MAJIKA MURA
By Alex J. Socorro



It was a grand affair at the 22nd Street Comedy Bar in Antipolo. The despedida party of sorts for the cast and crew of GMA-7’s fantaserye Majika was a mixture of sadness and gladness. Sad because of the farewell and glad because of the raffle with prizes courtesy of the actors and actresses.

First to arrive at the venue was Carmina Villaroel sans Zoren Legaspi. Second placer for the early bird award was Eddie Garcia together with his driver who was carrying a big box of television and DVD player. Joey Marquez, who came with an unidentified girl, gave away several thousands in cash for prizes. Eddie Gutierrez picked out the first batch of raffle winners. Also present were Mikee Cojuangco Jaworski, Jean Garcia, Valerie Concepcion, Jaime Fabregas, Polo Ravales plus some others of the cast. Late arrival were the lead stars of Majika, Angel Locsin and Dennis Trillo who played Sabina and Argo respectively.

Allan Padua, a cute little guy quietly sipping soft drinks in the corner near the stage, caught my fancy. With gel in his hair and a shiny earring on one of his earlobes, Allan, known in showbiz as Mura, was all smiles whenever people would take a look at his diminutive person. Seemingly amused at my camera, he kept on smiling at me as if he wanted to offer an impromptu interview.

The first question thrown at him was about his role in Majika. “Duwende po. Yun lang po kasi ang bagay sa akin,” he answered with a trailing giggle as if to emphasize that there’s no other role for him but that of a dwarf. His character was a bit on the darker side at the beginning of the series because he had a not so pleasant encounter with Sabina (the female lead role played by Angel Locsin). “Medyo salbahe po ako nung una kasi po kalaban ko ang bida. Tapos siguro naawa ang writer sa ‘kin kaya ginawa akong mabait sa bandang huli,” another of his giggles filled the gap.

Together with two dwarfs for his cohorts, Mura toyed with his own brand of magic. Being the guardian of the tree of gold, he had to defend his treasured post against the intrusion of the invincible Sabina. As a result of his failure, when he was vanquished by Sabina who successfully snatched the fruit from the tree of gold, Mura was expelled from his post but, fortunately, not from the series.

In the later part of the story, when Sabina got entangled inside the mirror prison, Mura had an opportunity to exhibit a redeeming value in his character by lending succor to his former conqueror. Mura’s miniature character was instrumental in the release of Sabina so that the heroine was able to continue with her noble crusade. That’s the moment when Mura was transformed into a little hero on the TV screen.

At the 22nd Street Comedy Bar, Mura smiles for the camera shot.

“Masaya po sa shoot kasi mababait lahat ang mga artista pati mga crew. Tapos madaming pagkain saka maganda ang talent fee,” Mura intimated with his trademark giggle. GMA-7 is getting to be famous for the generous catering during shootings where food is ample and no one gets hungry. Mura would never think twice if given an offer again by the said network. “Kahit saan pong network okey lang pero pag GMA-7 masarap talagang magtrabaho kasi laging busog po talaga,” a smile capped his statement.

Mura’s showbiz career started in the defunct MTB of Randy Santiago, John Estrada and Willie Revillame. It was said that Mura’s tiny figure had caught Willie’s fancy while in the process of formulating a weapon against the competition of Eat Bulaga in the noontime slot. Outright, Willie made an offer to cast Mura in tandem with Mahal. But to avert a typical love team between the cute little guys, Willie concocted the idea that Mura had to be a female like Mahal. With two small female dancers in their show, MTB had somehow upped their ratings to a decent level.

In a sense, life in front of the camera was kind of difficult during the MTB days of Mura. It was no joke to wear girl’s dresses and act feminine on national television if one was a straight guy. “Sa totoo lang po, mahilig ako sa babae,” quipped Mura. He had courted several girls just for the sake of courting. “Kasi pogi daw ako kaya mahilig po akong manligaw,” he declared while touching his head as if to check on his shiny gelled hairdo. Like a mischievous kid on the block, Mura was proud to say that he used to have girlfriends left and right although he declined to answer any question about his lovelife at present.

It seems that he still couldn’t come to terms with his previous fate, that of personifying a female. Dressing up gave him great difficulty in hiding his masculinity especially when he donned a leotard for a dance number ala can-can. “Mahirap pong itago,” Mura said with seriousness while glancing at the front of his pants.

But the upside of his inclusion in MTB was the camaraderie. Mura was in good stead at the hands of Willie and his buddies. He was all praises for the MTB hosts. “Mabait po si Kuya Willie. Minsan pag mainit ang ulo medyo masungit pero sa totoo lang po talagang mabait siya. Si Kuya Randy pati si Kuya John mababait din po lalo na sa amin ni Mahal. Siguro kasi cute ako kaya mabait sila sa akin,” Mura giggled again as if his cuteness was a private joke to him.

Financially speaking, Mura had reaped the rewards of his hardships and dedication to his character at MTB. “Nakaipon po ako kahit paano.” Coming from a close-knit family, Mura’s inspiration sprang from his concern for his family in the province. He was able to renovate their dilapidated house and he had also bought a few hectares of farm land to take care of his family’s welfare. The little guy, whose parents and sibling are all of normal size, turned into a big shot in his family.

When MTB closed shop, Mura suffered temporary unemployment and expectedly a mild loneliness but not really depression. “Siyempre po nasanay ako sa paggising ko nasa isip ko agad yung show namin. Tapos biglang nawala. Malungkot po talaga kasi siguro dahil masaya kami dun sa show. Ilang araw pa lang miss ko na agad sila Kuya Willie, Kuya Randy saka si Kuya John.” Mura let out a guffaw when asked if he had also missed Mahal. “Konti, konti lang. Siyempre po partner ko siya pero dun lang, walang… ” he finished his sentence with a roaring laughter.

In due time, Mura had recovered from his melancholic episode which was brought about by the arrival of call slips for TV guestings and live shows in the provinces. “Okey naman po ang kita, kahit paano nakakaraos.” The so called “raket” in the provincial shows is the bread and butter of some has-been movie and TV stars, with talent fees ranging from 25,000 to even 100,000 for a one night stand (of a show performance). Mura is actually earning (from the rakets) just a little less compared to his MTB days.

Mura while writing down the title of his upcoming movie.

Asked for his next project, Mura beamed with pride. “Wala po ako sa TV pero meron sa movie.” Most of Mura’s account of his new film were deadened by the loud volume of the comedy bar’s sound system. So I asked him to write down the title of his upcoming movie. It turned out it was Agent X-44 which was popularized by Tony Ferrer. “Sidekick po ako ng bida. Naka-one day shoot na po kami kaya may down payment na ko,” it was another laughter this time. Vhong Navarro is Agent X-44, presumably a lampoon of the original and first Pinoy secret agent on the local silver screen.

Being small had its advantages but disadvantages are lesser when it comes to social life. “Halos lahat po ng tao yan ang sinasabi, cute daw ako,” Mura said it with another of his familiar giggles. “Tapos maliit lang ang bituka ko kaya konti lang pagkain ko tapos konti rin lang ang inom ko. Pati damit tipid po saka pamasahe, puwedeng kandungin na lang.” He may be exaggerating but he wanted the world to know that the is enjoying his life in showbusiness to the fullest.

Like any other showbiz figure, Allan Padua gets his adrenaline from the applause and the curious looks and glances of the public. A small guy with a big heart, Mura is definitely not cheap when it comes to entertainment.

Comments to this article can be sent to ajsocorro@yahoo.com