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Nadine Lustre: From bubbly ‘Panget’ to teen star

Nadine Lustre (File photo, NPPA Images)
Nadine Lustre (File photo, NPPA Images)

Her bubbly image resonates clearly on screen.

But wait, is that Kathryn Bernardo? Sorry, it seems my recent visual impairment (with vitrectomy to boot) has again taken the better of me. How can I mistake her with this rising star, who shocked the entertainment world with a sleeper box office hit?

Blame that on one word—“panget” or ugly—a cruel, shallow indication of a person’s not-so-gifted physical attributes, that inspired Diary ng Panget, the Wattpad bestseller authored by user HaveYouSeenThisGirl, which incredibly drew over 12 million reads and compelled Viva Films to produce a film version with a young, budding singer-actress named Nadine Lustre in the lead role.

Unexpected hit

Maybe the formula masters in cinema didn’t see it coming—an often-used storyline in situations much repeated in run-of-the-mill movies dating back to the ‘50s, which has taken today’s generation of youngsters by storm. This “panget”, personified by Nadine as the un-glorified Eya Rodriguez yaya-cum-maid-cum-assistant of the dashing Cross Sanford (portrayed by James Reid), has definitely turned the otherwise sickening tide of Philippine movies. We actually can have a Filipino box office hit on a normal day, without the need of the Metro Manila Film Festival during Christmas (without the media muscle of a Star Cinema, of course and without the glaring Kapamilya star power).

But what made this movie so special? Was it the theme, the novelty of the characters, its big sensation online, or the music soundtrack? It’s really a combination of these factors. And, given the utter lack of bankable stars in its roster, except of course James Reid, who is etched on our memories as that Pinoy Big Brother uber hunk, and MTV VJs Yassi Pressman and Andrei Paras, no one else stands out better than Nadine, a once struggling talent journeying from one channel to another just to get that big break.

Nadine who?

Unknown to many, Nadine was lead singer of a girl group, Pop Girls, and a mainstay of the adapted teen oriented series Bagets on TV5. She appears on GMA-7’s Sunday All-Stars and had occasional support roles in films, including Petrang Kabayo, which starred Vice Ganda.

Thanks to Viva’s incredible magic wand, catapulting such names as Anne Curtis and Sarah Geronimo to fame, Nadine has now become the new teen star (and pardon Kathryn fans, her being a deadringer was just coincidental). Diary ng Panget was Nadine’s incredible vehicle to rising superstardom—with a theme so effective for even the cinematic queens of yesteryear. Not only that, the immense following of the Wattpad blockbuster became instant ticket buyers, pushing them to declare in front of rolling cameras on cinema lobbies—“Panget ako!”

Nadine fit Eya so well. Everyone thought they were still reading the Wattpad story, which eventually became an actual book, destined to become an instant bestseller. It was like the girls in the audience were so moved and so identified with Eya, that she had to prevail. And with that smirk—and the cuteness that exists behind the ever-so-flagrant prosthetic amid her comely singing and acting skills—Nadine is surely on her way.

She can now move on and remove that horrible make-up.