Montsho behind camera
LEADING lady Mmabatho Montsho is stepping behind the camera to direct a few episodes of the much-anticipated youth drama MTV Shuga: Down South. The 12-episode show premiered on MTV Base on Wednesday and put the spotlight on issues of sex, love, pregnancy and HIV as experienced by African teens in their coming-of-age journeys. Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o starred in the first season of the show shot in Kenya in 2009. This season stars fresh-faced young talents such as Thuso Mbedu, Given Stuurman and Lerato Walaza. The show will air across the African continent and the world. Familiar faces including Tshepo Maseko, S’thandiwe Kgoroge, Winnie Ntshaba and Zenande Mfenyana have supporting roles. An elated Montsho shares: “I directed a couple of the episodes, towards the tail end. I kind of took over the crisis moment, which was a great challenge for me, especially since this is my first Pan-African drama. “So I had to put into consideration the things that have to work in South Africa, but also across the continent. I enjoyed it.
“The actors where really amazing. Some of them I have worked with before, but to see how much they have grown on this production was incredible.
“I’m very much inspired by music and I wanted to direct because of the music on the show. The story was powerful too.”
She is hard at work scripting for an upcoming TV show she won’t reveal yet. Montsho is also one of the writers on Mzansi Magic hit drama currently on air.
“I’m writing for another series at the moment, so for the rest of the year I’m looking forward to that. I have got two series that I wrote on that are currently airing.
“So it’s giving me a bit of confidence to get into the next one.”
Montsho was last seen on the screen in last year’s romantic drama film directed by Thabang Moleya. who also directed a few episodes of Montsho is renowned for her TV roles in
and but is unlikely to be seen on the small or big screen any time soon.
“It will have to be something really nice. But I really love writing and directing. I think acting takes third place, but I still love it.”