Remember AFI? We Tracked Down the Stars of Indonesia's Biggest Idol Show to See How Their Dreams of Fame Turned Out

There are two things every Millennial kid used to do on Saturday nights: crying in front of the TV and borrowing our parents' cellphones to frantically send the text message “AFI (space) CONTESTANT NAME” to 3977. Akademi Fantasi Indosiar (AFI) was not Indonesia's first reality show, but it was in a class of its own. Way before Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter became the place where celebrities gained their fame, there was AFI. AFI adapted parts of the the Mexican idol show La Academia and Malaysian one Akademi Fantasia to create a cultural phenomenon. It was the VOICE for an Indonesian audience, and it hit our televisions a full year before anyone thought to localize the hit US show American Idol. AFI lasted for five years. But did it actually mint stars?

We caught up with AFI finalists more than a decade later to find out how the show changed their lives.

VICE: What keeps you busy now? Do you still sing?
Kia: I've been living in the US for five years now. Currently I live in Washington DC, as a supervisor at H&M. I participated in musicals back then, so now in the States I tried my luck by singing at the Ikatan Ilmuwan Indonesia Internasional (I4), and then I checked out some performing art schools. I enrolled in Broadway Dance Center. Now I teach the kids in Indonesian Embassy in DC. I teach them how to sing. How real were the Diary AFI segements?
In the dorm, we didn’t know that there were cameras. It was only later, when we looked in the mirror, that we realized that there were cameras behind it. And apparently there was some guy smoking inside. We thought it was just some CCTV. But after we knew there were cameras, we changed in a way, we became more reserved. Was the competition tight in the asrama?
In the asrama (dorm) we weren’t competitive at all. We became competitive when the fans were invited. In a way there was some jealousy among us. After the fifth week, those who had been eliminated were invited to the show, and they looked really cool. Back in the grand finale of AFI 1, you were compared to Veri, who won first place. How did you react to that?
Becoming the second best isn’t so bad, it was actually the beginning of my career. It wasn’t so bad also because of the taxes. Veri got a car, I got a motorbike. So I had to pay less taxes, so in the end I was left with more cash. [Laughs]

VICE: We still find your name in the news a lot. But you never give any interviews, what’s going on?
Veri: I’m disappointed with the media who write clickbait headlines with irrelevant content. Meanwhile, they don’t know who I am, or what my life is like. I've refused to give an interview for the past three years because the news about me has been misleading. This is my first interview in three years. Do you still sing now?
Now I run a catering business at my manager’s house. We make the food by order. I still sing sometimes, off air. More off-air than on-air. Do people still know you as Veri AFI?
A couple of years back I had a vocal group for a children’s 'edutainment' program. And even when I was with Sunshine [the name of the pop group], people still saw at me as Veri AFI. We once asked our producer, Andi Januar, 'How long do we get to use the AFI moniker?' He told us that the twelve of us were [hired under a] contract, so we could use the AFI moniker. So, we could use the moniker for as long as we want, it wouldn’t be a problem with Indosiar. Because people know us as Lastmi AFI, Smile AFI, Rini AFI, Veri AFI. How did you feel when all of a sudden you got very famous?
I was surprised, of course. People these days are so ready to get into a competition and become famous. I wasn't. I thought of it as a learning experience, so after the competition and I thought I would return to my village with more skills and knowledge. What surprised me was that I became a public figure. People know me. What did you learn about managing a career?
There are many ways to manage a career in the entertainment industry. I think we learn that from our seniors. But here’s what more important than such lessons, that I got during my time in AFI: psychological guidance. I was so lucky that we got a psychologist there, who helped us shape our mindsets. That’s when we learned about the kind of person we wanted to be. These days people participate in a competition to become famous. If they were to receive psychological guidance on their personalities, on how to deal with life, on accepting themselves, on finding out what they truly want, I think they could go far in life.

VICE: Hi, Nia, how’s it going? Do you still sing?
Nia: I still sing because it’s my hobby and passion. So, I always sing off-air whenever I have the chance. The other day I sang at a wedding reception, and also at a product launch event. I still sing off-air, but now I’m more focused on my business. I'm in the cosmetics business now. Word on the street is that you and Adit started dating when you were still in AFI? Now you two are married with two kids …
So, back when we were still in the asrama, we weren’t dating. We were just friends. Back then I already had a boyfriend, though in the end it didn’t work out because I was in AFI. Adit was one of the people there I was closest with, we talked a lot. Perhaps, like what the Javanese say, tresno jalaran soko kulino. Love comes from familiarity. We didn’t start dating even after AFI, even when we were touring around Indonesia. We started dating in December 2004. AFI was over in July 2004. We didn’t win, we didn’t make it to the top three, but we became the audience's favorite couple from Surabaya and got prizes as well. Some people say that joining AFI means instant fame. Did you ever feel lost after AFI?
The reason I don’t want to focus on the showbiz was because after the contract was over, I thought that the competition in the entertainment industry is too tight. There are many younger singers who are better at writing songs and playing instruments. I’m not very good with instruments. So I finished university instead. Alhamdulillah, I graduated cum laude and focused on my job. I was working at a good company in Jakarta for some time, and started my own. Did you notice any changes in yourself before and after AFI?
After AFI, I became more independent. I became independent personally, and independent financially. I was such a mommy's girl, I would go straight home from campus. I spent 12 years in Jakarta, and only returned to Surabaya after the birth of my second child. I became more independent financially, too. I could pay my own tuition, I could get my own house and my own car, and I was only 21 years old. So I’m very proud of what I have achieved. Personally I feel like I’ve improved a lot, otherwise I would’ve still been a 'house cat' who didn’t know anything. Do people still know you as Nia AFI? If yes, does it have its perks?
Automatically, the moniker AFI made it easier for me even now, 13 years after the show. Now even when I’m running a beauty business, people still know me as 'Oh, that Nia AFI.' So it has its perks, it has a positive impact. People still remember me, so it’s easier if I want to promote something as Nia AFI.

VICE: Do you still sing at all?
Rindu: Now I live in Jakarta. Ever since I got married, in 2011, I’ve been a full-time housewife and mother. Dropping my kids off at school, picking them up from school, et-cetera. My first daughter is 4 and a half years old, the second one is 2 and a half. I no longer sing. How did AFI change you as a person?
I don’t think I can ever forget that experience, and how it affected my life. For example, I used to just scream when I was singing, but in AFI I got vocal lessons. But when I was in AFI I was pushed to be more independent. Ever since then I’ve been supporting myself and I live in Jakarta with my own money. What was the most memorable event from AFI?
The elimination night. I was so sad for weeks, not because I was eliminated but because I had to leave my friends. We were like family. Other than that, it’s when the 12 of us went to Bali for a vacation! It was my first time on a plane. What are the impacts of having the moniker AFI behind your name?
AFI had and still has a huge influence in my life. When I say I’m Rindu, people would ask, 'Rindu from AFI, right?' And apparently people in Bandung go to the salon to get my haircut. But sometimes it gets tiring to hear AFI being compared with other similar competitions on the other TV stations. For example, I’m always compared with people from the Idol, or KDI [Kontes Dangdut Indonesia]. It’s not a negative story, but it’s sensitive.

VICE: Hi, do you still sing?
Sutha: Now I work as a video director, and in the future I want to work on music videos and in the digital industry. I work on commercials too. I studied film, so it’s only logical. Now I write more songs, and sing for singles and commercials. I still sing off-air too, at weddings. Do people still recognize you as Sutha AFI?
Yeah, I’d say so. People still say, 'Do I know you from somewhere?' when they meet me. Kids these days probably won’t recognize me, though. I’m lucky that I’m not defined by that, because since my contract was done, I was already working for an FTV on a different TV station. So some people might know me as an actor, not a singer. What changed you, before and after AFI?
With AFI I got to visit cities other than my hometown, to meet a lot of professionals who were willing to spend time on helping me. The biggest stars back then became my friends. The way I see people, the way I treat people, changed. How real was the show?
What I’m about to say could burst the bubble for some people or perhaps people already know it. You saw it on TV that the asrama was very strict. It was a reality show, but it was a show nonetheless. What you saw on Diary AFI everyday… it was fake. Because we needed the drama to boost our ratings, so some things were scripted. I was once told to pick a fight with Alvin. I think it affected the audience. It was a lie, but the audience didn’t know. My dad was furious to see that I was fighting, but I told him, 'It’s all scripted, Dad!'