Dramatis personae that take up space and break the glass ceiling always pique the interest of Kylie Padilla or they gravitate towards her. The Sparkle GMA Artist Center actress, if given the chance, is up for the challenge and never backs down from doing action or a project filled with stunts. Mga Lihim ni Urduja is right up Kylie’s alley and one that will keep herself excited.
“Yes, it is,” answered Kylie when The STAR asked if the Kapuso action-drama series, with Feb. 27 at 8 p.m. as its premiere date, is her follow-up project to the sports-drama Bolera, in a phone interview. “It’s fun doing it, feeling ko buong buhay ko nag-tra-training na ako para sa show na ito (I feel that I’ve been training my whole life for this show).” And she was just waiting for the right opportunity to come along and had found it in the Urduja character named Gemma.
“She’s a police woman and all her life, she’s finding (or in search for) a purpose, which is why she has become a police woman,” shared Kylie. “The reason why she feels that she’s meant for something bigger because she’s a descendant of Urduja. Sobrang protector talaga siya. Once she wields or does her powers, she feels like nagagawa niya yung mission niya (she’s fulfilling her mission), which is to protect the people around her.”
As for playing strong and independent female characters, Kylie said, “I think na-a-attract ko lang talaga yung mga roles na ganun (I think I’m just attracting this kind of roles). Sobrang saya ko habang ginagawa ko ito (I have fun doing it).” She added that the taping of Mga Lihim ni Urduja is ongoing and the narrative revolves around her character Gemma, Sanya Lopez’s Urduja, the legendary warrior princess, and Gabbi Garcia’s Crystal, a jeweler.
“I’ve used Muay Thai and (the) long sword (training),” said Kylie about her stunts in the scenes that have been filmed so far. They are some of the interesting things viewers should look forward to, plus the legend of Urduja as the basis of the show. What one could glean upon from the one-on-one with Kylie were such pieces of information as the warrior princess had a kingdom in a place called Tawalisi and her story is part of an explorer’s diary entries. “He wrote that there’s a warrior in the east of Asia, who is very powerful and has a huge army. Parang sinasabi niya na dapat kayong matakot kasi mahirap silang sakupin (It warns people, who have the intention to subjugate this group, to better think twice),” said Kylie.
Following her line of thought, what also makes her engaged in the story is “the idea that history is in our blood, lahat tayo we have our own ancestors, we have a bloodline that spans years (and years) back, di ba? Naniniwala talaga ako na dala, dala natin yung (I believe that we carry) everything that we’ve learned (from) the past and we bring it to the future,” she said and added that Gemma has a connection with Urduja because “(the latter) wants to do the best for her kingdom, she’s a queen and is using hiyas niya (gems or magical amulets in her possession) to protect the people. Gemma is also like Urduja, ganun din niya ginagamit, because she is using lessons from the past and applying them into her future.”
Any re-telling or re-interpretation of the Urduja legend contributes to the discourse on gender equality and the Pinoy national identity.
“Actually, ang saya lang kasi mahilig ako sa history, kahit anong history pa yan, and then, babae pa, siya yung queen (I enjoy being part of it because I’m interested in history and the focus is on a female character, a queen),” said Kylie. “I really like the message that women are strong, empowered… just to have a story like that of Urduja, who was a general of a kingdom in the past, is empowering to women.”
This puts forward again, regardless of their biological make-up, that a woman and a man should be given equal chances, work- and skills-wise, and the idea of being strong and becoming a protector is not gender specific, if one may add.
“Binibigyan na ngayon ng stage talaga ang mga babae na ipakita yun (women are now given platforms to show that strong and courageous side or characteristic). In real life… most women fight their battles in silence and nobody knows how strong women are kasi tahimik lang sila. So, it’s nice to see it (their strength) on screen.”
Also being tackled is Urduja’s set of gems as well as the Pinoys’ beliefs on anting-anting, lucky charm or amulet, in which, “it will protect you. It will give you courage, and it will give you powers,” said Kylie.
She is on the same page with those who believe in the powers of charms, crystals, manifestation, and the idea that “it’s in our culture talaga that we were very connected with nature before, yun nga lang sinakop tayo nang sinakop.” Foreign presence and colonialism entered into the picture and changed the local socio-and-cultural landscape.
When it comes to acting, portraying Gemma is what keeps Kylie busy these days.
“Sinadya po namin na ito lang muna kasi sobrang hectic ng schedule ng Urduja,” said she. “So, I told my handlers, ito lang muna (that I want to focus on this one), hindi ko kayang magdagdag ng iba pa (and I can’t entertain another project). I also need time for my children.”
The tale of Kylie’s Gemma as well as those of Crystal and Urduja will unfold on the GMA Telebabad primetime slot.