Digital star’s Film Break!

RAMON BAUTISTA

Ramon Bautista is already an internet “superstar.” Then what is he doing in a romantic comedy film?

Is Ramon Bautista going mainstream? What’s an internet action star doing in a romantic comedy?

Check out the story below!

Ramon Bautista doesn’t minced words in describing himself. He unabashedly refers to himself as the ‘Internet Action Star,’ with 574,339 Twitter followers to prove it.

In fact, his pieces of advice on love are immortalized in the self-help book ‘Bakit Hindi Ka Crush Ng Crush Mo?’ which has sold 100,000 copies in one year. Star Cinema not only adopted it as the title of its new Kim Chiu-Xian Lim romantic comedy. The bosses behind the film outfit, which is marking its 20^th year, decided to carry Bautista’s upfront, tongue-in-cheek style by making a film adaptation of his book. It also took in Bautista as part of the cast.

Did you know that this is not the UP film professor’s first crack in the movies, because he has appeared in indie films and in the 2012 comedy-action-horror film ‘Tiktik: The Aswang Chronicles.’

And now his first time to work with a giant film company ‘Bakit Hindi Ka Crush Ng Crush Mo’.

If you look up close to Ramon Bautista, you’ll see something in him that transcends the physical. The guy may not have classic matinee idol looks, but he has the wit, humor and deadpan style of cracking jokes that give him star quality and it also make that internet star quality.

“Artistahin ang lahi naming. Yung nanay ko, nasa ‘Iron Man.’ Siya yung tumatakbo nung may nagpasabog,” he announces to the press.

Before you can ask him if he’s telling the truth, Bautista adds, “Nung tinanong ko ang nanay ko kung saan siya don (sa mga tumatakbo), sabi niya, basta, isa diyan.”

You end up laughing, you couldn’t care less if he’s spreading fact or fiction.

Meanwhile, Kim, Xian and Kean Cipriano are just as amused.

Kim Chiu, who didn’t believe at first that Bautista is a UP professor until one of his students told her that students line up to enroll in his film class, is impressed.

“May sense siya kausap. ANg dami kong natututunan sa kanya. Matatawa ka kasi hindi mo alam kung seryoso o hindi ang sinasabi niya,” Kim said.

                “Noong nag-shooting kami at nagkausap, nagapatawa siya. Ang lalim pala niya!” Xian chimes in.

Furthermore, Kean is a proud fan.

“Binasa ko ang libro nya. Sinabi niya doon na pag ma-in love ka, malaking possibility na masasaktan ka. At walang ibang makakatulong sa ‘yo para maka move on o ma-in love kundi sarili mo lang. Kailangan magtira ka sa sarili mo,” Kean said.

 It is this dictum of self-love that makes Bautista’s blog so uplifting and popular.

                “Simply put, the best revenge is to live an awesome life,” he writes in his blog.

He also believes that “there’s more to life than love.” But the guy himself is unattached.

                “I’m single and ready to mingle,” he describe himself.

He come up with all these pieces of advice that have become hits among young people like his students because he had a love life before and he also takes a cue from others who have loved and lost, and from good old common sense.

“Pag na-reject ka, it’s not the end of the world. There’s more to life than a love life. Kasama yung sakit sa buong process,” Bautista comes out when he tells his followers.

                “Only you can make your own happiness.” Xian echoes Bautista’s words.

Xian, Kim and their co-stars will show just how this is done – at least on screen – When “Bakit Hindi Ka Crush Ng Crush Mo” hits in theaters nationwide starting Wednesday July 31, 2013.