MANILA — Two major reasons would have thwarted the Summer Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) entry, “Apag,” megged by award-winning director Brillante Mendoza, from making it to the big screen.

Mendoza earlier eyed Aljur Abrenica to play the lead, However, Abrenica backed out a few days the film would start shooting. That left Mendoza without a lead actor.

He readily called up Coco Martin, an actor who started with him and is very close to him, as well. Without knowing what the project initially was, Martin gave his nod to work anew with Mendoza.

Martin also changed the surprising and unexpected ending of “Apag,” with the blessing of his director. If that didn’t happen, the film, which was premiered at the Busan International Film Festival last year, would have been disqualified from the Summer MMFF.

When Mendoza planned to bring “Apag” to join the Summer MMFF, he was told the film could no longer be screened as it competed at the Warsaw International Film Festival, as well as the World Film Festival of Bangkok and the Asian Film Festival in South Korea.

However, if “Apag” will be given a new ending, it will be allowed to join the Summer MMFF.

“Bilang tagahanga at manonood ng pelikula ni Direk Dante, hinahanap ko ‘yung tatak Brillante Mendoza,” Martin told ABS-CBN News.

“Pag pinanood mo kahit anong pelikula niya, hahanapin mo ang tatak niya. Nagbigay lang naman ako ng idea o suggestion. Sabi ko sa kanya, ‘Direk, what if gawan natin ng second version ang ending?’

“Honestly, nu’ng ginagawa ni Direk Dante itong ‘Apag,’ ang mindset niya, abroad talaga. Alam naman natin kapag abroad, iba ang thinking at panlasa nila pagdating sa pelikula, lalo na ang mga European countries.

“Natatandaan niyo ba ang pelikulang ‘Parasite’? Ginulat tayong lahat nu’n. So bakit tayo matatakot, lalo na si Direk Dante na kilala na napaka tapang na filmmaker.”

Martin made Mendoza rework and change the usual happy ending with the family. So Martin suggested a somewhat violent ending that gave “Apag” a different twist as “culinary violence” was injected.

“Last December, gumawa ako ng MMFF entry na rom-com [‘Labyu With an Accent’],” Martin said. “Iba ang ‘Apag’ sa pelikulang nagawa ko. Iba din sa soap operang ginawa ko. As an actor, gusto kong gumawa ng kakaiba naman.

“Ibang putahe na pwede kong ipakita at pwedeng bumalik ang tao ulit sa sinehan. Nu’ng pinanood ko ang pelikula sa sinehan, masayang masaya ako. Alam kong iba ang pelikulang mapapanood ko.

“Indie film pero iba ang approach. Bago. Iba ang timpla nu’ng December, iba rin for the summer film festival. Ibang venue ito ngayon. Iba ang labanan. Pagalingan, pagandahan, pa-ibahan. Alam ko may laban kami.”

Martin admitted he has full respect to Mendoza, who directed his big screen debut, “Masahista” (2005).

“Kagaya nu’ng dati pa, nu’ng nagsisimula ako sa kanya bilang artista, talagang ‘yung paghanga ko sa kanya laging nandu’n lang,” Martin said.

“Nag-observe lang ako. Hindi ko siya ginugulo. Inaaral at tinitignan ko lang kung paano niya ginagawa. Isa ako sa mga tagahanga niya talaga mula sa umpisa na magka-trabaho kami.”

Through the years, Martin has earned his right to be a director, too. He started with his long-running primetime teleserye, “FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano,” that concluded last year.

This 2023, Martin started the year with a new primetime fare, “Batang Quiapo,” which he co-directs and where he also stars in.

“Honestly, sobra akong hiyang-hiya kapag tinatawag akong director,” Martin admitted. “Gusto ko lang naman ng raket, added income. Iba ang respeto sa director. Kahit paano, natuto na din akong mag-direct.

“Pero when Direk Dante is around, actually nahihiya ako. Ang layo-layo ng gawa niya sa gawa ko. Bilang respeto, binibigay ko pa rin lagi sa kanya ang credit.”

When others are comparing him with Mendoza, Martin refuses to acknowledge the comment. “Hindi totoo ‘yun,” Martin said. “Iba ang husay ni Direk Dante. Taga-hanga at estudyante niya ako talaga. Malayong-malayo ako sa kanya.”

Martin is proud about his journey, how he started in show business and where he is now. “Mahaba ang naging journey ko, kung ano pinagdaanan ko sa buhay,” admitted the actor-director.

“Nu’ng pumasok ako sa showbiz, wala akong alam sa trabaho ko dito. Puhunan ko lang tapang at tiyaga. Slowly, nakatulong ‘yun ng malaki at natutunan ko kung paano maging isang artista. Nakatulong kung nasaan ako ngayon.

“Ngayon, ako na rin nagdi-direct ng teleserye ko at movies. Lahat ng natutunan ko, mga tao around me ag nagturo sa akin.”

“Apag,” that literally means “hapag” or dining, pays tribute to Mendoza’s Kapampangan roots. Most of the actors in the cast trace their roots to Pampanga, too especially Lito Lapid and Gladys Reyes.

The film boasts a star-studded cast that include Jaclyn Jose, Gina Pareño, Shaina Magdayao, Julio Diaz, Mercedes Cabral and Joseph Marco.