Alex Gonzaga (MNS Photo)
It is something to be proud of because it’s made in the Philippines but whether “Pure Love” will amass a following like “49 Days,” the original Korean series from which it was adapted, depends largely on awarded filmmaker Veronica Velasco.
“Pure Love” is Veronica’s first soap opera and one of her goals is to make it more palatable to local viewers.
“I love the way Koreans craft their soaps. I wanted to retain elements of the original series but at the same time inject elements relating to Filipino culture to make it more interesting. It’s a well-loved story and I believe it’s worth retelling,” remarked Veronica.
“Pure Love” talks about death, and for Veronica, it is most opportune as “when tragedies like that happen, Filipinos automatically turn to their families. And that’s the biggest difference of our version from that of the Koreans.”
Airing July 7 on ABS-CBN, “Pure Love” is top billed by Alex Gonzaga and Yen Santos, housemates from different seasons of the Reality TV show “Pinoy Big Brother.”
Other cast members are Aaron Villaflor, Arjo Atayde, Joseph Marco, Matt Evans, Yam Concepcion and Anna Luna.
Also lending their support and experience to the show are seasoned actors Sunshine Cruz, John Arcilla, Ana Capri, Bart Guingona, Dante Ponce and Shey Bustamante.
Having young actors play the main characters in “Pure Love” also helps Veronica achieve her goal.
“They’re young and they have something new and different to offer,” she opined. “I like that they are all passionate with their work. They’re quite dynamic. On set they’re very eager.”
Yen Santos
In the story, Alex’s character Diane is rushed to a hospital after being involved in a vehicular accident. Because she isn’t supposed to die yet, she will be tasked by the angel of death (played by Matt) to collect tears from three people who only have “pure love” for her within 40 days.
Diane, however, will find it impossible to get tears from her so-called fiancé, her best friend, even family members. The angel of death will suggest that she possess a body to collect tears from other people. The body she will possess is that of the suicidal Ysabel played by Yen.
“I never expected to get this role. This is my biggest break and I’m happy with the trust they gave me. I promise to do my best,” shared Yen.
Alex is equally thankful of the opportunity afforded her but admitted that she has a lot to learn about acting. She revealed that she is injecting bits and pieces of her own persona to breathe life into her character.
“I’m not a dramatic actress. Making people laugh is more natural for me, even off-cam. So I will really work hard to make my portrayal believable. It’s a new experience for me,” described Alex. (MNS)
