'' dress, . Cendrakasih was born Siti Aminah in
Magelang, Central Java, Dutch East Indies, on 29 January 1938. She was the daughter of the comedian Husin Nagib (died 1943) and the actress (1916–1987). During her childhood, she moved to
Jakarta. Cendrakasih studied at a Sekolah Kepandaian Putri, a school that taught young girls the skills needed to manage a household. Cendrakasih began acting in her teens, at first on stage and later in film. JB Kristanto, in his catalogue of Indonesian films, lists her as having a role in
S Waldy's
Musafir Kelana (
The Wanderer, 1953). The Indonesian film historian
Misbach Yusa Biran writes that Cendrakasih made her feature film debut in
Ali Joego's
Oh, Ibuku (
O, My Mother, 1955). Cendrakasih subsequently appeared in
Gambang Semarang (
Gambang from Semarang, 1955) alongside her mother. Her first starring role was
Ibu dan Putri (
Mother and Daughter, 1955), directed by Ha van Wu and co-starring
Lies Noor. Cendrakasih soared to popularity after taking a role as a dancer in
Serampang 12 (1956) along with
Nun Zairina. Zairina also soared to popularity too and then played along with her again in the
Usmar Ismail's directed film
Girls Dormitory (1958). Over the next four years she appeared in a further eleven films, including starring roles in
Taman Harapan (
Garden of Hope, 1957),
Tjambuk Api (
Whips of Fire, 1958), and
Pak Prawiro (
Mr Prawiro, 1958). After completing
Habis Gelap Terbitlah Terang (
After Darkness There is Light, 1959), directed by , she married a
Betawi man and took a hiatus from acting. In 1970, Cendrakasih returned to acting, at first taking several television roles before returning to the silver screen the following year. She acted in sixty films in nine years, including
Hostess Anita (
Anita the Hostess, 1971),
Aku Tak Berdosa (''I Haven't Sinned
, 1972), Si Doel Anak Modern (Doel the Modern Child
, 1976), and Betty Bencong Slebor (Betty the Clumsy Transvestite'', 1978). She was also a member of the Association of Islamic Arts and Culture (Himpunan Seni Budaya Islam) and the Betawi Cultural Institute (Lembaga Kebudayaan Betawi). Cendrakasih remained highly active during the 1980s, appearing in some forty-two films. Her final feature film of the decade, and her last feature film , was
Lebih Asyik Sama Kamu (
More Interesting with You, 1989). She also continued to act on television, including in the serial
Rumah Masa Depan (
House of the Future, 1984–1985). She achieved her greatest fame with the series
Si Doel Anak Sekolahan (
Doel the Schoolchild, 1994–2005). Director and star
Rano Karno wrote for her and cast her in the role of Lela, Doel's mother, who is often referred to as Mak Nyak. In her book on the series, Klarijn Loven describes the character as offering a positive depiction of a house wife as an alternative for the common depiction of mothers as career women. Cendrakasih suffered from
glaucoma, lost her eyesight, and was bedridden. She received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Bandung Film Festival in 2012, and another at the
2013 Indonesian Movie Awards. As Cendrakasih was in the hospital, the latter award was accepted by her daughter Ade Purba Sari. She had seven children. Cendrakasih died at her residence in
Pondok Aren, South Tangerang, on 21 December 2022, at age 84. She was interred with her mother in
Karet Bivak Cemetery, Central Jakarta, the following day. == Filmography ==