Sarah Lahbati proves doubters wrong

CEBU, Philippines – Here’s a fact: Sarah Lahbati is gorgeous. It seems that every arc and detail of her entire being was made to draw you in.

Not that you needed any reminding.

It’s easy then to dismiss the Gigi Hadid look-alike as just another pretty face with tanned legs for days. But as the 23-year-old puts it, she likes “proving other people wrong.”

Headlining the horror film “Ang Pagsanib Kay Leah Dela Cruz” under Viva Films and Reality Entertainment through Kamikaze Pictures, Sarah’s portrayal of a reclusive tough cop fighting demons had director Katski Flores heaping the Fil-Swiss actress praise and early reviews hailing her performance.

The Erik Matti-produced film currently in theaters is a star-making project for the “Starstruck” alumna.

Sarah’s no-nonsense and aloof Ruth Liwanag moves into a new town after a personal tragedy that has left her jolting up at night from nightmares; at times, she resorts to self-harm and cuts herself.

Ruth’s self-imposed break from active duty to recuperate from her trauma is disrupted when she witnesses a teenager named Leah dela Cruz (Shy Carlos) jump off a balcony in broad daylight, but not before the young girl supposedly fatally wounded her long-time nanny. Leah’s suitor (Julian Trono) pleads Ruth to take on the case, believing sweet innocent Leah is not capable of such horrific violence. Soon enough, Ruth is caught up in the investigation as she pieces together the tangled web of lies and secrets surrounding Leah before the demon takes hold of her.

As Ruth, Sarah sports ratty hair and is deglamorized the entire film. Still, she manages to be a sight to behold on screen. She succeeds in embodying the stone-cold disposition of her character.

But Sarah was far from director Flores’ list of possible actresses as her protagonist. When Matti told Flores that Sarah was to be their Ruth Liwanag, she blurted out: “Can she act? Isn’t she a model?”

“When she came in, she was fully made up, full-on glamazon, since she came from an ‘ASAP’ taping,” Flores said. “I was concerned. I wanted someone who was as far from glamorous as you can get, and she was so glamorous.”

Flores said she was soon proven wrong when Sarah read for the character and shed off her woman-of-the-world persona.

When asked how she felt about people underestimating her capabilities, Sarah was both unfazed and understanding.

“Honestly, it doesn’t really bother me at all,” Sarah shrugged, saying that even she has preconceived notions of other people especially those who are strangers to her.

“I think it’s human nature [to judge]. It’s normal, but I like to prove people wrong.”

Sarah admits it was a bit difficult to imbibe the sullen and cold persona of her character – given that she has a flourishing career, a happy relationship with partner Richard Gutierrez, and a loving mother to their son, Zion. Add to that a supportive mother-in-law, as Richard’s mom Annabelle Rama graced the Cebu premiere of the film last Monday, bringing along a truckload of people from the Rama compound.

“Maybe the most challenging part was embodying the darkness of Ruth because I have a happy life. I’m content,” Sarah shares.

“Of course when I accepted the project, I wanted to do something out of my comfort zone. I really wanted to do a good film. It has been such a pleasure and honor working with the team,” Sarah quips.

Apart from the positive feedback from those who’ve seen “Ang Pagsanib,” Sarah is also on cloud nine these days as her book “True Beauty” is officially a best-seller. Her name has also been floated around (along with Anne Curtis) as among the choices to play Valentina, the major nemesis of Darna, to be played by Liza Soberano.

“There are no offers but I would love to be Valentina,” Sarah clarifies. “It’s an iconic role. Palaban naman din ako so I’ll do my best na mabigyan ng halaga yung role. But I’m not going to expect because if it’s for me, it’s for me. If it’s not for me, then it’s not.”

Sarah is clearly pleased with how “Ang Pagsanib” turned out. Ultimately, all they wanted to do was create a good film that would do Filipino artistry justice.

“Sana umabot ito sa ibang bansa. Sobrang proud ako kasi tayong Pilipino ang may gawa. I want to know what people think and feel about it,” Sarah muses.