While she has been known as one of the most prolific and most esteemed screen legends in the country, having taken on countless acting projects in television and film throughout her nearly six decades in the local entertainment industry, not many people are perhaps aware that she is actually a proud Bisdak.
And she finally got the chance to express this side of herself during her guest appearance on the latest episode of ABS-CBN Studios’ online Bisaya talk show “Kuan on One,” where she enthusiastically talked about her Bisdak roots, unforgettable experiences in her younger years in the province, early years in the show business, and a lot more with gregarious host Melai Cantiveros-Francisco.
Aside from getting to know her better through her personal anecdotes, the show took the opportunity to have Chanda showcase her top-caliber acting chops via the “Acting 101 Challenge” in the “Dakong Problema” segment.
In this fun game, she and Kuantie Melai were tasked with interpreting three Bisaya sentences in three different genres or scenarios—which they both successfully pulled off. Before they began, the 72-year-old veteran actress jokingly asked the host if she would be paid since they were making her work, to which Melai replied that they would simply pray for her.
For the first round, they had to alternately deliver the sentence “Pag-sure diha oy” (or “Sigurado na ba ‘yan?”) as if they were starring in a drama, comedy, or sexy acting project. While it was already expected that she would slay the drama category, Kuantie Melai was surprised when Chanda needed no cue at all to deliver her comedic take on the line. Meanwhile, having previously been known as a sexy actress, Chanda effortlessly nailed the sexy style as well.
The “Coco Martin’s Sigabo” star further showcased her versatility in the second round, where she and Kuantie Melai had to portray an “inahan nga walay ipakaon sa anak” (a mother who has no food to give her child), “inahan nga wala pay kaon” (“a mother who has not eaten yet”), and “[usa ka tawo nga] gigukod ug gutom nga zombie” (“someone being chased by a hungry zombie”) while saying the line, “hurot na ang kan-on” (“there’s no more rice left”).
Lastly, for the third round, the program took the challenge to the next level by having both the host and guest utter the relatively longer line, “sulayig pakita imong halagway sa ako, makatilaw jud ka” (“Try showing your face to me, and you'll get what's coming to you!”), as they played the role of a “doña,” or a woman of high social standing in different situations: already upset but managed to keep smiling (“naglagot na pero naka-smile gihapon”), struggling to breathe but was still being sassy (“naghihingalo pero maldita gihapon”), and being driven out of the mansion (“nagpalayas na sa iyang mansion”).
Although the acting challenge was meant to be just a game, Chanda took it seriously — much to the amazement and delight of the host and the production team. As Kuantie Melai praised how realistic her performance was because of the subtle nuances and facial expressions she displayed, Chanda shared in Bisaya, “Kailangan gumagalaw lahat. Kaya allergic ang mga direktor kapag kaming mga artista nag-uusap ng, ‘huy, parang kailangan ko nang magpa-botox. Bad news ‘yan sa kanila!”
Catch more fun confessions and inspiring stories in “Kuan on One” Season 5, streaming fresh episodes every Tuesday, 8AM, on the ABS-CBN Entertainment YouTube channel and on iWant.
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