Two-time South African Film and Television Awards-winning actor Lawrence Maleka is back on our TV screens, this time in his acting capacity. Maleka has made his Netflix debut, leading Burnt Onion Productions' new romantic comedy ‘Lobola Man’.
The 34-year-old actor has had a successful two year run hosting viewer favourite shows; ‘Big Brother’ Titans along with Ebuka Obi-Uchendu and ‘Big Brother Mzansi’ on Mzansi Magic and SABC 1’s ‘Too Hot to Be Single’.
Viewers last saw Maleka on ‘The River’ where he portrayed Lindiwe Dikane’s sidekick Zolani, who was killed off last year in the sixth and final season. His new character is on the complete flip side.
On ‘Lobola Man’, Maleka portrays the smooth-talker and family wooer Ace Ngubeni, a certified master of composure, Ace has built a successful business as a lobola negotiator.
“This would be an excellent time to do something different and test my limits and what I can and cannot do. Also, I test the market; what they will accept of me and what they won't.
“I think most importantly I always use myself as a guinea pig to check what it is that I am truly capable of or what I truly want to venture into.”
‘Lobala Man’ gave the actor a chance to finally work with his friends, Burnt Onion Productions' owner's siblings Tshepo and Katleho and Rethabile Ramaphakela. They had a script and had been “threatening to work with each other” for a while and it finally happened.
“I think when you see the movie you'll see that; it's so weird that the movie is a metaphor for what's to come from a lobola man movie.
“We've just started the conversation; how we depict this traditional, very authentic aspect of who we are as black people,
This is a Boy Meets Girl movie, at its core that's what it is.”
The character of Ace Ngcobo, took Maleka on a little trip down memory lane as in a way he got to relive his past relationships or situations, imparting lessons to him such as the heart wants what it wants, forgiveness and empathy.
“With my character, you're going to see someone who's always treated things as transactional because he's just built a wall around himself where he never wants to feel hurt and when those walls come down it's it's a pyrrhic victory, and in that sense you see how everything almost comes together and how sometimes as much as we fight them. It's undeniable. It's clear as day.”
In the romantic comedy, Ace Ngcobo’s new Duke Maseko (Sandile Mahlangu) but this new deal might be Ace's toughest deal yet. Ace assembles a squad of seasoned ‘negotiators’ played by award-winning actors Thembsie Matu, Obed Baloyi, and Sello Ramolahloane.
“You have the character of Nimrod Nkosi who is an overprotective father who wants the best for his daughter; you do see the character of Kwanele Mthethwa who is a strong steadfast woman who takes no nonsense and knows exactly what she wants..
“The character of Sandile is someone who's misplaced in this place in terms of what he's attracted to and struggling to recognize love because he's been so career-oriented. My character who has a weird, strange relationship with love because of his father, all these dynamics come into play.
“As a family viewing show, you will see bits and pieces of yourself and people you know - which is always the winning formula. We always want to see ourselves in the stories being told.
“We try to keep it as authentic as that, it's a boy meets girl movie and the lobola aspect of it is just the introduction aspect of the movie as well as movies to come based around the subject matter”.
If ‘Lobala Man’ is successful, who knows it might just get the green light for another movie with renowned director Thabang Moleya at the helm and a well-fitted cast, the possibilities are endless.
Moleya directed the highly successful ‘Happiness Is a Four-letter Word’ and ‘Happiness Ever After’ this is the first time he and Maleka have worked together. “It was fun working with him, he is very trusting in letting actors do what they want.”
Being his first time leading a cast, Maleka admits to being nervous as it’s not just about the on-screen chemistry but also the responsibility of leading the culture of the set. “I'd like to believe that people had a lot of fun.
“I always love working with people who put their egos aside for the betterment of the job. What you're going to see is a group of people who are having fun.
“I think loosely described it feels like the studio gave me and my friends money to make a movie, that's what it feels like.”
Having always been a Nkosi fan, Maleka marvelled at watching the renowned presenter work. They have formed a relationship where the multi-award-winning Maleka can call him to bounce ideas off him.
“He for me I think is one of the few people in this country who have revolutionised the way we host TV shows. He's so calm and very confident and collected in what he's saying and very intentional.”
Burnt Onion Productions has built a solid reputation of delivering stories that celebrate all that is South Africa, our different cultures, music and humour, ‘Lobola Man’ also taps into their winning formula.
“I think just reading the words of the script you can't mistake this way for anything else but South African, the little nuances that were added into the show, the very South African music we played on set.
“It felt like a proudly South African commercial because it was essentially that. Every little detail was put in; the wardrobe department wanted to make every culture represented in a very authentic sense.”
Maleka recalls how the production was a group effort, with everyone coming together and adding their input, even the gaffers and equipment guys found themselves chirping in and sharing their own experiences around lobola negotiations.
“Within the whole movie, you are just going to get a very proud sense of seeing ourselves on an international platform and realising we're not just good enough, but we're just as brilliant and kudos to Netflix for taking the risk in coming into new territory and letting us tell our stories as opposed to emulating other stories.
“A proven formula that maybe worked in the US and they didn't try to force that agenda onto the South African Market or the African continent. They've just gone; we want to tell your stories and have the platform for the entire world to see your stories and we are the same.”
'Lobola Man' is currently streaming on Netflix.
Original article available on IOL
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