(CNN Philippines) ? Not too long ago, there was a scrawny boy called ?Kid Kulafu,? named after a brand of wine whose bottles he collected back then.
That kid, of course, is now a man ? or ?Pacman,? as he is more popularly known now ? the Filipino boxing superstar whose meteoric rise from humble beginnings made him one of the most popular and richest boxers in the planet today.
With just a little over two weeks left before Manny Pacquiao’s blockbuster faceoff against U.S. pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr., the film Kid Kulafu gave the world a glimpse into Pacquiao’s challenging childhood. The movie hit local theaters Wednesday (April 15).
Pacquiao’s story before he became a world-renowned ring warrior is no secret, but the biopic Kid Kulafu takes us back to the untold truth of his painstaking rags-to-riches journey.
Young actor Buboy Villar, who plays the young Pacquiao in the film, is also a true believer of the man he portrayed on the silverscreen, saying that while anyone can mimic Pacquiao’s moves, what people cannot easily copy is his courage.
Villar also said what he thinks is the key behind Pacquiao’s success: “Pacquiao was always an underdog then. He always faces people who are bigger than him. I think all the rough experiences he had growing up helped to make him strong.”
The film?s director, Paul Soriano, said the film is a prequel to Pacquiao’s life before he conquered the world.
During the movie premiere last April 14, Soriano described Pacquiao as just a regular boy ? but with a huge dream he was intent on reaching.
“He was just a young boy that had a dream. He was born with nothing, but because of God, because of hard work and faith, he became something,” he said.
Soriano detailed the painstaking research that went into the film. He also said he was in communication with Pacquiao to better guide his research.
The movie also stars Alessandra de Rossi as Pacquiao’s mother Dionisia and Cesar Montano as Manny’s uncle who he attributes his success to.
Kid Kulafu will also be shown in select U.S. and Canada theaters starting April 24.
