Standing solo
For the first time, Nadine Lustre is not paired with James Reid, but with Carlo Aquino in a film with touches of magic realism.
Question for the JaDine fan: Will you still support just either Nadine Lustre or James Reid? Well, that’s about to be tested in “Ulan,” which happens to be Nadine’s first big screen outing without her reel and real-life partner.
In an interview, Nadine is actually excited over the project even if it means giving their tandem a rest. She thinks growing separately, ironically enough, will help them grow together even more.
“It’s a stepping stone for us and I think it’s for the best,” she said. “What I look forward to in this setup is that, we have the chance to be more creative on our own. Actually, I paint if I have time, I try to make music. So we’re not stuck with each other. We’re enjoying our separate worlds, at the same time, savoring our own together.”
Like her, James will be seen without her in the upcoming “Pedro Pendruko” movie.
Three years and counting
Now that they are working separately, many wonder how this affects their personal relationship.
Nadine assured everyone there’s nothing to worry about, saying their union is stronger than ever. In fact, the two recently celebrated their third anniversary as a couple.
The 25-year-old actress-singer thinks the key to their happy relationship is “open communication,” especially that James, who grew up in Australia, comes from a different culture.
“It’s a matter of give and take adjustments. I have to adjust for him, he needs to do same thing for me,” said Nadine, adding she’s a “very understanding girlfriend.”
“I’m not strict. If he wants to go to a certain place, I allow him. There’s no bad vibes and all.”
In their three-year relationship, Nadine said she and James haven’t had
“tampuhan” yet.
“I guess because we’re very open to each other. If I’m not okay with something, I immediately tell him. We’re just relaxed, no selosan, no hassle,” she shared.
Nadine added James gave her a necklace with an “always” pendant, but she lost it in Japan.
“Actually, I’m not really into gifts. But when he gave it to me, of course, I was overwhelmed. Unfortunately, I removed it during a shoot in Japan, and someone wrapped it in tissue. When I saw it inside my bag, I taught it was litter so I dumped it,” she revealed.
Nevertheless, she believes the best gift she got from this is his full support. According to her, James made her embrace all her insecurities, appreciate what she has and taught her to simply enjoy life.
Should fans expect wedding bells soon, we teased.
“I’m not rushing into it,” she smiled. “I mean, we haven’t talked about it yet. We’re just where we are now. I do hope and pray that he’s the one for me. Of course, I want a wedding in the future but we just want to enjoy what we have now.”
Prodded if she already has a dream wedding in mind, Nadine said: “Garden or beach wedding would be ideal for us since we love hiking and swimming.”
Coming-of-age movie
Talking about “Ulan,” Nadine is paired with Carlo Aquino under the direction of Irene Villamor.
“Ulan” is about Maya (Nadine) who was raised by her grandmother. As a child, Maya became aware of the mythical creature called “Tikbalang” (halfhorse, half-human) and the superstition that rain pours in the middle of a sunny day when two of these creatures are being wed. According to her grandmother, it means that heaven is not in favor of such union.
As a young woman, Maya is a hopeless romantic. She works in a publishing company as an editorial assistant. She has fallen in love and has been heartbroken twice. And then she meets Peter (Carlo) who is kind, thoughtful, helpful, and every bit a boyfriend material. But Maya realizes that each time she’s onto something good, rain falls all of a sudden.
It was for a film class way back in 1999 when Irene created a five-minute narrative about a girl named Maya.
“Her dream was to climb a tree in their backyard,” she elaborated. “But her mother would always catch her and reprimand her. Until one day, she finally climbed it, and saw what a fantastic view it was – roofs of different corrugated, rusty metals, top of other trees, some birds. And she was wishing her mother could also see it. That was really the germ of the character Maya, and she never left me since.”
Despite having a tikbalang in the storyline, the director made clear there’s no horror component in her movie.
“It’s magic realism genre,” she pointed out. “Not rom-com, not dramalove story. It’s actually a mix of genres. And this is relatively new in the Philippines. This is a call, actually, to support something new. ”
Nadine was personally chosen by the director, who finds her to be “a modern Filipina and really has that depth to understand concepts like this. And brave enough to plunge into a role of Maya.”
Will there be intimate scenes between Nadine and Carlo?
“We don’t have that. The film is not intimate, not sensual. It’s a coming of age story. The viewers needs to find out the mystery of – if the rain and tikbalang is heaven’s way of telling Maya that she’s about to face a bitter fate,” she said.
Also in the cast are AJ Muhlach and Marco Gumabao. Janine Teñoso recorded her rendition of Rivermaya’s ’90s classic song “Ulan” for the movie’s OST.
“Ulan” opens in cinemas nationwide on March 13.