Who Is Mladen Urdarević

Mladen Urdarević (born in Novi Sad on 2 April 1977) is a Serbian screenwriter, radio host, musician and occasional actor, and a historian by training. He is best known to the wider public as a co-writer of the comedy series Državni posao, the creator and head writer of the internet series Prvi servis, and one half of the radio duo Daško i Mlađa.

Friends, colleagues and audiences call him Mlađa. The nickname is part of the name of the radio show he has hosted for years with Daško Milinović. His humor draws on social satire, everyday observations and pop culture.

Urdarević also appears in front of the camera. In Državni posao he plays Hristo Bonev, a Bulgarian poultry seller, and in Prvi servis he plays Branislav. The sections below follow his path from Novi Sad’s alternative rock scene to radio, television and the internet.

Early Life and Education

Mladen Urdarević was born in Novi Sad. According to available information, he completed primary school, secondary school and university in that city. Details about his family and childhood are not publicly known.

Studying History

He studied at the Faculty of Philosophy in Novi Sad and earned a degree in history. Although he did not pursue history professionally, this education remains part of his public identity. Radio guests and journalists often introduce him as a historian by training.

Cultural Influences

In an interview with the Novi Sad portal Luftika, Urdarević explained that his generation grew up on videotapes. Among his favorite series he named “Mućke” (Only Fools and Horses), “Crna guja” (Blackadder) and “Piglet Files” (The Piglet Files). He calls British black humor the foundation of his understanding of comedy. His collaborators, including the actor Srđan Timarov, belong to the same generation and the same cultural milieu.

Beginning of His Career

Urdarević’s career developed in three areas at once: music, radio and comedy writing. All three paths ran through the Novi Sad scene and later merged into a single public identity.

Rock Bands

He is known as a multi-instrumentalist with experience in the alternative rock scene. According to the portal 021.rs, he played in the bands Korozija, DMT and Ragman. Luftika also lists the bands Shoplifters and Anal Gestapo. Urdarević himself says that this experience makes independent, smaller-scale filmmaking feel close to him.

First Steps as a Screenwriter

According to available biographies, he became a screenwriter in 2009. He worked with Dimitrije Banjac, Nikola Škorić and Dejan Ćirjaković, who later joined him on most of his television projects. Together they worked on the series “Noćna smena”, “Velika Srbija” and “Srbi u svemiru”.

Daško i Mlađa – Radio and Podcast

The radio part of Urdarević’s career is tied to his partnership with Daško Milinović. Their morning show of social and political commentary is known as “Uzbudilnik” and, later, “Alarm”.

From AS FM to B92 and O Radio

The duo hosted “Uzbudilnik” every weekday morning on the Novi Sad station AS FM. They then moved to Radio B92 and afterward to O radio of Radio-Television of Vojvodina, which broadcast online. In an interview with the magazine Diplomacy & Commerce they said their contract at O radio was not extended. They say they refused to conform to a formatted radio program in order to keep the freedom to speak their minds.

Independent Production

Since 2016 the show has been broadcast online at daskoimladja.com. After more than five years on conventional FM and web radio stations, Daško i Mlađa became independent producers. They leave the funding to their listeners, who support them with monthly donations through the Patreon platform.

Podcast Appearances

Urdarević has been a guest on several podcasts. These include DAMAR, where he is described as an analog man who creates content for the digital space every day, and Agelast, where he appeared together with Daško Milinović in 2021. He also talked with Dejan Ćirjaković about Državni posao and Prvi servis.

Rise to Popularity: Državni posao

Mladen Urdarević achieved his greatest success as a co-writer of the series Državni posao. The series has aired since 24 September 2012, first on Radio-Television of Vojvodina and, since 2019, on Superstar television.

Format of the Series

The authors and lead actors are Dimitrije Banjac, Nikola Škorić and Dejan Ćirjaković. The plot follows the working days of archive clerks at a state-owned company in Novi Sad. Episodes last only a few minutes and resemble a three-character chamber play. The characters Đorđe Čvarkov, Dragan Torbica and Boško Boškić became recognizable across Serbia.

In 2013 the critic Teofil Pančić wrote in the weekly Vreme that the series had become popular far beyond Vojvodina thanks to its creativity and subversiveness.

Hristo Bonev and Other Roles

Urdarević is a co-writer of Državni posao, but he also occasionally appears on camera. His best-known role is the Bulgarian poultry seller Hristo Bonev. According to film databases, he has also played a Bulgarian and a waiter.

Velika Srbija, Noćna smena and Srbi u svemiru

Before Državni posao reached a wide audience, the same team worked on other comedy formats. Urdarević collaborated on the projects “Noćna smena”, “Velika Srbija” and “Srbi u svemiru”.

“Velika Srbija” is a satirical sketch series written by Dimitrije Banjac, Nikola Škorić and Dejan Ćirjaković. According to its description, it was inspired by the British program “Little Britain”. Urdarević appears in it as an actor, alongside Vesna Spasojević. Sources differ on the exact year it aired: some give 2011 and others 2013.

These projects were marked by modest production and a reliance on good writing. That approach later became a trademark of his best-known series.

Prvi servis – The Series That Became an Internet Phenomenon

In Prvi servis, Urdarević is credited as the author and head writer. The first episode was posted on YouTube on 3 May 2016. Radio-Television of Vojvodina describes it as the first Serbian mockumentary series, and it now has more than 200 episodes.

Origin and Concept

The story is set in a small auto repair shop in the Novi Sad neighborhood of Telep. The owner is the mechanic Hranislav Đrić, and he is helped by his apprentice Mikica. The series is shot as a mockumentary, in which characters give statements straight to the camera and reality later contradicts their stories.

Urdarević explained that the director Živa Stanojević suggested this form. The main inspiration was the American sitcom “The Office” and the work of Ricky Gervais. He also cites the series “Majstorska radionica” (The Master’s Workshop) with Zoran Radmilović as an influence. The mechanic’s name, Hranislav, is a tribute to the character of the same name in Goran Marković’s film “Specijalno vaspitanje” (Special Education).

Characters and Cast

The leads are Marko Gvero as Hranislav and Dušan Stojanović as Mikica. Tanja Pjevac plays Hranislav’s wife Kaća, Strahinja Bojović plays the car dealer Safet, and Srđan Timarov plays Elektro Laci. The supporting cast includes Dejan Ćirjaković, Nikola Škorić and Dimitrije Banjac.

Urdarević himself plays Branislav, a customer whose repair never gets finished. He appears briefly in every episode. As he explained, the character is meant to be the catharsis of the series and will be key to its ending.

Way of Working

According to director Živa Stanojević, the crew shoots four episodes a day, and about 30 percent of the material is improvised. The director of photography is Silard Kovač. The music is credited to Živa Stanojević and Mladen Urdarević. Urdarević leads the project and writes most of the scripts, with collaborators Dejan Ćirjaković, Nikola Škorić and Dimitrije Banjac. Well-known actors and public figures appear as guests, and he describes the shoot as an “anti-set” with no makeup artists and no large crew.

Television Premiere

For a long time the series was available only online. Radio-Television of Vojvodina began airing it on 8 January 2025, on weekdays at around 7 p.m. That gave the internet series a television life as well.

Greatest Achievements

• Co-writer of the series Državni posao, which has aired since 2012.
• Creator and head writer of Prvi servis, the first Serbian mockumentary series.
• One of the hosts of the radio show Daško i Mlađa, known from AS FM, B92 and O radio.
• Collaborator on the projects Noćna smena, Velika Srbija and Srbi u svemiru.
• Multi-instrumentalist and member of Novi Sad rock bands.

Interesting Facts

• On the DAMAR podcast, he says he is first and foremost an analog person.
• He supplied some of the props for the character Elektro Laci himself: the trousers and shoes are his own, the fringe was bought online, and the ponytails were borrowed from the Serbian National Theatre.
• During the 2020 pandemic he recommended books by Đorđe Lebović, Rajko Grlić and Srđan Valjarević to readers of the portal 021.rs.
• Urdarević calls Prvi servis a “sister series” of Državni posao, because they share a large part of the cast.

Private Life

Mladen Urdarević rarely speaks about his private life. Details about his family are not publicly available, so this text does not include them. He lives and works in Novi Sad, and appears in public mainly through his work on radio, television and the internet.

Legacy and Influence

Urdarević is one of the key figures of Novi Sad’s short-form series scene. He has shown that successful comedy can be made with modest resources and good writing. Prvi servis is among the first Serbian series made in the mockumentary form.

As one of the authors who moved their work to the internet, he has also influenced how domestic audiences consume humor. Daško i Mlađa turned their show into an independent project funded by its listeners.

Biography – Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Mladen Urdarević?

Mladen Urdarević is a Serbian screenwriter, radio host, musician and actor from Novi Sad. He is known as a co-writer of the series Državni posao and the creator of the series Prvi servis.

When and where was Mladen Urdarević born?

According to Wikipedia, he was born on 2 April 1977 in Novi Sad. This detail comes from a single source.

What does Mladen Urdarević do?

He writes screenplays, hosts the radio show and podcast Daško i Mlađa, acts occasionally and plays music. By education he is a historian.

What is Prvi servis?

Prvi servis is a Serbian comedy series in the mockumentary form. It is set in an auto repair shop in Novi Sad. It premiered on YouTube on 3 May 2016 and has also aired on RTV since January 2025.

Who does Mladen Urdarević play in Prvi servis?

He plays Branislav, a customer waiting for the mechanic to finish his repair. He appears briefly in every episode.

Who is Daško from the duo Daško i Mlađa?

Daško is Daško Milinović, Urdarević’s longtime radio colleague. Together they host a morning show of social and political satire.

Is Mladen Urdarević part of Državni posao?

Yes. He is a co-writer of the series and occasionally appears as an actor, in the role of the Bulgarian poultry seller Hristo Bonev.

What is Mladen Urdarević’s education?

He graduated in history from the Faculty of Philosophy in Novi Sad and holds the title of graduate historian.

Which bands did Mladen Urdarević play in?

According to 021.rs, he played in the bands Korozija, DMT and Ragman. Luftika also lists Shoplifters and Anal Gestapo.

Conclusion

Mladen Urdarević is a Novi Sad author who has successfully combined radio, television, music and the internet. As a co-writer of Državni posao and the creator of Prvi servis, he has left his mark on contemporary Serbian comedy. Through the show Daško i Mlađa he has kept an independent and recognizable voice on the media scene. His biography shows that good writing, teamwork and modest production can create long-lasting projects.