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A May-December romance is at the forefront of veteran actor Aga Muhlach's new movie called Ikaw Pa Rin ang Pipiliin Ko.

The movie pairs him with young actress Julia Barretto.

Aga said he understands the strong reactions of some about their pairing, especially because of their big age gap.

"It's hard! The story has to fit. What is your story? It has to be like that--I should play my age and she should play her age. I can't pretend to be younger," Aga said in the vlog of entertainment writer Ogie Diaz.

In the movie, Julia plays a soloist of a choral group while Aga is her musical director.

"If they're expecting for sensuality and [things] like that, there's none like that. It was done very tender. It's funny. It's nice. It's still a feel-good movie, right?" the actor says of his new movie.

Aga thinks that accepting these kinds of roles is not a big change for him.

"Nothing. It's just an older me. I'm in my 50s and that's my role. It's different. Even me, when I was watching, I said, 'Who's my audience now? I don't know. Who? Who's my target market?'" he explained.

Aga is also happy that he had a long career and tha he was given the chance to work with Julia Barretto, someone who belows to the younger generation.

"I did Miracle in Cell No. 7 in 2019. After that, I didn't do anything. And then now I'm doing this movie with Julia. There's nothing but gratitude for me in my heart because I'm able, as an actor, to work with her generation. The feeling is different, their acting is different. When we shot, she was great," said Aga.

If Aga had a good experience with the new generation of actors, he had a bad experience with some newer actors from the previous generation.

He reached a low point in his career and was in danger of being like some of his contemporaries who seemed to have been left with nothing after retiring from acting.

"That hurts. I went through that too. In the 80s, I went through that. I went there (peaked) and then I lost money. I went down to zero. I remember, some of those who helped me were Mother Lily Monteverde of Regal Films, Boss Vic (del Rosario) of Viva. It's still them so I will never forget that," he recalled.

"That happened to me in the 80s--really low, zero, negative and I had a lot of debt. And then in '91, I made a decision. I said, 'This is not me. This is not my life.' It's really all humility, acceptance of 'Okay, I'm just here.' I humbled myself and then I worked," Aga continued.

This was when he experienced belittling from other actors.

"People were treating me not nice ha. Some sectors in the industry were treating me like [that]. It seems like there are new actors coming and would treat me like they are the famous ones. I said, 'It's okay. Alright Just work," the actor said.

Because of this experience, Aga made a promise to himself that he still carries with him.

"I just said that if I make it back and I become famous again or I become very famous, that's what I won't do to my fellow actors--to make them feel small," said Aga.

Watch Aga Muhlach's full interview on Ogie Diaz's vlog here:

Meanwhile, Ikaw Pa Rin ang Pipiliin Ko, starring Aga Muhlach and Julia Barretto, premiered on February 7. Denise O'Hara served is the writer and director of the film.