SHAIRA DIAZ is happy to be in the cast of “Coming Home”, a Metro Filmfest entry from Jinggoy Estrada’s Maverick Films.
“First time ko magkaroon ng entry sa filmfest and tuwang-tuwa ako kasi gusto kong mag-join sa Parade of Stars at the start ng festival,” she says. “But then, biglang nagka-pandemic so wala na raw parada. But we have a virtual meet with the fans sa December 23 at pati ang awards night on December 27, virtual din lang.”
In “Coming Home”, he plays one of the kids of Jinggoy and Sylvia Sanchez. Jinggoy is an OFW who left his family for his mistress, Ariella Arida, but when he got sick, Ariella returned him to his wife and kids. Sylvia accepted him but his children have a hard time forgiving him.
“Relate na relate ako sa story kasi parang kwento talaga ng buhay ko,” she says at the film’s zoom presscon. “Kasi ang father ko, seaman din tapos hindi na umuwi na sa amin. May nakilala ng iba pero hanggang ngayon hindi pa siya sinasauli sa amin. Hindi ko naman ine-expect na isauli pa siya.”
In the movie, she eventually forgave her father. What if her dad would return to their family in real life, would she forgive him also?
“Hindi lang ako ang magde-decide. Dapat pag-usapan muna ng buong family namin kung tatanggapin namin siya uli. Pero kung ayaw nila talaga, ayoko namang pilitin.
"But for me, personally, dito ko na-realize na parang at the end of the day, dapat naman talaga tayo magpatawad. Kasi tatay pa rin natin siya. Kahit na anong mangyari, tatay mo pa rin siya. Pero ewan ko ha?
"Basta kailangan, open tayo sa possibilities na baka naman nagbago na talaga siya at baka gusto na talaga niyang bumalik, baka nagsisisi na nga siya. So, siguro dapat nga tayong magpatawad.
"
Iyon ang isa sa mga naging realizations talaga na, oo nga, tatay ko pa rin siya. Siguro time will tell kung healed na, yung sugat, yung pain mawawala na.”
Her real life squeeze, Edgar Allan Guzman, is also part of the movie’s cast. But they play brother and sister as she is paired with another actor, Luis Hontiveros. She’s the only girl among the kids of Jinggoy and Sylvia in the story.
Aside from Edgar Allan, her other brothers are Martin del Rosario, Jake Ejercito, Julian Estrada and Vin Abrenica. She says she can feel she’s really one of the boys.
"Simula bata pa ako, puro lalaki na talaga ang mga kasama ko. Unang-una, sa family ko, only girl ako. Then 'yung cousins ko, puro lalaki rin talaga sila lahat. Kaya, ayun, 'yung mga nagiging barkada nila, nagiging barkada ko rin.
"Nahilig din ako sa rough games 'nung bata ako tapos. katulad ngayon, gamer ako, naglalaro ako ng DOTA, naglalaro ako ng ML Mobile Legends, halos puro panlalaking games. Kaya 'yun ang dahilan kung bakit one of the boys ako.”
Shaira is a Kapuso actress and she is now part of GMA-7’s new action-drama, “Lolong”, where she is one of the leading ladies of Ruru Madrid.
