SHARON CUNETA RETURNS TO VIVA FOR ANNIVERSARY MOVIE
by Remy M. Umerez, Inquirer News Service, October 5, 2001

IT HAS been a tradition for Viva Films to celebrate its anniversary with the showing of a Sharon Cuneta movie. The practice stopped when the megastar paid less attention to her movie career and devoted more time to her family.

Her ties with the company, which raked in millions from every Sharon movie starrer remained undiminished, however. She constantly got in touch with her Viva family and they discussed ideas for her comeback movie project.

For this year's celebration, Sharon's reunion with Viva becomes more significant because of two things: She is paired opposite Robin Padilla and the movie is directed by Viva's favorite director, Joyce Bernal.

At a small gathering recently, Viva welcomed the megastar back with warmth and joy. It turned out to be more of a "kamustahan" or "tsikahan" than a mini-presscon for her movie.

Boss Vic del Rosario shared Sharon's excitement and happiness that night. A few minutes later, Robin Padilla arrived and was soon joined by a pregnant Joyce Bernal and writer Mel del Rosario. Strangely, not even the two lead stars knew exactly what the title of their movie would be.

According to Joyce, the film (which starts shooting immediatelyóits playdate is this November) has undergone several revisions. Finally, the movie's title was announced: "Pagdating ng Panahon," from the hit song of Aiza Seguerra.

Sharon trusts Viva a lot. Her contract with the company is only verbal, but she has remained loyal. "After all the years I have worked with them, they have become my second family," she says.

Originally, the project was intended for Charlene Gonzales and Aga Muhlach, until the studio learned that Charlene is pregnant. Viva toyed next with the idea of resurrecting Aiza's movie career, but Aiza's schooling would not permit her to shoot.

The Sharon/Robin starrer is more of a light comedy than an action-romance-drama. It will revolve around a family of old maids and the curse they bring to whomever they marry. Sharon will break the curse. In the story, her family manages a buko pie business while Robin is a magtutuba.

No hard action for Robin? "Very minimal. If ever, just in one brief sequence and it is not even heavy. What he has to practice a lot is climbing coconut trees para kumuha ng tuba.

"It is Sharon who will undergo a transformation here. She leaves for Manila and she returns to the province looking like a bombshell. Only then will Robin seriously fall for her. The plot is more focused on the customs and traditions still existing in the province, and secondary na lang ang romance between the two characters.

"Perfect setting ang Laguna because of its scenic atmosphere at buko pie talaga ang ikinabubuhay ng mga naninirahan dito," Joyce explains.

Joyce will have a one-on-one session with Sharon before filming so they can establish rapport with one another. "I know that she is thoroughly professional pero gusto ko din iyong comfortable kami sa isa't isa on the set," she explains.

Sharon expressed delight in discovering how Robin has changed. When they did "Di Na Natuto" eight years ago, he was unprofessional and full of problems. It was not an enriching working experience for Sharon, to say the least.

The megastar admits she misses making movies and hopes to do at least two films a year from now on.