ANGELI Khang is back in a movie, “Girl Friday”, after doing the TV series, “Wag Mong Agawin ang Akin”. “Nakakatuwa ang role ko rito kasi, usually, I played pokpok roles in my recent projects but dito, mayaman ako as the young wife of a rich politician, played by Kuya Jay Manalo,” she says. “So sosyal ang dating ko dito, laging bihis-bihis at may suot na mga alahas.”

It’s her second time to work with Jay after ‘Mahjong Nights’ where she played his stepdaughter who Jay raped. How is it working with him this time?

“Mas naging close kami rito kasi before, I was just starting and super mahiyain pa ako. Hindi ako nagsasalita. Dito mas nakikipagkuwentuhan na ako sa kanya. Laging masaya kapag nasa set si Kuya Jay kasi laging maraming dalang pagkain. Nagpapaluto siya.”

In “Girl Friday”, Angeli plays Amor and Jay is her philandering politician husband. She tolerates his infidelity so she can keep her wealth. Jay as Congressman Fredie Ibasco also owns a ranch. When he caught his trusted worker, Massimo Scofield as Jojo, stealing cattle, Jay gets him arrested.

Massimo is a wife-beater but he asks his wife, Jela Cuenca as Carmela to help get him out of jail. Jela asks Angeli’s help for the sake of her husband and in return, she asks Jela to be her Girl Friday or assistant. Later on, Angeli asks Jela to do to a threesome in bed with her and Jay. But this complicated relationship will lead to something very messy and violent.

“Maganda ‘yung story, kakaiba,” says Angeli. “Pareho kaming inaapi rito ni Jela ng husbands namin and we think of a plan to get even with them, parang female empowerment. Sabi nga sa tagline ng poster ng movie: Babae ang nagpapaikot ng mundo. We show in the movie the best revenge battered wives can have, pero siempre, di namin pwede i-reveal dito what we did.”

Does she believe it’s really women who make the world go round? “It depends sa sitwasyon mo. But in a healthy relationship, dapat kayong dalawa ang nagpapaikot sa mundo nyo. You cooperate and it’s not just the boy or the girl who makes decisions.”

She and Jela had their own bedscenes. “We had kissing scenes ni Jela and it helps na close friends na kami since magkasama na kami sa first movie namin, ‘Taya’. But first time namin mag-kiss, so na-awkward kami kaya nag-holding hands muna kami nang matagal and we said, kaya natin ito. So we did it. And after the kissing, tawanan kami, kasi ang lipstick namin, nag-smudge sa isa’t isa.”

“Girl Friday” is directed by Joel Lamangan and she was nervous at first. “First time ko to work with him and I’ve heard so much na mahigpit siya sa set at naninigaw. So I really prepared and I don’t even want to be late sa set. My goal is hindi niya ako mapagalitan during the entire shoot. Pero nilagnat ako sa set, ang haba ng lines ko sa script, but I have to memorize them all. We shot it during election day last May and five takes na, hindi ko ma-perfect so umiiyak na ako. Nasigawan nga ako ni direk but nagawa ko naman and after that, pinalakpakan niya ako. Ang sarap ng feeling kapag na-praise ka niya. I understand naman that when he yelled at me, he meant it well para mapagbuti ko ang acting ko.”

She’s been doing nothing but heavy dramas lately that she wants to try other film genres. “Nakakapagod. Iyak ako nang iyak bawat project, nakaka-drain, so I really want to try other types of movies like action, para maiba naman. But I’m happy and it’s an honor for me to work with good directors like Brillante Mendoza, Mac Alejandre and now, Direk Joel. I want to thank them for giving me roles na akala ko hindi ko mapo-portray pero nagawa ko naman pala with their help. Talagang my craft is improving dahil sa kanila.”

AUTHOR PROFILE

Mario Bautista