Sindi Dlathu on her breakdown
Sindi talks about juggling being Thandaza and real self
WHEN she joined Muvhango 15 years ago as a supporting actress, Sindi Dlathu did not imagine she would be with the drama series-turned-soapie for so many years.
Dlathu, who plays Thandaza, says her years in Muvhango have been a rollercoaster ride for her as an actress and a woman.
“I was part of the pilot shoot for a drama that was supposed to last for only 13 episodes.
“This has now turned into a soapie with long shooting hours and requires emotional stability, particularly as Thandaza goes through so much trauma, ” she says.
The 39-yearold from Soweto is referring to how bad luck always seems to follow her character.
From bad relationships and surviving a shooting to making bad business decisions and being a stay-at-home mom, Thandaza has seen it all.
The long hours that come with shooting such a highquality production and playing a lead role have had their toll on her health.
“In December 2009, I had a breakdown when my body just crashed. I was shooting about 21 scenes a day and I did not even notice because acting is my life.
“I would come to set at 6am and leave after 7pm. I was just on the go until my body said ‘ no’,” she says.
It is this breakdown caused by fatigue that led her to set boundaries and find balance.
“Fatigue and exhaustion are dangerous and need to be taken seriously. “I took a few weeks off to recover because my doctor said rest was the only cure for my condition.” When asked about the sexual exploitation of women in the acting industry, Dlathu says it is sad that there still exists a culture of “couch deals”, in which women are forced into having sex in exchange for work in the acting industry.
“I do not want to put myself on a high horse and judge anyone who might have been enticed or forced into that kind of an arrangement or exploitation, because people have different circumstances to deal with.”
When it comes to her real-life marriage, the actress is very guarded.
“Talking about my marriage will involve both my families and this is wrong because they are not in the public eye,” she says firmly. The couple have no children.
“The reasons behind us not having children are personal and I refuse to go there,” she says.
On her plans for the future, Dlathu says, though she is blessed to be part of a production like Muvhango which means a salary at the end of each month – she would also like to work as an arts teacher at the community level to unearth new talent and groom it.
Her role in Muvhango was one of her first few television jobs after she started her career in theatre at age 14 as Sarafina’s understudy in the world-renowned play, Sarafina!.