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Celia Rodriguez today, with the director of the Valentina episode of Lipad, Darna, Lipad!, Elwood Perez.

On Sunday afternoon we had drinks and a fascinating chat with our favorite cinematic supervillain Celia Rodriguez, the definitive Valentina, Darna’s snake-haired nemesis. We’d post the podcast right now, but we have to review the recording carefully lest we get sued by the people we talked about haha. Here’s an excerpt.

You will never see Celia Rodriguez in public not looking like a star—she considers it her obligation to the audience. So we had to dress properly in order to hang out with her.

Us: How was Valentina’s snake hair done in the era before digital effects?

Celia Rodriguez: Those snakes are igat, water snakes, delicacies in Bulacan. Elwood said, “I don’t want anything artificial.” I said, “Fine, as long as they don’t bite me.” They’re slimy and smelly, and they don’t thrive anywhere except in water. They put prosthetics on me so that I would look kalbo. Cecile Baun was one of the greatest when it comes to mga ganyan.

I was playing a model from New Delhi, so nakakulot ang pilik-mata ko. Pag nagsasalita ako in Hindu, gumagalaw ang mga igat, napupunta sa pilik-mata ko, pumapasok sa tenga ko. Sabi ni Elwood, “Good, good, don’t say anything. Cut! Perfect!” “Ay *&^%$#@ niyo, alis! Alis!” Isang batya, puro igat.

Our podcast with Celia Rodriguez is coming up midweek.