Cover Mojoku Hilang is a story about love and hope
Mojoku Hilang is a story about love and hope
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Adipati Dolken, Mimi Lana and director Min Lim share how Mojoku Hilang became a heartfelt story about home and finding connection in unexpected places
Romantic comedies have long relied on familiar formulas: grand declarations, sweeping gestures and the inevitable happily ever after. Mojoku Hilang, however, takes a gentler route.
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Bringing together Indonesian star Adipati Dolken and Malaysian actress Mimi Lana, the cross-border production uses romance as a starting point, but ultimately tells a story about family, identity and the search for where we truly belong.
For Adipati Dolken, the film's biggest draw wasn't an extraordinary character, but an ordinary one. "I think my character is just human," he tells Tatler Malaysia. "Being more human is actually more challenging to act. When you play somebody who's evil or eccentric, you have something to lean on. But somebody who's simply trying to do the right thing, that's much harder."
Above Mojoku Hilang finds its emotional weight in everyday moments
Mojoku Hilang finds its emotional weight in everyday moments
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Ironically, one of his toughest scene partners wasn't another actor at all. "Acting with a cow," he laughs. "How do you have chemistry with a cow?"
The animal quickly became one of the production's most memorable co-stars. Before filming began, Adipati spent days visiting the dairy farm simply to feed the cow and get comfortable around it. Once cameras rolled, the cast learned to adapt to the animal's temperament rather than the other way around—a fitting reflection of a film rooted in patience and sincerity.
Above Mojo and Adi
Above Mojo is undoubtably the star of the show
Mojo and Adi
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After a string of more dramatic roles, Mojoku Hilang also marked Adipati's return to romantic comedy. While lighter in tone, it presented an entirely different challenge.
"It's fun," he says. "I don't need to pressure myself to do something really hard. But even with fun characters, you still need to create small layers."
Those layers extended beyond the performance itself. Playing an Indonesian who grew up in Malaysia meant navigating the subtle differences between Bahasa Indonesia and Bahasa Melayu. The differences that proved far more complex than many expected.
Above Each character
Each character
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Director Min Lim admits the production underestimated just how different the two languages could feel despite their similarities, requiring dialogue to be adjusted so it felt natural while remaining authentic to Adi's background.
Helping bridge that cultural gap was his co-star, Mimi Lana, whom Adipati credits as one of his biggest supporters throughout production. "Mimi's a fun girl," he says. "She helped me a lot. I was always asking what certain words meant. She really supported me through everything."
The film's appeal went far beyond its romance for Mimi.
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"What attracted me most was the heart of the story," she says. "Mojoku Hilang may be a romantic comedy, but beneath the humour, it's really about family, dreams, belonging and finding your place in the world."
She was equally drawn to Ayu, who she describes as independent and resilient. “Ayu is someone who continues moving forward despite life's uncertainties, and I found that very relatable,” she says.
Mimi adds that the emotional honesty from her character is what she believes audiences will remember most. "At its core, Mojoku Hilang is about people trying their best while navigating love, expectations, and life's unexpected twists. We've all experienced moments where things don't go according to plan, and sometimes the most beautiful things happen because of that. I think people will see a little bit of themselves in these characters.”
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Rather than relying on larger-than-life romantic gestures, Mojoku Hilang finds its emotional weight in everyday moments. Something both leads embraced throughout filming.
Much of the production took place over nearly a month in Perlis, where cast and crew lived together, gradually forming friendships that mirrored the warmth audiences see on screen. "We really became a family," Adipati recalls.
Adding to the film's warmth is its setting, which became one of its greatest strengths.
"One of the most memorable parts was filming in the village and spending time with the local community," Mimi says. "There was such warmth and sincerity in the environment that it naturally became part of the film."
Above Mimi Lana as Ayu
Above Adipati Dolken as Adi
Mimi Lana as Ayu
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She also remembers the atmosphere behind the camera just as fondly. "I'll always remember the laughter on set. We worked very hard, but there was so much joy throughout the process, and I think that energy translated onto the screen."
That authenticity was exactly what Min hoped to capture. Rather than simply using Perlis as a picturesque backdrop, the production embraced the state's landscapes, communities and northern dialect, grounding the story in a place that feels lived-in rather than imagined.
The film was never intended to be just another romantic comedy. Min wanted to create a feel-good story built on universal themes of faith, sacrifice and community—ideas that extend beyond religion and resonate across cultures.
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Those themes shaped the film's approach to romance as well. Instead of relying on grand gestures, the relationship between Adi and Ayu unfolds through quiet conversations, lingering glances and moments of restraint, allowing emotional intimacy to grow naturally.
Those themes became deeply personal for Adipati; like his character, he found himself reflecting on family while filming, particularly during scenes involving Adi's mother. "There's some part that's really similar to my life," he says.
Filming took place for a month in Perlis
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Those emotions surfaced naturally in front of the camera, making Adi's search for belonging feel less like performance and more like lived experience.
Perhaps that's why Mojoku Hilang feels so refreshing. Beneath its gentle humour, understated romance and scene-stealing cow is a story about ordinary people searching for connection and choosing hope despite uncertainty. It’s discovering that home isn't always a place, but the people who make you feel like you belong.
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As Senior Lifestyle Writer, Aina writes across the lifestyle vertical, covering wellness, travel, arts and entertainment. Based in Kuala Lumpur, she previously worked at CLEO Malaysia, where she headed the lifestyle, culture and entertainment sections.
