Zanjoe and Maja On Loving Your Buddy
When asked whether or not friends who became exes can be friends again, the two look at each other and laugh.
MANILA, Philippines — The idea of a love team has been pitched and pushed and consumed by many from the dawn of time. Locally, and with the rise of digital connectivity breaking down barriers, the hype has been at an all-time high. We see a young celebrity couple making eyes at each other as scripts and directors tend to call for, and we want to believe that there’s something more once the camera turns off and everyone makes their way home. We want to believe that the chemistry created is based on emotion, instead of artistry and skill, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
However, a partnership between two supremely attractive actors like Zanjoe Marudo and Maja Salvador becomes extremely refreshing because what rises to the surface is a genuine friendship. When the cameras come on, the two are consummate professionals and will tilt, twirl, squat, run, and stretch themselves to every limit, getting as close to each other as they need to just to ensure a beautiful shot. But between takes, all the jokes that come from two people who are truly friendly come through. (For instance, Salvador steps down from a platform during the photo shoot and says to a bystander directly across from her, “Kuya, dito ka muna sa kabilang side kasi baka may makita kang Wildflower,” referencing her last highly-rated and sensational series. “Wild talaga,” laughs Zanjoe. “’Di pwedeng flower lang?”) It’s a reassuring kind of familiarity that doesn’t mark itself with tension, despite the onscreen sparks.
They talk about being the sandwich generation with regard to the advent of the accessibility of celebrities via social media. “’Yung generation namin, lumaki kami na half na walang social media and half na meron, kaya kailangan naming maghabol. Pero swerte rin kami kasi alam namin kung paano ’yung buhay tsaka ’yung trabaho namin na wala pang ganun, kasi nabuhay kami nung wala siya at mabubuhay kami kung mawala man siya ulit,” says Marudo. “Nakakapag-alala lang ’yung mga iba ngayon na doon sila lumalaki and natututo silang maghabol ng likes. Kasi kahit ako, pag nagbabad ako diyan, maiisip ko ‘Bakit ganito kakonti lang ’yung naglalike?’ Tapos o, bakit bigla akong may paki kung ilang likes?” He cites a particular admiration for Daniel Padilla, who he thinks has got it down. “Artista siya, at bata siya, pero wala siya masyado sa social media, and yet nagagawa naman niya lahat ng kailangan niyang gawin bilang artista.”
To Love Some Buddy
It’s this sense of candid reality that one is meant to expect in Marudo and Salvador’s new film To Love Some Buddy, directed by Jason Paul Laxamana. The film tells the story of Faith and Julius, who encounter each other again after meeting in college and become best friends. Julius is a frustrated songwriter, whose younger brother made it before he could. Faith finds herself easily attached to anyone who displays any sort of affection. And because she is more comfortable in her skin around friends rather than family, Julius becomes her safe place. The two deal with their intertwining and complex feelings for one another, wondering if it’s really love, or perhaps just a mix of comfort, security, and the desire not to hurt someone you love platonically, whose feelings might have become romantic.
Salvador explains, “’Yung ibang movies kasi sobrang focused sa pagiging perfect, pero ito, mas nandun siya sa kung ano ba talaga ’yung nangyayari sa totoong buhay.” Marudo says that the experience is familiar to many, which is why it will resonate with audiences. “Lahat tayo napagdaanan na yung naiinlove ka sa best friend mo, kaya hindi siya naluluma. Kahit nung bata ka pa, nagiintayan kayo after school, nagtatawagan sa landline, o ’yung bigla mo siyang makikita sa tindahan tapos excited ka. Hanggang sa pagtanda, may iba’t ibang pinagdadaanang phase ’yung pag malapit ka sa tao.”
Both say that what they related to the most is how the stories of the characters reflected their own personalities back at them, even sometimes in the parts they played the opposite of. “Si Julius, masyado siyang passionate sa ginagawa niya. Marami siyang kailangang patunayan. Chill naman siya, pero alam niya ’yung gusto niya,” Salvador says about what in Marudo’s character felt very real to her. Marudo also quite candidly admits, “Naiintindihan ko ’yung takot ni Faith maging nobody. Meron akong ganun. Hindi ko alam kung naniniwala kayo sa zodiac signs, pero Leo ako, and may ganun talaga siyang personality na hindi ka pwedeng lumubog.” He adds, “Minsan din kasi kapag may gusto kang maabot, pag masyado kang kumportable sa relasyon mo, nagiging batuhan na lang siya ng mga problema o ng galit at nalilimutan mo na tao rin pala siya na may ibang iniintindi. Mas nasa character ’yun ni Julius, pero nangyayari rin siya sa marami.”
But what Marudo explains is that the universality of the film’s themes is about a wide-reaching love, and not necessarily one that is romantic. “Hindi lang siya tungkol sa romantic na love, or sa best friends na opposite sex. Hindi lang siya tungkol sa jowa, pero sa kahit anong malalim na relasyon na meron ka, ’yung may pinagdaanan kayo at pinagsamahan kayo, at ano ’yung feeling na kung may mawala. Paano ka magsosorry, paano niyo haharapin yung mga pagkukulang ninyo, anong matitira pagkatapos.”
On Exes And Life Lessons
When asked whether or not friends who became exes can be friends again, the two look at each other and laugh. Salvador says, “’Pag naging magkaibigan kayo agad after, may tirang feelings pa rin ‘yun. There’s always a chance na babalik doon or lalo ka lang masasaktan.” Marudo laughs saying, “Nagsama na kayo eh! Nagtabi na kayo, nakita mo na lahat. Kung light lang naman na nag-date kayo, hindi pa siya naging malalim, baka pwede pa. Pero kung may sigawan nang nangyari, nagbatuhan kayo ng gamit, mahirap nang bumalik.”
They both credit age and experience with looking at life and love with different lenses, and first finding satisfaction within themselves before giving to others. Salvador, in particular, has just turned 30, finds herself particularly resilient at this stage in her life. “’Yung mga negative comments, dadaan ‘yan, didibdibin mo ’yan, masasaktan ka. Pero hindi niya mahihinto kung anong gusto mong gawin sa career mo or anong gusto mo pang gawin. Hindi ibang tao ang magsasabi kung anong desisyon mo sa buhay. Hindi mo mapipili lahat ng magandang mangyayari sayo, pero dapat alam mong balansehin.” She adds, “Ako nandun nako sa okay ako. Hindi mayabang, pero confident ako na kung ilagay niyo ako kung saan, kahit mahirap, dahil hindi ako madaling mag-give up, kaya ko siyang gawan ng paraan. Nandun ako sa gusto ko ng challenge.”
Produced by DAVID MILAN
