Background
Happy Salma was born in Sukabumi, West Java, on 4 January 1980 to Dachlan Suhendra and Iis Rohaeni, she is the fourth of the couple"s six children.
Happy Salma was born in Sukabumi, West Java, on 4 January 1980 to Dachlan Suhendra and Iis Rohaeni, she is the fourth of the couple"s six children.
She graduated from Trisakti University with a degree in business administration.
Originally working as a model, she later acted in numerous sinetron before acting in 2005"s Gie. The following year she was chosen as best supporting actress at Indonesian Movie Awards for her role as a prostitute in 7 Hati 7 Cinta 7 Wanita (Seven Hearts, Seven Loves, Seven Women). She enjoyed writing and reading from an early age.
Salma originally entered the entertainment industry as a model.
She later appeared in numerous sinetron (Indonesian soap operas), including Bujangan (Single Manitoba), Kutunggu Cintamu (I Wait for your Love), and Cowok-Cowok Keren (Cool Guys). In 2005 she acted in Gie, Indonesia"s official entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the 78th Academy Awards.
In 2009, Salma was chosen as one of the celebrity icons for Balai Pustaka"s reprint of eight classics of Indonesian literature in a special Indonesian Cultural Heritage Series. She represented Sitti Nurbaya.
In 2010, Salma played Yanti in the film 7 Hati 7 Cinta 7 Wanita (7 Hearts 7 Loves 7 Women).
In preparation, she spent time observing a real-life prostitute. Despite the character being a prostitute, Salma refused to have any form of physical contact with the male performers, saying that "it’s okay to play a sensual character, but want to do such scenes". Aside from acting, Salma also writes.
As of 2010, she has written three books and collaborated on another three.
She has also released two short story collections. She has said that if she abandoned acting she would pursue a career as an author
Salma married photographer Tjokorda Bagus Dwi Santana Kertayasa, a prince from Ubud, Bali, on 3 October 2010, after which she received a royal title and changed her name in Jero Happy Salma Wanasari. They had a traditional Sundanese wedding reception in Sukabumi on 16 October 2010.
The couple had a daughter, Tjokorda Sri Kinandari Kerthyasa who was born April 2, 2015.
In 2011, Salma will produce a new film, Description Without Place which tells about the past, present and the future of 3 women (from Saudi Arabia, Italy and Jakarta respectively) who meet in Bali during their spiritual journeys.