All you need is LOVE

VALENTINE’S DAY is long done and dusted but love is very much in the air over at entertainment giants GMM Grammy and True4U, both of which have been busy adapting love songs into love stories to share with small-screen viewers.

Grammy’s effort “Love Songs Love Series”, currently airing on GMM 25, is based on popular tunes “Rudoo Ron” by Paradox, 25 Hours’ “Sukha Yoo Hon Dai”, Endorphine’s “Phuean Sanit”, Getsunova’s “Khon Mai Jam Pen”, Potato’s “Khob Khun Thi Rak Kan” and Big Ass’s “Phrom Likhit”.

True4U, the terrestrial digital TV channel of True Corp, has selected five different but no less contemporary songs and they will be acted out in the series “True Love Story: Proh Ther Khue Rak” starting from Monday.

“We at True4U concentrate on presenting creative content through real-life situations. The majority of today’s soaps and dramas reflect the modern lifestyle but with ‘Proh Ther Khue Rak’ we are aiming to encourage and support society,” says Nattaporn Babpraserth, assistant broadcast programme director of True4U Station’s content development department.

“Five of the love stories are based on songs and the sixth is taken from the Pantip website and will be produced as two special episodes. There are many different kinds of love and all of them have moments of happiness. For the series, we have chosen the theme song, ‘Chan Dee Jai Thi Mee Ther’. 

“The songs, which I think we can safely say are known to just about everybody, are also love stories in their own right. We’ve worked hard to come up with themes that will appeal to viewers and I am confident we are covering the five kinds of love that are most prevalent in today’s society – one-sided love, love triangle, lost love, unconditional love and puppy love,” says Jesada Osathaloet who, along with four other directors, runs Doga Production and is responsible for bringing the stories alive. 

“I’ve infused our series with a feeling of warmth. I believe that love in itself is never wrong though the same cannot be said of human behaviour. We should give love willingly.

“The idea came to me after looking at soap after soap that dramatise every day life. There are always cat fights, screaming arguments and break-ups. That made me want to make positive stories about love. Of course I know that love has its dark side but to me, there’s always something good even in the dark side. The episode ‘Kham Mai Kee Kham’, for instance, is about a love triangle. I think there’s always a solution to a bad situation. It’s just a question of looking at the bright side.”

The five songs turned into the new TV series are Boyd Kosiyabong’s “Huajai Pook Kan”, Boyd Pod’s “Rak Khun Khao Laew” and “Kham Mai Kee Kham”, and Apiwat “Stamp” Eueathawornsuk’s “Kalakrang Nueng” and “Khon Thi Khun Kor Roo Wa Khrai.”

Jet “Dome” Boonyoprakarn directs “Rak Khun Khao Laew”, which stars Iirah “Toni Rakkaen” Wimonchailerk, Suwapich “Baitoey” Traipornworakit, Panthila “Air” Fuklin, and Theekapat “Earth” Charnvitayapong.

“It is a story of love and a deep bond that starts in the past and runs through the present. When the man and a woman meet, they are in very different situations – one is a teacher and the other a student and that prevents their love from developing. But after time goes by, they are back to loving each other again,” says Dome.

Director Kanchanapan Meesuwan directs the mini series “Kaln La Khrang Nueng”. It stars Natthaweeranuch “Ja” Thongmee, Kavee “Beam” Tanjararak, and Anna Chuancheun.

“It’s about love lost. Most of us have lost someone we love and we all have different ways of dealing with the loss. I think of it like running a marathon. We don’t know how 

 long we can cope with the feeling just as we don’t know how far we will get as we try to reach the finishing line. But with presence of mind and patience, we will get there,” says Kan.

Director Songsak “Woon” Mongkolthong directs another two mini series. “Khon Thi Khun Kor Roo Wa Khrai” stars Settha “Toy” Sirachaya, Vasana “Koy” Sittivej, Sunansa “Joy” Nithivasin and Meentra Intira from “The Voice”, while “Huajai Pook Kan” features Putthipong “Leo Putt” Sriwat, Atthama “Bowie” Chevanichapan, and Nattapat “Mac” Nimjirawat.

“‘Khon Thi Khun Kor Roo’ is really about puppy love and is told through the eyes of a grandfather played by veteran actor Settha Sirachaya. ‘Huajai Pook Kan’ focuses on unconditional love and tells the story of two families, one with a child and the other without,” says Woon.

“It is about a clean heart and pure love, the kind that doesn’t expect anything in return. It tells of the fondness the old man has for a popular actress who in her later years ends up in hospital. He helps her live again through love,” says Settha.

“It’s my acting debut,” says Meentra, who plays Ging, the old man’s granddaughter. “I was very excited at working with two such popular actors as Uncle Toy and Auntie Koy. Ging helps grandfather Ton to be happy with the one he likes.”

Jesada directs “Kham Mai Kee Kham” starring Saharat “Kong” Sangkapricha, Manasnan “Donut” Panlertwongskul, Boonyisa “Poppy” Chantrarachai, and Justin Pongampai.

“I’m presenting the all-too-common love triangle and offering a good way out. I believe everybody wants good love and a satisfying relationship. But if that relationship is negatively affecting another person, we need to ask ourselves if the love is good or not,” he says.

Topping and tailing the five love stories told through 15 episodes is the adaptation of a true love story from community website Pantip. It’s directed by Bandit “Od” Thongdee and stars Worrawech “Dan” Danuwong and Khemanit “Pancake” Jamikorn.

 “We wanted to hear about love from the general public so we asked people to write their own love stories through the website. We selected the best one and developed it into two parts that start and end the series,” says True4U’s Nattaporn.

 

FEVERISH FEELINGS

- “True Love Story: Proh Ther Khue Rak” is broadcast at 8pm on Monday and Tuesday on True4U Channel 24.

- For more details, check true4u.truelife.com.