Maja Salvador is ready to try a new teleserye genre.
Set to premiere this April on TV5 and Cignal Entertainment, her teleserye Niña Niño tells the story of Niña and her little brother, Niño, played by Noel Comia.
In Maja’s three-hour PEP Exclusives interview on Monday, March 15, 2021, she reveals the reason she agreed to do the series.
“Tinanggap ko siya kasi gusto ko naman ma-try iyong dramedy, kasi ang bibigat na halos ng ginawa ko na sunud-sunod, e—The Legal Wife (2014), Bridges of Love (2015), Wildflower (2017), The Killer Bride (2019).”
All four teleseryes, which aired on ABS-CBN, fell under the heavy-drama genre. Wildflower and The Killer Bride were both about revenge.
Maja continues, “So parang noong in-offer sa akin ito, makaka-relate din halos lahat dahil sa pinagdadaanan ng lahat dahil we all need himala sa panahon ngayon, ‘tapos dramedy pa siya. So something new sa akin.
“Sobrang ine-enjoy ko iyong character ko kasi hindi siya katulad ng The Killer Bride and Wildflower na ganda-gandahan, intense.
“Ang challenging is paano ko kayo mapapatawa nang hindi nagpapatawa pero mapapaiyak.”
Based on the trailer, Maja was deglamorized for her Niña role, unlike Wildflower and The Killer Bride, where she was usually fashionable.
In fact, Maja admits that she is looking for a breath of fresh air since her last two teleseryes involved catfights and shouting matches between her and the kontrabidas.
“Di ba halata? Kaya ako tumanggap ng dramedy! Hahaha!
“Siyempre, gusto ko naman i-check pa rin kung ano ang gusto ko gawin. I think masyado na tayong maraming beses nakagawa ng mga revenge revenge. So let’s give our friends, our supporters something new at hindi naman mabigat.
“Kasi ayaw ko rin gumawa ng mabigat dahil sa nangyayari sa mundo, kaya tinanggap ko itong dramedy. Well, more on comedy nga ito, e, pero may puso.”
WORKING IN A NEW ENVIRONMENT
Cignal Entertainment is the producer of Niño Niña, while Cornerstone Studios and Spring Films serve as the project’s line producers.
Spring Films is a film company co-owned by Piolo Pascual and Cornerstone Entertainment’s president, Erickson Raymundo.
Maja describes her new working environment, “Lagi kasi akong excited na makatrabaho, mapunta sa ibang environment.
“At least, hindi lang ako nandoon na sanay na ako sa comfort zone. At least, makikilala ko lalo sarili ko kasi may mga bago akong pakikisamahan, kung kaya ko ba.
“Nakikilala ko iyong sarili ko kasi may bago akong makakatrabaho, may bago akong director, may mga bagong artista.
“And so far, masaya iyong set, na-enjoy namin kapag day off namin, naglulutuan, bonding-bonding. In fairness naman.”
Niña Niño, which also features Lilet and Ruby Ruiz, is directed by Thop Nazareno, who directed award-winning films like Edward (2019) and Kiko Boksingero (2017).
Aside from Niña Niño, Maja is also set to do a reality show produced by Cignal and TV5.