MANILA -- Leading up to the November premiere of “An Inconvenient Love,” director Petersen Vargas shared in detail the acting process of its lead stars Donny Pangilinan and Belle Mariano, as well as the working relationship they’ve formed on set.

Vargas is working for the first time with “DonBelle” on the romance film, which will mark Star Cinema’s return to theaters on November 23.

Written by Enrico Santos and Daisy Cayanan, “An Inconvenient Love” will see Mariano as Ayef, a convenience store worker who aspires to be a professional animator in Singapore; and Pangilinan as Manny, a company heir who runs his own plant shop and who secretly works as a social activist.

Determined to realize her dream without any room for distractions, Ayef strikes a deal with Manny to have a “contractual” romance, which will end once she’s set to fly abroad.

• Meet Belle and Donny's characters in 'An Inconvenient Love'

Mariano, Vargas observed, tends to be an “overthinker” when it comes to breathing life into her character.

“She really wants to make sure before the take that she’s right there in that moment. And so, we’d have these moments where she’d pull me aside. Because we do this often, it also helps me because I kind of frame the moment also as her character, so I feel it. Sometimes, kapag naiiyak siya sa eksena, naiiyak din ako,” he said.

Pangilinan, on the other hand, has a more introspective approach, according to Vargas.

“Si Donny, siya naman ‘yung tipong he’ll get to the scene and he’ll just be there on set all to himself without talking to anyone. He’s there because I feel like he wants to be on set agad wherever that moment is. And masu-surprise ka na lang because hindi naman kayo nag-usap but whatever I wanted to tell, nagawa na niya. And when he gets to me after a first take, kung anuman ang sasabihin niya, ‘yun lang din naman ang sasabihin ko,” the filmmaker shared.

The characters — as they were written and portrayed by Mariano and Pangilinan — are unlike any of their previous roles including their parts in “He’s Into Her” and “Love Is Color Blind,” Vargas assured.

“These characters that we’re going to watch in this film, I’ve never seen them in that light. Here, we’re trying to ground DonBelle in something more immediate and raw. Parang these are people that you know in real life. These are people that you see on the daily commute or have been friends with in college. I feel like because we’re grounding them in this way, parang nag-iiba ‘yung dimension nung love story and nung kilig,” he explained.

• JC Alcantara plays man with ASD in DonBelle flick 'An Inconvenient Love'

Joining Mariano and Pangilinan in the cast of “An Inconvenient Love” are Tirso Cruz III, Lara Quigaman, Teresa Loyzaga, Maxene Magalona, JC Alcantara, Adrian Lindayag, Brian Sy, Iana Bernardez, Vance Larena, Krissy Achino, and Sheenly Gener.

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