Asri Welas Recalls Guruh Soekarnoputra: The Poem 'Mercusuar' She Once Claimed as Hers in High School

Actress Asri Welas has revealed a small episode from her teenage years that turned out to involve the late Guruh Soekarnoputra. Speaking at a funeral home in South Jakarta on Saturday (26/9/2026), Asri recounted that she had once been praised by her high school teacher for writing a poem titled "Mercusuar" — even though the work was not hers.

"My teacher said the poem was really good and asked who wrote it. I said I did," Asri said, adding that Guruh had actually written it. She admitted that at the time she was pressed by dance rehearsal schedules, while the poetry assignment remained unfinished. Guruh, seeing how busy she was, took over the task.

The story is not mere nostalgia. It marks a pattern of relationship rarely revealed behind Indonesia's art stages: a mentor who stepped in directly to handle technical matters, including the schoolwork of his protégés. Asri joined GSP Production (Gencar Semarak Perkasa), the arts community founded by Guruh, at the age of 11. Regular rehearsals were held at Guruh's residence on Jalan Sriwijaya 26, South Jakarta.

In the interview, Asri also described Guruh as a father figure. "I lost my father at 17, so Mas Guruh was like my father," she said, holding back tears. This admission shows that Guruh's role was not limited to arts training, but also emotional care for the young artists who trained under his wing.

"Come here, I'll do it. It's just that simple." — Asri Welas recalled, imitating Guruh Soekarnoputra's words as he wrote the poem for her.

In Guruh's final days, Asri and senior actress Christine Hakim made a video call to encourage him to recover soon and return to his work. That hope was not fulfilled; the youngest son of Indonesia's first president passed away in the early hours of Saturday.

For the Indonesian public, Guruh's passing marks the end of a generation that bridged the worlds of politics and the performing arts. GSP Production was not just a studio; it became a space for shaping discipline, character, and networks for young artists from various backgrounds. This kind of mentoring model is rarely found anymore in an arts ecosystem increasingly driven by short-term commercial projects.

From the creative industry's perspective, figures like Guruh served as guardians of talent sustainability. He did not only produce dancers or musicians, but also actors such as Asri Welas who later built careers on the big screen and television. The presence of a mentor with personal commitment is the differentiating factor between mere technical training and long-term career formation.

The remaining question: who will take on a similar role after Guruh? Regenerating an arts community requires more than an inherited name; it demands rehearsal space, funding, and a figure willing to show up every day. Without that, stories like the poem "Mercusuar" risk becoming memories without successors.