From nemeses to love team? Here’s how fixing each other’s crowns gave us a duo we didn’t expect
This is an excerpt from MEGA Entertainment’s March 2023 cover story.
“Sorry, Josh.” Jane De Leon and Janella Salvador tease Darna co-star Joshua Garcia about the love team he’s supposed to foster on the set of Darna. That love team has taken a backseat, for now, because of fans of Darlentina, a portmanteau of the names of superheroine Darna (Jane) and her nemesis Valentina (Janella). Sometimes, the duo is called, JaneNella. During the course of ABS-CBN’s primetime teleserye, supporters dubbed the two ladies as such to show love for their chemistry.
After a beautiful photoshoot of Jane De Leon and Janella Salvador, I took the two ladies for a chat in a dim and quiet corner of a big studio in Pasig. The glam teams of these two stars were all present, and on their toes, looking attentively at the smallest details of their powerhouse stars. A “zen” vibe for this interview should be good for the two self-proclaimed introverts. I noticed Jane and Janella were like BFFs, eager to be guided to the side to talk about women championing women.
Since they filmed Darna, this generation’s series adaptation of the Philippine superheroine, Jane and Janella have been sharing how they get tagged on their social media accounts day in and out, as legions of fans express how they noticed their chemistry on camera. These fans then coined the moniker for their “love team,” JaneNella/Darlentina. It’s a bit reminiscent of how fictional character Wednesday Addams is being shipped to BFF Enid Sinclair in the series Wednesday, despite them having their own love interests.
“We were joking about it lang before and people started shipping,” Janella shares. “They can look at it in a platonic way or not. Whether friends or not, we are happy, we are comfortable about what they label our tandem.” Jane adds, “JaneNella also represents a new generation, where people are more open.”
JaneNella are owning up to this tandem they birthed on Philippine television. Janella says, “This is the first Darna for this generation na Darna and Valentina don’t have to be enemies all the time. They can help each other din, and as women, we can help each other din.” Jane chimes in: “They usually make girls compete, but it is different and nagsa-start sa amin ni Janella.”
Discover the misconceptions being thrown at Jane De Leon and Janella Salvador, the character development they experienced from the show, and more in MEGA Entertainment’s March 2023 issue, now available on Readly and Magzter.
Creative Direction JONES PALTENG
Photography GEE PLAMENCO JR.
Fashion Direction RYUJI SHIOMITSU
Beauty Direction MIA CASTRO
Styling CATH SOBREVEGA, assisted by KRISTINE LANDINGIN, RIRI VERANO, and JUSTIN MENDOZA (Jane) and MIGUEL QUILANG and BEA GUERRERO of NEW COLLECTIVE STYLE, assisted by BITHIA REYES and RAYA AÑASCO (Janella)
Fashion Assistant BITHIA REYES
Makeup RB CHANCO (Jane) and CIELO MEDVED (Janella)
Hair BRENT SALES (Jane) and JAN EDROSOLAN (Janella)
Video Production AUDREY SISON
Videography EXCEL PANLAQUE
Shoot Coordination KZ FRANCISCO and MJ ALMERO
Shot on location SPROOS STUDIOS
