“The Voice Behind The Curtain": Restu Agil, UNISA's Outstanding Student of Information Technology Who Becomes a Puppeteer of Cultural Hope

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Behind the blencong lights, there is a soft but firm voice that brings the puppet characters to life in a universe of shadows. Who would have thought that the figure behind that voice was not a graying old maestro, but a bright young man whose life crosses worlds, technologies and traditions.

He is Restu Agil (22), a student of the Information Technology (IT) Study Program at ‘Aisyiyah University Yogyakarta. Since two years ago, he has been part of Pamulangan Dhalang Habirandhas stood for Hamurwani Biwara Rancangan Dhalang, a candradimuka for aspiring young puppeteers under the auspices of the Yogyakarta Palace.

“Although the title ‘dhalang’ is not mine to decide, my journey and process in the world of puppetry really began when I joined Pamulangan Dhalang Habirandha,” Agil said on Tuesday (22/4/2025).

When night falls and the curtain rises, he becomes the spirit of the epic tales of Mahabharata, Ramayana and local stories full of advice. His voice swings from the trill of Arjuna to the thunder of Werkudara. However, when dawn arrives and the screen is lowered, he returns to being an IT student who analyzes systems, writes code and compiles algorithms.

Agil’s uniqueness does not stop there, in college, he is known as a student who has a myriad of achievements both in the academic and non-academic fields. He was listed as the first graduate of the 2021 batch of Information Technology students who were graduated last April.

“In the academic field, I managed to take my undergraduate education for only 3.5 years with a GPA of 3.91 (with honors). In the non-academic field, I managed to win various competitions in the field of Musabaqah Tilawatil Qur’an (MTQ),” he said.

His figure is clear evidence that the younger generation is able to bridge local values with the progress of the times without losing their cultural roots. Through his footsteps, he emphasized that being a student is not just about achieving high grades, but also shaping character and giving more meaning to society.

“For me, being a dhalang is not just about performance, but also about instilling values, strengthening identity, and building connections between the younger generation and ancestral culture. This is the small contribution I can make as a young person to Indonesian culture,” he concluded.