Aga Muhlach & Claudine Barretto in Dubai Premiere

Star Cinema’s premiere of the Aga Muhlach and Claudine Barretto movie Dubai was last night, 27 September 2005, at SM Megamall. Aside from its two stars, in attendance were director Rory Quintos, John Lloyd Cruz, and the ensemble cast that included my friend, Mimi Orara, who played one of Aga’s OFW barkada.

She had these interesting tidbits about her Dubai shooting experience with her co-actors.

Aga Muhlach According to Mimi, Aga acted like the big brother for everybody, regaling the cast and crew in between takes with anecdotes about his experiences in other movie sets. He loved the friendships that formed between his co-actors and himself that even after a tiring shooting day he can be heard inviting people to go out.

Claudine Barretto Mimi observed, just like I did (when I had an Ikaw ang Lahat sa Akin Guesting), that she was very gracious, not only with her fans, but also with her co-workers as well, making sure to acknowledge that she and Mimi had worked together before in her ABS-CBN show. Otherwise, Claudine would sit quietly in a corner as she waited for the cameras to roll.

John Lloyd Cruz Claudine’s quiet temperament was also displayed by John Lloyd, who, oftentimes, would also settle down silently in some spot near the set. But once he let down his guard, his quirky fun side showed itself as he cracked jokes with his co-actors.

Direk Rory Quintos Direk Rory made sure that it’s a relaxed set in the sense that there were no emotional outbursts or cursing on her part. Once she arrived on the set, she went around to amiably greet both actors and crew. She even took Mimi aside, knowing that it was her first time on the set, to help her relax by asking about her acting background, and found out that they both had Dulaang UP as a common experience.

Michael de Mesa Mimi was really thrilled to finally have the chance to work with Direk Mike. A self-confessed fan, Mimi listened rapturously as Direk Mike kindly divulged stories about the sitcom that made her a fan in the first place—the defunct It’s a Deal sitcom (with Alma Moreno), along with hours of discussion about other movies and the acting profession.

Mimi counts her Dubai shooting experience as one of the most memorable she ever had. Aside from the great company that generated conversations that lasted till the wee hours of the morning, the novel sight of a bonfire by the beach with a full moon added immeasurably to the whole experience.

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