Jocelyn Dimaculangan
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
11:53 PM
For the sixth installment of Mano Po, Regal Films will send a 50-member entourage of stars, production crew and members of the press to Beijing, China to shoot there for four days, thus giving an interesting and authentic Chinese feel to the film. According to a source from Regal Films, this movie has a whopping budget of P70 million.
Mano Po 6: My Mother’s Love is directed by Joel Lamangan with a script by Roy Iglesias. Sharon Cuneta topbills this movie along with Christopher De Leon, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Heart Evangelista, Ryan Eigenmann, and Boots Anson-Roa as well as Kris Aquino in a special role. Dennis Trillo plays the boyfriend of Heart with a bad boy streak. Also in the cast are Niña Jose, JC de Vera, Nicole Uysiuseng and John Manalo.
In a press conference held at the Imperial Palace Suites last November 14, PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal) was able to talk to Zsa Zsa Padilla regarding her upcoming trip to China.
“We will shoot scenes on the Great Wall of China, Tiennamen Square, Temple of Heaven, and the Forbidden City,” reveals the Divine Diva. She recalled that she shot some scenes in Shanghai, China for the 2003 movie Mano Po 2: My Home. Zsa Zsa was also part of Ako Legal Wife: Mano Po 4 (2005).
In Mano Po 6, Zsa Zsa is cast as Olive, whom she describes as a “conservative old maid.” She and her parents maltreat Melinda (Sharon) and even took her children away from her.
“Sa buong pelikula, makikita n’yo kung paano namin siya pinahirapan. Bakit? Dahil malas siya. Yun lang ang explanation dun. Considered malas siya dahil Filipino-Chinese siya, hindi siya pure,” explains Zsa Zsa. “I asked some of my Chinese friends kung totoong nangyayari yun and sabi niya may kilala siyang ganun din ang situation, inagaw talaga ang mga anak. Mayroon rin akong friend, kinuha yung mana sa kanya. Discrimination really happens.”
The singer-actress also points out the motivations of her kontrabida character who took care of Sharon’s kids portrayed by Ciara Sotto, Heart Evangelista, Nicole Uysiuseng, and John Manalo.
“I think yung pagka bad kasi ng character ko na si Olive is based on her being protective sa kids kasi s’ya nagpalaki,” says Zsa Zsa. “Na-influence na rin siya ng mga magulang n’ya from the very beginning kasi wala nang ibang naririnig mula sa parents kundi puro against kay Melinda.
“Her parents were very much against the union…kaya nga nagtanan si Boyet [Christopher de Leon] at saka si Sharon kasi alam n’ya na hindi tatangapin ng parents dahil half-Chinese, half-Filipino si Melinda. Branded na namin s’ya na malas so all throughout yun wala na kaming ginawa sa pelikula kung hindi gawing miserable yung buhay n’ya.”
Zsa Zsa sums up the movie by saying, “The whole premise of the movie is a mother’s love dahil nilayo ng pamilya namin yung mga anak ni Sharon sa kanya. The movie shows how she will win them back and how she will show na mahal n’ya yung mga anak n’ya kahit na estranged na sa kanya.”
Becuse of the evil things that Olive did, Melinda confronts her and gives her a hard slap that left a bruise on Zsa Zsa’s face. (CLICK HERE to read related article)
SYNOPSIS. A moving story of a mother’s love for her daughter is the core theme of Mano Po 6, where Sharon plays a Fil-Chinese matriarch whose desire is to get back her rebellious daughter (Heart Evangelista) at all costs. The compelling family drama delves on relationships and the bond within the Chinese clan. It also espouses the family values and the rich culture and tradition of the Chinese.
Mano Po 6: My Mother’s Love will open on December 25, 2009 during the 35th Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF).