Maja Salvador finds it a challenge to act as Melai Cantiveros

Maja Salvador and Melai Cantiveros are the two female lead stars of the upcoming teleserye Precious Hearts Romances presents Impostor. In the story, Melai plays a barrio girl who, after a tragic car accident, undergoes reconstructive surgery to look like a famous fashion model, originally played by Maja. With the switch in characters, Maja admitted that it took a lot of preparation to carefully study how the Pinoy Big Brother Double Up Big Winner spoke and acted.

“Humingi ako sa staff ng DVD ni Melai galing sa PBB. Paulit-ulit kong pinanood para mapagaralan ko ‘yung kilos at pagsasalita ni Melai. Hanggang sa nagagaya ko na talaga ‘yung ‘Ohver!’ at ‘Char!’ Kailangan ko kasi malaman kung kailan ginagamit ni Melai ‘yun. Pinagaralan ko rin kung paano si Melai kapag kinikilig, nasasaktan,” shared Maja. Inside the PBB house, Melai became famous for her motor mouth and exaggerated reactions.

Maja confessed that this was the first time that she found a character very exhausting to portray. “Ang dami kasing kilos ni Melai. Kapag umaarte nga ako bilang siya, mararamdaman ko pagkatapos na nakakapagod palang maging Melai. Ginaya ko rin ‘yung tono ng pagsasalita niya.”

The challenge for the 21-year-old star was to make the viewers of Impostor believe that she is actually Melai. “Magaan ang acting ko dito sa Impostor pero ang mahirap lang talaga e kailangan makopya mo talaga si Melai. Dapat mapaniwala ko ‘yung tao na ang nakikita nilang personality e si Melai hindi si Maja. Challenging siya para sa akin. Dapat sa tingin, kilos, pagsasalita, maging si Melai ako.”

Off camera however, Maja found it very easy to be friends with the funny girl from General Santos City. She said that she is happy to see that Melai is having a great time being in showbiz. “Napapansin kong ine-enjoy talaga ni Melai ang mga nangyayari sa buhay niya ngayon. Hindi pa kasi siya makapaniwala na nasa showbiz na siya. Sabi nga niya, dati raw walang ka-effect effect ang life niya, ngayon over na over na sa pagka-effect.”

Since Maja will be taking over the character of Melai in Impostor, many are suspecting that Melai will only have a short appearance in the teleserye. But director Jerome Pobocan clarified, “Makikita niyo pa rin naman si Melai. May mga devices kaming naisip para mapanood niyo pa rin siya.”