Inah Revilla: Like mother, like father

Curtain-raisers:

• Congratulations to writer-director Cesar Hernando who has just put to can another short film entitled Kagat ng Dilim, starring no less than Piolo Pascual. The film, produced by Cesar’s own Hernando’s Hideaway firm in cooperation with Fuji-Keyser Mercantile and the National Commission for Culture & the Arts, also features Roeder Camanag, Mike Lloren, Jess Evardone, Dido dela Paz, Katrina Garcia, Richard Cunanan, Ruben de Jesus, Ernie Cloma, Arnold Reyes, Jodi Bess Lego, Danny Red, Jun Videz, Ernesto Enrique, Ermie Concepcion, Roberto Gabriel, Don Fruto Teodorico and Yul Servo. Cinematographer is Rody Lacap, editor is Jess Navarro, art director is Danny Red, musical directors are Lorrie Ilustre and Malek Lopez and sound designer is Erwin Romulo. Looks not just a "short" film, doesn’t it?

• Ellen Ongkeko’s Mga Pusang Gala will have screenings in the US: June 3 at the AMC Theater Loews in New York; and in San Francisco on June 20 at Cinearts@Empire and on June 22 at the Parkway Theater-Frameline as part of the San Francisco International Light Film Festival.

• It’s halfway through 2006 and haven’t you noticed that no award-giving body has given any trophies yet (for Year 2005)? Whatever happened to the FAMAS, the URIAN Awards, the Film Academy Awards, the PMPC Star Awards, etc.? Could it be possible that no 2005 film is worth any award? I doubt it very much. Or is the season so lean that money is hard and there’s a dire lack of sponsors?

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So what are the pluses and minuses of being the daughter of a showbiz royalty like Bong Revilla and Lani Mercado?

"A lot," said Inah Revilla, the third of the Revilla couple’s six children (also including Bryan, Jolo, Gianna, Loudette and Ram). "You have many connections and the surname does help open doors for you. Those are among the pluses. But you are pressured to do good or as well as your parents and there’s no privacy at all, thus your every move becomes magnified. Those are among the minuses."

If she had her way, Inah would rather pursue a master’s degree in business, preferably in Paris, than follow in her parents and brothers’ Bryan and Jolo’s footsteps to showbiz.

"After finishing a business course," said Inah, a deadringer for Antoinette Taus, who is entering fourth year high school at La Salle Zobel next month, "I plan to take up Law. Actually, I want not only to study in Europe but stay there as well."

But since showbiz is in her genes, Inah for the meantime can’t ignore the lure of the klieg lights.

She’s cast as her dad’s daughter in Kapag Tumibok ang Puso (Not Once But Twice), produced by the Revilla-owned Imus Productions, directed by Wenn Deramas (fresh from the success of Star Cinema’s D’Lucky Ones) and also starring 2005 Miss International Precious Lara Quigaman as Bong’s wife who dies in a freak carnival accident and whose heart is donated to Ai-Ai delas Alas, thereby generating "identity crisis-type" of comic situations that baffle an otherwise-grieving Bong.

It’s Inah’s second movie. The first, shown 10 years ago, was the action-comedy Yes, Darling, Walang Matigas na Pulis sa Matinik na Misis, topbilled by her parents. In Kapag Tumibok ang Puso, Gretchen Barretto would have played Inah’s mom but Gretchen backed out of the movie before shooting started.

How did she feel about the controversy involving Gretchen (Inah’s godmother) and Bong/Lani?

"Deadma," Inah shrugged. "What could I do? What should I say?"

When her parents get enmeshed in controversies, Inah tries to help by simply praying for them.

"Prayer helps," said Inah who’s turning 17 on Oct. 2.

Asked how much of her is Bong Revilla and how much is Lani Mercado, Inah said, "50/50. Fifty percent my dad and 50 percent my mom. My eyes, my smile, my eyebrows and my jaw are very Bong Revilla; while my nose, my legs and my attitude in life are very Lani Mercado. Mom puts up a tough front but actually she’s marshmallow deep inside. I’m like her in that sense."

Because busy with work as Senator and, sometimes, as actor (with a weekly sitcom, Hokus-Pokus, on GMA 7), Bong is often out of the house.

"But he makes up for it by spending quality time with us," Inah qualified. "We go to the gym together and we play badminton together. Even when he’s in the Senate or on the set, he keeps in touch by calling as often as he can. He’s a very loving father but he doesn’t spoil us. Si Mom naman, very hands-on; she watches our every move, binabantayan bawat galaw namin. We go naman to the spa together."

All in all, according to Inah, it’s a blessing to be a Revilla.

"Come to think of it," she added, "there are more pluses than minuses."

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