Soerip was born in
Banyuwangi,
East Java,
Dutch East Indies. She only completed two years of elementary school before she dropped out. She later became a
kroncong singer, often billed as Miss Soerip. Owing to her habit of batting her eyelashes while singing, she was also nicknamed "Si Mata Roda". In 1940, Soerip made her feature film debut in
Zoebaida, directed by
Njoo Cheong Seng for
Oriental Film. This was followed in 1941 by
Panggilan Darah, in which Soerip was cast with
Dhalia as orphaned sisters who try to make a living in the colonial capital of Batavia (now
Jakarta). When the company folded, unable to recoup its expenses, Soerip migrated to Majestic Film. She completed three productions for the company:
Air Mata Iboe,
Djantoeng Hati, and
Pantjawarna. After the
Japanese occupation of the Indies in March 1942, in which all but one domestic film studio was shut down. During this period, Soerip married and later gave birth to her first son, Paul Irama, in 1950. She had a total of six children and fourteen grandchildren. Soerip took a thirty-year hiatus from film, only returning to the industry in 1973 for
Sopir Taxi. Owing to her age, she took the honorific
Mbah (Grandmother), and was billed Mbah Soerip. During the following two decades she completed a further 20 films, including productions by
Slamet Rahardjo,
Teguh Karya, and
Wim Umboh. A retrospective in
Apa Siapa Film Indonesia particularly praises her performance in Rahardjo's
Rembulan dan Matahari (1979). In 1990, Soerip made her last film,
Cintaku di Way Kambas, and a soap opera,
Bayang-Bayang. That year she was recognised by the National Film Council for her dedication to acting. In March 1992, Soerip fell while getting off from
Metromini at Blok M-Pasar Minggu, and had to use a walking stick since then. She was diagnosed with a
throat cancer and later died from the disease at Dr. Esnawan Antariksa Air Force Hospital, in
Makasar,
East Jakarta, on 7 May 1992, with her age was reported as 75. ==Filmography==