RHIAN RAMOS KNOWS exactly whose shoes she’s stepping into, and she isn’t pretending otherwise.

“Pressured ako since it’s Ms. Vilma,” the actress admitted. Starting July 18, she takes on the role Vilma Santos made famous in ‘Sinungaling Mong Puso,’ GMA Network’s TV adaptation of the hit 1992 movie that starred Santos, Gabby Concepcion, and Aga Muhlach, and it’s set to shake up the afternoon lineup.

The film, a Maryo J. Delos Reyes masterpiece, is now considered a classic. The new version is directed by Ricky Davao and stars Ramos, Rafael Rosell, and Kiko Estrada. It’s one of the most anticipated new shows at the Kapuso network, as its rivalry with the Kapamilya network, ABS-CBN, gets sharper by the season.

The timing isn’t a coincidence. The rival network is also remaking a classic, adapting Nora Aunor’s 1980s film ‘Kastilyong Buhangin’ into ‘Never Ever Say Goodbye,’ starring Jericho Rosales and Arci Muñoz, for primetime. Aunor and Santos were rival leading ladies in their prime, and now their films are going head-to-head again on TV.

The Story

GMA’s version is modernized, but the backbone of the story stays the same, the stars said at a pocket press conference at GMA Studio earlier this week, which this writer attended. At its heart, it’s about a woman discovering her self-worth and the sacrifices she makes in pursuit of real love.

From GMA Network’s synopsis: Clara (Rhian) is the abused wife of Roman Aguirre (Rafael), a womanizer from an influential political clan. Rather than giving in to despair, she holds on to hope for her family’s sake, until she meets Jason (Kiko), a man who will truly love her. He’s ten years younger than she is, and, like Clara, unhappily married, to Hannah (Jazz), who is pregnant with their child.

They try to keep things friendly, but friendship pulls them closer, and it becomes a passionate affair. When their secret comes out, it becomes the greatest threat to their lives.

Pressured but Happy

For Rhian, the pressure of following the Star for All Seasons comes with a plan. “Pressured ako since it’s Ms. Vilma, pero kasi the advice given to me is do it on my own way and hopefully people will find appreciation in the kind of labor I’ll be doing on it.”

Rafael plays Roman, originally played by Gabby. “I am very excited and nervous kasi hindi ko alam ang magiging take ko, may pagka-sociopath kasi si Roman, so dun ko lalaruin ang character.”

Kiko, in his most mature role yet, plays Jason, Aga’s original part. “I watched clips pero I don’t want to copy Sir Aga’s performance kasi I want to bring myself into it, parang ako, yung character ko rito marami siyang gusto i-prove. Nandoon siya dun sa age na eager to prove something.”

Jazz Ocampo joins the cast as Hannah. “Masaya ako na malaki ang binibigay na improvement sa akin ng show kasi dito, I learned how to open myself to my co-actors since kailangan all-out ako dito.”

The Rest of the Cast

Michael de Mesa plays Mayor Moises Aguirre, Roman’s corrupt father, who wants to keep political power in the family. Glydel Mercado is Raquel, the mayor’s perfect trophy wife. Cheska Diaz plays Helen, Jason’s understanding mother, and Sherilyn Reyes plays Liza, Hannah’s controlling mother. Stephanie Sol is Camilla, Roman’s mistress; Gee Canlas is Jillian, Clara’s best friend and confidante; JC Tiuseco is Jolo, who’ll do anything to please Roman; and Gab de Leon is Vin, Roman’s right-hand man.

When to Watch

‘Sinungaling Mong Puso’ premieres Monday, July 18, and airs Mondays to Fridays after ‘Magkaibang Mundo’ on GMA Afternoon Prime. For updates, follow GMA Drama on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GMADrama or on Twitter at @GMADrama, or visit the GMA Network website.