MANILA, Philippines?Producer Arleen Cuevas says that actor Piolo Pascual has only one option to do an indie film outside of his contract with Star Cinema, ABS-CBN?s movie arm.

?The fact that he chose our project says a lot about the script. He liked it so much that he also signed up as co-producer,? says Cuevas.

Pascual?s new pet project is ?Manila,? a twin bill directed by Adolfo Alix Jr. and Raya Martin and ?inspired? by Lino Brocka?s ?Jaguar? and Ishmael Bernal?s ?Manila By Night.?

Alix recalls that the production team gave Pascual DVD copies of the Brocka and Bernal classics as research material.

In explaining his choice, ?Piolo singles out the range that the material requires,? says Alix.

The film is divided between Day and Night, Alix explains. As twist, ?Manila By Night? is the Day episode, while ?Jaguar,? Night.

In the Day segment, Pascual plays William, a drug-addicted rocker. In the Night section, he portrays Philip, bodyguard of a politico?s son.

Pascual?s characters are named after the lead stars of the two classics, William Martinez (?Manila By Night?) and Phillip Salvador (?Jaguar?).

Alix and Martin also made sure to cast actors who were part of the original films (Mitch Valdes of ?Manila By Night? and Anita Linda of ?Jaguar.?)

?Anita portrayed Phillip?s mother in the original,? Alix says. ?This time, she?s playing Piolo?s grandmother.?

In the Day episode, Rosanna Roces is taking over the mom role originated by Charito Solis.

Martin says they chose Pascual because ?he is one of the best actors of his generation.?

?Piolo is changing his look in the two films,? Alix says. ?In ?Jaguar,? he?s sporting a tan. In ?Manila By Night,? he?s wearing an earring.?

Alix relates that Pascual plans to shoot ?Manila? during his days off from the ABS-CBN fantasy series ?Lobo? which is wrapping up soon.

When ?Manila? had its first shooting day in the slums of Baseco recently, Pascual was inevitably mobbed by fans, Alix recounts. ?Piolo didn?t mind. He had a ready smile for everyone.?

Pascual also devoted one whole day for the film?s pictorial on the streets of Binondo.

Alix and Martin are shooting the movie in black and white, on 16mm to be blown up to 35mm film.

?Manila? is Piolo?s third indie film in just as many years?after Cesar Hernando?s ?Kagat ng Dilim? in 2006 and Cathy Camarillo?s ?Chopsuey? in 2007.

(E-mail: bayanisandiego@hotmail.com)