Indian drama set to entertain
The premiere of the locally made romantic comedy, Keeping Up with the Kandasamys, runs on February 16 at the Ster-Kinekor in Gateway and will hit the big screen nationwide on March 3. JOLENE MARRIAH and MARYANNE ISAAC speak to the director, producer and a
Keeping up with the Kandasamys has already created momentum and euphoria, and the cast and crew have pulled out all the stops and promised audiences a family-centric humorous Indian drama.
Set in Chatsworth, the movie takes one into the lifestyle and subculture of a modern-day Indian South African family’s aspirations, dreams and challenges.
The film stars Jailoshini Naidoo ( Eastern Mosaic) and Maeshni Naicker ( Broken Promises) as the matriarchal rivals of neighbouring families, whose young adult children become romantically involved, and despite their best efforts to keep them apart, they are forced to acknowledge that in the end love will always prevail.
Shanti Naidoo, played by Maeshni Naicker, is a typical Type-A- personality. Always on the move, going out of her way to please people and is usually found cooking up a storm in her kitchen. Her life would be just fine, except that her neighbour, Jennifer Kandasamy, played by Jailoshini Naidoo, always seems to hold the upper hand.
When Jennifer realises her beautiful tomboy daughter, Jodi (Mishqah Parthiephal), is in love with Shanti’s son Prinesh (Madhushan Singh) she is determined to break them up. But to do that she will have to enlist her rival’s help.
“Together the two women scheme and plot, recruit prospective partners and generally interfere with their kids wherever they can,” said producer Helena Spring.
“The universal story of neighbourhood rivalry, our desperate need for acceptance and the climb for perceived societal success, is something that everyone relates to,” said director Jayan Moodley.
Asked if the issue of interfering mothers is still rife in Indian households, Moodley said: “I think interfering mothers is an issue in many communities, across continents. Somehow we always think we know what’s best for our children and always see our involvement (necessary or not) as part of being a mum!
“In Indian households, however, mothers are really in their own league. We do take it to an all new level. I should know all too well.”
Actors to also look out for in the storyline are well-known South African theatre actor and director, Rajesh Gopie, comedian Koobeshen Naidoo and Mariam Bassa who plays Ayah, Jennifer’s elderly, no-nonsense mother-in-law.