Friendship knows no language.
This is one of the reasons why US teen drama Pretty Little Liars became such an international sensation.
In addition to the bumper ratings throughout its seven-season run, which ended in 2017, the drama about four estranged friends reunited by a mysterious villain spawned international adaptations in India and Turkey.
The latest territory to provide its own spin is Indonesia, which recently premiered on the online platform Viu.
Whether you are fan of the original or a newcomer, the bahasa Indonesia version is as entertaining as it is fascinating.
Not only do the panoramic shots of oceans and lush greenery of its Bali setting inspire serious travel envy, but some of the themes tackled also provide interesting insights into world’s most populous Muslim country.
Faithful but local
It’s also a showcase of talent from an industry that rarely receives international attention.
Then again, that is not something that would really bother Indonesian television creatives. With a population of 267 million people to service, the industry has been buzzing for decades.
As such, the industry has developed a no-nonsense approach to production. Case in point: this version of Pretty Little Liars was shot in true Indonesian style, with all 10 45-minute episodes shot in the space of 41 days.
“It was a challenge and you always have to come prepared,” confirms Shindy Huang, 25, who plays one of the four friends, Aria.
In addition to the tight schedule, Huang recalls the initial pressure of adapting such a much-loved series.
"In a way, I was expecting to be judged because many people have watched the original and already have a mental image of how everything is supposed to be and look like," she tells The National.
“But eventually, you just focus on the work. The show is pretty faithful in certain aspects and when it comes to my character, I remain loyal to her essence. But this version is localised, so what were are doing with our characters is showing them within an Indonesian context.”
This means certain hot-button societal topics were introduced, while certain themes from the original series were discarded or modified.
The series also has a strong anti-bullying message on and off-screen, with actors Anya Geraldine (Hanna), 24, and Yuki Kato (Alissa), 25, publicly detailing their experience of being bullied due to the former’s weight and the latter’s Japanese heritage.
It captures the spirit of Bali
When it comes to shooting in Bali, Huang says the island was not chosen for its idyllic surroundings.
Long viewed as a tourist and trade hub, the freewheeling vibes of the Balinese locale is in line with the carefree nature of the characters.
If the show was set in the more conservative Indonesian capital of Jakarta, she states, none of the characters would ring true.
“The show still has a lot of western touches,” Huang says. “And Bali has always been a place where people in Indonesia can be more expressive, daring and bold. That freedom of Bali is similar to the spirit of the characters of the show.”
While that is the case, Huang says there are still lines not to cross.
She details how the Indonesian version of Pretty Little Liars toned down the romantic scenes of the original in order to adhere to local customs.
“There is no PDA [public displays of affection] because the idea here is that these things should remain behind the curtain,” Huang says. “But everyone understands romance and love, so we translated that in a local way.”
A new opportunity for Indonesian talent
More than the significant online buzz at home and international audience on offer for Pretty Little Liars, what gives Huang the most satisfaction is the chance to shine among the pack.
If you are an actor in Indonesia, she says, then the hustle is real as it is an industry built on tight and enduring partnerships.
Huang hopes the arrival of Viu into the landscape can act as circuit breaker that shows local television and film executives the country is full of untapped talent.
“When it comes to my experience – and this just based on what I have seen – it is normally the same actors being cast because that’s what the market wants. So with platforms like Viu coming here, it gives us more of a chance,” she says.
“But at the same time, the industry is getting much healthier. Ten years ago, I would not have an opportunity to play this role, so it is getting better and better."
Pretty Little Liars is available to stream on Viu. More information is available at www.viu.com
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The%20Genius%20of%20Their%20Age
%3Cp%3EAuthor%3A%20S%20Frederick%20Starr%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20Oxford%20University%20Press%3Cbr%3EPages%3A%20290%3Cbr%3EAvailable%3A%20January%2024%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Frida%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECarla%20Gutierrez%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Frida%20Kahlo%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Your rights as an employee
The government has taken an increasingly tough line against companies that fail to pay employees on time. Three years ago, the Cabinet passed a decree allowing the government to halt the granting of work permits to companies with wage backlogs.
The new measures passed by the Cabinet in 2016 were an update to the Wage Protection System, which is in place to track whether a company pays its employees on time or not.
If wages are 10 days late, the new measures kick in and the company is alerted it is in breach of labour rules. If wages remain unpaid for a total of 16 days, the authorities can cancel work permits, effectively shutting off operations. Fines of up to Dh5,000 per unpaid employee follow after 60 days.
Despite those measures, late payments remain an issue, particularly in the construction sector. Smaller contractors, such as electrical, plumbing and fit-out businesses, often blame the bigger companies that hire them for wages being late.
The authorities have urged employees to report their companies at the labour ministry or Tawafuq service centres — there are 15 in Abu Dhabi.
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
