Bianca Umali has been named by television viewers as GMA’s ‘cultural drama princess’ as well as ‘epic-serye princess’ having starred as main characters in two cultural drama series: Sahaya (2019), which highlighted the culture of the Badjaw people, and Legal Wives (2021), which followed the story of a Maranaw man who married three different women for various reasons.
Authored by Greg Aditaca San
The Kapuso leading lady’s acting stint in Legal Wives impressed Suzette Doctolero, the writer of the show. In a Facebook post last August, the writer expressed her admiration to the 21-year-old actress with words such as “standout morena beauty,” “virginal-looking,” and “actress with expressive eyes.”
But aside from that, Doctolero also shared something that stirred some excitement from her friends and followers.
She posted what seemed like the opening scene of an unpitched story, her own. In her mind’s eye, Bianca Umali is leading an army of Amazon-like warriors, all butt-naked save for red paint covering their whole bodies and faces.
“Hindi ako mapakali sa totoo lang. Nakikita ko si Bianca Umali sa role na noon pa tumatakbo sa isip ko. (I am restive to be honest. I picture Bianca Umali in a role that has been running in my mind even before.)”
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“Shot ng malawak na disyerto. Maririnig at makikita ang yabag ng mga paa ng isang puting-puting kabayo. Umuusok sa buhangin ang paligid. Ang makikitang sakay nito ay isang babae na halos hubad maliban sa red paint sa katawan (na nagsisilbing damit niya lang) at mukha. She looks determined, feisty, angry. Nakasukbit sa likuran niya ang isang napakalaking espada. (It’s a shot of vast desert. We hear and see the footsteps of a pure white horse. The surrounding is smoking in sand. The horse is ridden by a woman who is fully naked except for the red paint that covers her whole body (which serves as her only clothing) and face. She looks determined, feisty, and angry. Clung in her back is a huge sword.)”
“At saka makikita natin ang ilang mga babae pa na nakasunod sa likuran niya, na mga nakasakay rin sa kabayong itim. Kagaya nang naunang babae ay red paint lang rin ang suot nila. May mga espada ring nakasukbit sa likod nila. (Then the shot goes to show that more women, all riding black horses, are following the first woman. Like their leader, their naked bodies are covered in red paint. They also carry swords in their back.)”
“At ang babaing lider ay sisigaw, galit, sa lenggwaheng kakaiba. ‘Sugod!’ ang ibig sabihin. (And the female leader screams an angry warcry in peculiar language. It translates to ‘Attack!’)”
In quoted capital letters, Doctolero wrote what seemed to be the name of these warriors:
“PULAJAN”
The ‘pula’ in Pulajan is a given; it is the color that represents this female tribe, and it means red in Filipino. She then wrote a brief description of the Pulajan:
“Ang mga babaing lumalaban sa mapanikil na mundo nila. (Women who fight against their oppressive world.)”
The writer finally included a disclaimer that this is all part of her imagination and nothing is real yet. She wrote with a laugh:
“Disclaimer: Ilusyon ko lang po ito. Hindi ko pa po ito pini-pitch. Hindi po ito show ng GMA. Gawa-gawa ko lang ho ito ha, baka akalain ninyo ay totoo. Buo na ang kwento… ngayon. Hahahaha. (This is just my illusion. I have not pitched this yet. This is not a GMA show. This is just made-up, don’t get to thinking this is real. The story is done… [for] now. Hahahaha.)”
Whatever the soap opera genius is imagining, Pulajan could be the new element for Bianca Umali’s ‘epic-serye princess’ tag. For this one, however, she will be a full-pledged warrioress, akin to Marian Rivera’s Amaya (also written by Doctolero), but perhaps more emboldened and brute.
It can be recalled that Bianca Umali portrayed the adult Lawiswis in Mulawin vs. Ravena (2017) which shares a fictional universe with Encantadia.
Photo Credits: Bianca Umali, Suzette Doctolero, GMA Network, Warner Bros. Pictures
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