Director Andoy Ranay made a candid revelation about how the former celebrity couple and love team James Reid and Nadine Lustre were introduced as Viva’s newest pairing in 2014.
Speaking on a recent episode of the podcast ‘Ang Walang Kwentang Podcast,’ hosted by Antoinette Jadaone and JP Habac, Ranay recalled a directive he received while working on ‘Diary ng Panget’.
“Sabi ni Boss Vic [del Rosario], kailangan ko raw i-launch ‘yong James Reid saka si Nadine as the newest love team ng Viva na parang Sharon-Gabby. Sabi ko, hmmm. Ano bang hindi ginagawa ng love teams ngayon sa unang pelikula? Ay, maglaplapan!’” Ranay shared.
He added that he directly asked the two stars about filming a full-on kissing scene.
“Tinanong ko naman ‘yong dalawa. Okay lang ba kayong mag-kiss diyan sa eksenang ‘yan? ‘Yon talagang kiss na kiss ha. Okay po, [sabi ni James] [Sabi naman ni Nadine], sure!”
At the 2014 press conference for the Viva and Starlight Films production, Ranay admitted that the multiple kissing scenes were faithful to the source material, which was based on a best-selling Wattpad novel.
“Nasa libro siya talaga. Hindi siya intensyon na lagyan ng marami. Actually, doon sa libro mas bold pa. Mas intense pa. Para silang hindi mga high school students sa libro. Ganon ka-intense [yung kissing scenes] sa libro,” he explained.
He also revealed that there were even more daring elements in the novel that were ultimately excluded from the film to preserve its teenage tone.
“Ahm, actually papunta na, doon sa libro. Pero hindi nangyari. Pero hindi na namin isinama.”
Following ‘Diary ng Panget’, Reid and Lustre became one of the most popular love teams in the country under the moniker “JaDine.” Their on-screen chemistry eventually translated into a real-life relationship, which they confirmed years later.
However, the couple announced their breakup in 2020, marking the end of both their romantic relationship and their love team partnership.
