Believe it or not, Paulo Avelino saw himself in the character he’s playing in his new film, Ngayon Kaya, opening on June 22 in theaters.

 “There was a point in my life when I was so torpe, I couldn’t show affection to the ones I liked,” the actor told Manila Bulletin in an exclusive interview.

 Paulo said that the film takes him back to his childhood in Baguio, between the ages 14 to 20.

 “Reading the script, I felt like it was made for me. It was the first time I felt that way about a script. Apparently, it wasn’t written with me in my mind. It was for someone else, Prime Cruz, our director.”

Paulo said that, as in the film, there had been many what-if’s in his life.

“What if I revealed myself to the girls I liked back then? I was never really talkative except in the last two years. I didn’t like talking so much. This is why I can relate so much to my Harold character.”

What got you out of your shell?

Paulo laughed, “I’m still in my shell.”

He looked away, saying that he wasn’t really as outgoing as his brothers and sisters, not the ma-barkada type.  

In picking a material for filming, Paulo said he always looks for something he can relate to. It could be something that really speaks to you about your past or something totally out of this world.

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For her part, Janine Gutierrez  said she  really liked the script for its authenticity.

“There are so many scenes and lines here that happened to me in real life. You can relate to, it makes you feel less alone. I want to be a part of films that feel so real.”

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Paulo and Janine star in Ngayon Kaya, directed by Prime Cruz and written by Jen Chuaunsu (the creative pair behind Isa Pa With Feelings and Can We Still Be Friends). The two actors’ first team-up in a movie marks the return of relatable romantic films to the big screen.

It tells the story of college buddies AM and Harold, an unlikely pair between a shy probinsiyano and a rich city girl who are college buddies-turned-band mates.

Harold had a crush on AM, but he never had the guts to tell her. Even after college, they stayed friends and continued pursuing their music dreams. Harold stifled his feelings for fear of losing her friendship. Eventually, time runs out for Harold when he’s forced to choose stability and work in Canada, leaving AM to wonder what could have been if Harold had stayed.

Years later, AM and Harold meet by chance at their friends’ wedding; and this time, AM is the one running out of time.

Paulo and Janine believe that Ngayon Kaya’s appeal lies in its true-to-life relatability. “I’m sure everyone has a lot of ‘what ifs’ in their lives,” says Paulo.

Music plays a big part in narrating Harold and AM’s saga, so the filmmakers have chosen a soundtrack of the biggest songs from the 2000s and beyond that not only define the milieu of the characters, but also convey their innermost feelings and desires. Ngayon Kaya features songs by Mayonnaise, Typecast, Ang Bandang Shirley, among others.

Ngayon Kaya, produced by T-Rex Entertainment and co-produced by WASD Films, also stars Alwyn Uytingco, John James Uy, and Rio Locsin.