Super Tekla: Beyond Ganda
Words by MICHELLE CALIGAN
Photos by PAULO NAVARRA
What makes a joke effective? For Super Tekla, it's mostly about making fun of himself and the way he looks. But what if he suddenly appears in public all glammed up; a far cry from the usual ludicrous outfits that he dons during performances? Would he still elicit laughter from the audience or would the change elevate his image to a whole new level of super?
Most of us have seen Romeo Librada a.k.a. Super Tekla's humble beginning in showbiz -- a North Cotabato native who went to Manila to provide for his family, who then appeared in Wowowin as a game contestant, and became one of its co-hosts after a month. After leaving the show, he was offered a management contract with GMA Artist Center, which paved the way for TV guestings left and right, eventually landing him a role in the primetime series Inday Will Always Love You and the highly successful The Boobay And Tekla Show.
Now Super Tekla is taking on his biggest challenge yet -- headlining the upcoming comedy movie Kiko en Lala, where he will play the title roles, who happen to be conjoined twins.
When GMANetwork.com first interviewed Super Tekla during the film's story conference last December, he became emotional when he was asked how he felt about having a lead role. Two months later, at the photo shoot, we asked him again just to check if the idea had sunk in, but he gave the same answer, this time with a smile on his face.
"Hindi pa rin ako makapaniwala na nangyayari sa akin 'to. Sunod-sunod ang blessings kaya nagpapasalamat talaga ako. Papalapit na ang showing day!"
Comparing his demeanor then to now, he is more aware of the responsibility that comes with being a film's lead actor, yet he tries to maintain his cheerful aura. He doesn't let the pressure get to him, he says, and tries to calm everyone's nerves at the shoot by dropping jokes every now and then.
"Sabi ko nga sa sarili ko, kapag binigyan ka ng responsibilidad parang nakakatakot, pero bihira maging bida. At gusto ko lang talaga magpasaya ng tao. Kapag masaya sila, masaya na rin ako."
Despite his shortcomings, he has remained positive, picking himself up after every downfall, and starting anew. He never lets his mistakes discourage him, and instead uses them as motivation to go on with life.
"Lahat naman ng bagay kapag okay ay nagiging tuloy-tuloy. Wala namang problema as long as pinuhunanan mo ito ng sipag at tiyaga. Although minsan may failure, pero ganun talaga ang buhay."
He also gives credit where credit is due, especially when we started talking about The Boobay And Tekla Show, or TBATS, which has been winning the ratings game since it premiered on TV. He calls the show a gift from God, and it reinforces his goal of spreading good vibes and making the viewers laugh. It has widened his audience reach compared to when he was performing in comedy bars.
"Ang TBATS talagang regalo sa amin ni God 'yan. 'Yung show na 'yan, pang good vibes, kasi sa dami ng problema. Wala naman kaming hinahangad, basta good vibes lang ang binibigay namin sa TBATS.
"The more na tumataas ang ratings namin, the more 'yung demand, 'yung effort na maabot ang standard ng tao. Dapat ma-maintain namin ang formula dito sa show. At ang TBATS hindi lang ito para sa amin. Nagbubukas din ito ng pinto at nagbibigay ng opportunity sa lahat ng artista at kahit mga simpleng tao."
What is admirable about Super Tekla is that he is willing to learn and try new things, and it was evident during the glam shoot which he did for the first time. And like all his past and present projects, Super Tekla was giving it his all despite knowing very little about this kind of shoot. Even his photographer Paulo Navarra noticed his desire to deliver what is expected of him.
"I have to give it to him kasi he's new at it, but he's really doing his best. As a photographer, you can feel that. You can tell if a talent is giving their all even if they're struggling, and he did that today. I applaud him for that. He may not be too good at it yet, but there is potential there. With a little more practice and guidance, kaya niya."
He adds, "I like it when the talent is trying his best, hindi 'yung parang tinatamad or hindi siniseryoso. He's willing to try different poses. Hindi siya 'yung parang ibang models na gusto ngang mag-model pero nahihiya or kailangan mo pang pilitin or i-workshop. Siya, he gets into the set at kahit awkward ay bigay na bigay pa rin. That's his strongest asset now."
This is exactly what makes Super Tekla stand out from his contemporaries -- having the willingness to go beyond what is required to provide entertainment. He doesn't mind doing the dirty work and looking unattractive, as long as he keeps the audience laughing.
Truly, Super Tekla is beyond ganda.
