It's tough paying tribute to an iconic leader

IT doesn't usually bode well when a film is mired in controversy before its release - as happened when the filmmakers of the biopic Soekarno found themselves locked in a dispute with a daughter of Indonesia's founding father.

Media reports stated that Rachmawati Soekarnoputri - initially a business partner on the movie and also younger sister of former president Megawati Soekarnoputri - was unhappy with the choice of the actor who played the role of her father, and that the film was not reverential enough in its portrayal of the former president.

However, producer Raam Punjabi says the problem stemmed from a business disagreement and also emphasised that casting was entirely up to director Hanung Bramantyo. "We tried to explain to her, 'this is a tribute to your father'," says Raam, who was in Singapore for the movie's premiere this week. "I never met him but I am an admirer: his speeches, thought, movement all inspired me to be successful in life."