the police through radio and directly confronts the robbers. Shortly after, the police arrive and arrest the robbers. As a result, Rhoma and his wife are persecuted. Their son, Dedi, is kidnapped and they are asked for ransom. Rhoma does not inform the police for fear of his son’s safety. He carries the ransom by himself which they consider too small. They demand that Rhoma robs a bank. This incident shocks the public, especially when several newspapers label Rhoma as the ringleader. Rhoma is furious. He cooperates with the police to apprehend the gang of robbers.