Jericho in the eyes of Bela

Bela Padilla and Jericho Rosales (inset)

Love is a gamble. We don’t always make the right bets. There’s this peculiar belief that when one is unlucky in love, he or she is lucky in gambling, and vice versa.

Fate has a way of playing tricks with our hearts. That’s what Viva Films’ romantic movie, “Luck at First Sight” (opening May 3), is all about, starring Bela Padilla and Jericho “Echo” Rosales.

Echo portrays Joma, an incorrigible gambler who badly needs a “life charm” to help him pay off his huge debts. He accidentally meets Diane (Bela), who serves as his Lady Luck, but only when they are together.

Everything goes well until they discover that the luck will stop if they fall for each other. Ooh la love!

Here’s my chat with Bela:

Do you believe in fate? I don’t. I believe in working hard for what I want.

What did you find out about Echo while filming? I’ve been his fan since high school. I discovered that Echo is kind to everybody on the set. He has no superstar complex. Sometimes, he even downplays his status to make everyone feel equal on the set. It doesn’t hurt too that he’s easy to look at (laughs).

What’s your fave scene and line? My last two scenes. Because they have the same feel as the last scene of Natalie Portman in “Closer,” and that’s one of my favorite films ever. My favorite line: Move on ka na! That pretty much sums up my character, Diane. She’s full of spunk.

How did you move on after your break-up with Neil Arce? Work like crazy.

What do you prefer—being single or in a relationship? I have no preference. My priority in life is work so whatever works best for that situation I’ll be able to handle.

What can men learn from women? To shut up when you’re in a bad situation.

What don’t you like about men? Nothing. I try not to dislike people.

What’s the cheesiest line a guy ever told you? I’d like to believe that everything said to me was real, so I didn’t find them cheesy at that time.

If you like a guy who’s torpe, would you make the first move? Nope. I like the traditional ligaw.

If your life story would be made into a movie, what would the title be? My favorite film is “Alice in Wonderland” (the Disney cartoon), so it’d be something to that effect, “Bela Finding Krista.”