THE death of actor Ashraf Daniel Mohamed Sinclair yesterday sent shockwaves throughout Malaysia and Indonesia.
Ashraf, 40, suffered a heart attack at his home in Jakarta early yesterday morning. He was later pronounced dead at Metropolitan Medical Centre in the republic’s capital.
He was buried at the San Diego Hills Memorial Park in Karawang, about 50km east of Jakarta, after Asar prayers yesterday.
A star in Malaysia and Indonesia, and husband of Indonesian actress/singer Bunga Citra Lestari, his passing triggered an outpouring of grief among fans in both countries.
His untimely death generated more than 300,000 comments on Twitter, with many sharing their grief over his demise.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail were among those who conveyed their condolences over his passing.
Throughout his 20-year career as an actor, London-born Ashraf had earned the respect of artistes in both Malaysia and his adopted home Indonesia, thanks to his work ethics, friendliness, humility and family values.
He first found fame in 1998 when at 19, he played a starring role in Petronas’ Merdeka advertisement titled Hero Tempatan (Local Hero) tog ether with award-winning actress Vanidah Imran.
The overwhelming popularity of the ad, one of the earliest works of the late Yasmin Ahmad before she ventured into films, ensured that the term “kasut Gombak” would forever be embedded within the local vernacular.
That memorable ad, which was made during the 1997-1998 Asian Financial Crisis, encouraged Malaysian consumers to buy local products, which were of good quality.
It landed Ashraf, the son of a pharmacist from the United Kingdom, his first film role in director Zek Zukry’s 2004 film SH3.
This coming-of-age film, which also starred Fasha Sandha and the members of pop groups Ruffedge and VE, saw Ashraf play Khairul,acollege student who excelled in skateboarding and wasarole model to his college mates.
A year later, Ashraf starred opposite Nur Fazura Sharifuddin in the hugely popular “girl power” film Gol & Gincu, directed by Bernard Chauly. Playing Eddy, the supportive love interest of the futsal-loving protagonist Putri (Fazura), he reprised his role in Gol & Gincu The Series, which was screened on 8TV from 2006 to 2007.
Ten years after that memorable Petronas advertisement, Ashraf would go on to star in Indonesian romantic comedy Saus Kacang.
This was also where he would meet the woman who would eventually become the love of his life, Bunga Citra Lestari. Bunga, four years his junior, played Dewi, a chef at a five-star Bali hotel who had a fiery temper.
Ashraf’s character Fredo was an annoying Malaysian tourist who often got on her nerves. Despite their constant bickering, Dewi and Fredo gradually fell in love, after law enforcers in Bali sentenced them to perform community service together for fighting in public and damaging public property.
Their on-screen chemistry eventually blossomed into love. The couple tied the knot on Nov 8, 2008 in Jakarta. The couple’s son, Noah Aidan Sinclair, was born two years later.
After his marriage, Ashraf divided his time between Malaysia and Indonesia. He and Bunga would typically spend half a year with his parents and siblings in Kuala Lumpur, and the other half in Indonesia.
His active social media presence let his fans in on the details of his daily life as a devoted father, son, brother and friend, and he was open with sharing his feelings with his legions of followers.
For instance, when his younger brother, director Adam Sinclair, tied the knot with singer-songwriter Yuna in January 2018, Ashraf said he was “so proud of them”.
“Yuna is a lovely girl. The love that she and Adam have for each other is beautiful, and she makes him very happy. We’re more than thrilled to welcome her into our family,” Ashraf had said.
His zest for the showbiz industry was rivalled only by his entrepreneurial spirit, with him setting up restaurants and gymnasiums in Indonesia, as well as producing a sell-out solo concert by his wife.
In 2017, Ashraf became a venture partner of 500 Startups, a global venture capital seed funder. It has to date helped fund more than 200 companies in Indonesia.
Despite his successes, Ashraf maintained that his “biggest achievement” was being Bunga’s husband and a father to Noah, whom he described as the loves of his life.
In a September 2017 interview, Ashraf said the key to his happy marriage was effective, two-way communication.
“Each day is an ongoing process of getting to know each other a little more deeply. We do not keep secrets and are always open and frank with each other.
“I feel that good communication is a key element in a healthy and lasting relationship, even more so after marriage,” said Ashraf, adding that his wife and son were his “soul mates”.
Prior to his death, Ashraf filmed Proksi, an action film about cybercriminals directed by Zulkarnain Azhar.
Set for release later this year, it has a star-studded cast whichincludes Datuk Rosyam Nor, Faizal Hussein, Siti Saleha Baharom, Bront Palarae, Remy Ishak, Sangeeta Krishnasamy and Susan Lankester.
He will also appear in J2: J Retribusi, the sequel to J Revolusi, alongside his old friend, Zul Ariffin.
His last Malaysian drama series was Dosa on Astro First in 2018.