Image via Complex Original
Worldwide Wednesday: The 10 Hottest Indonesian Women
Yesterday marked the 65th anniversary of Indonesia's independence. Of course, "independence" is a relative term; throughout the years, the country has been notorious for its ultra-conservative laws. There's the no internet porn rule (a.k.a. The Blue Balls Law), and strict regulations against indecency that keep its most publicly viewed female celebrities from over-exposure (no tank tops!). But despite these restrictions, Indonesian women have long been beating the system, and we have visual proof. Now, get a glimpse of Southeast Asia's best kept secrets: the world's 10 hottest Indonesian women.
#10. Acha Septriasa
Hometown: Jakarta
Claim to fame: In her breakthrough role in the Indonesian film Heart, Acha played an ailing woman who becomes the source of her boyfriend's best friend's jealousy. OK, so the part doesn't seem like it would be much of a departure from her real life (sans the medical condition, of course).
#9. Sheila Marcia Joseph
Hometown: Malang
Claim to fame: Forget the 15-minute fame game, this chick's playing for infamy. While her dare-to-be-bare career in modeling and soap operas catapulted her into stardom, her arrest on drug charges and a subsequent "Who's the Daddy?" pregnancy drama has her angling for Indonesian LiLo status.
#8. Nadine Chandrawinata
Hometown: Jakarta
Claim to fame: Nadine was one of two Indonesian beauty queens accused of breaking the law for participating in the Miss Universe pageant. Apparently, Indonesian codes of conduct consider such acts an "indecency." Guessing that rules out a Jersey Shore: Jakarta, huh?
#7. Agnes Monica
Hometown: Jakarta
Claim to fame: The double-platinum recording artist/model/actress/cultural ambassador is basically the legal Miley Cyrus or Britney Spears (if she never met K-Fed) of her country. After hosting a TV show as a child, she solidified her entertainment career as a 15-year-old actress on Pernikahan Dini and followed it with a series of top-selling albums, from ...And the Story Goes to Sacredly Agnezious—which roughly translates to "It's All About Me." Yes, this woman is destined to work with Kanye some day.
#6. Dian Sastro
Hometown: Jakarta
Claim to fame: Dian's popularity grew weekly as she hit the small screen on Whispering Sand. But it wasn't until her box office hit What's Up With Love? that she became one of the country's most sought-after A-list actresses. This year, you can catch Indonesia's sweetheart in two films, Fana: The Forbidden Love and Love In Fog Toba. No, they are not pornos.
#5. Julia Perez
Hometown: Jakarta
Claim to fame: The model-turned-actress has traded in stimulating men for stimulating a small town in Indonesia. No, we don't mean a mass sexual movement. This year, she's running for political office in Pacitan, Indonesia. If a dude known as "The Terminator" can win, then a chick dubbed "Sex Bomb" already has this in the bag.
#4. Bunga Lestari
Hometown: Jakarta
Claim to fame: Bunga Citra Lestari, also known as BCL, not to be confused with BLT, is a PYT. The actress/pop singer has appeared on several TV shows including Senandung Masa Puber, put out award-winning hit singles such as "Aku dan Dirimu," and starred in the film Kangen. Welp, she can copy and paste this resume if she needs help lookin' for more work. That is, if that winning...smile doesn't cut it.
#3. Tamara Bleszynski
Hometown: Bandung
Claim to fame: You can always tell how famous someone is by what their wedding photos go for. Hers: 110 million rupiah (12,210 US dollars). Translation: the "Cindy Crawford" of the country is a big fuckin' deal. The country's most bankable actress' extensive list of film appearances, soap opera stints, modeling campaigns, and even theater roles can encompass every chicks on this countdown combined. But only her real friends call her "Blez" so lay off.
#2. Luna Maya
Hometown: Denpasar
Claim to fame: And the award for first indonesian celebrity sex tape goes to, drum roll please, Luna Maya! *Starting the slow clap* Just this summer, the highest paid Indonesian TV star took the coveted crown after a mystery man leaked her amateur home video on the web. Hmmm, we're willing to help out with investigation, but first we'll need that tape for research.
#1. Tiara Lestari
Hometown: Surakarta
Claim to fame: For years, Tiara held the reputation as Indonesia's resident bad girl. From Playboy cover shoots to recurring FHM appearances, the scantily clad seductress was the reason for the conservative country's giant migraine (and secret boner). Until recently, she had been on hiatus to focus on her new family and all that buzzkill stuff. Damn, we hate it when hot chicks get serious.
