The
official trailer for the new South African motion picture, KEEPING UP
WITH THE KANDASAMYS, is here!
From the producers of Hard to Get and Happiness is a Four-Letter
Word - one of South Africa’s most successful films - comes an all new
rib-tickling, two-sided family comedy affair, directed and
co-written by Durban filmmaker Jayan Moodley (White
Gold), produced by award-winning duo Helena Spring (Academy Award Nominee
and Mbokodo-winner) and the late Junaid Ahmed (who sadly passed away in
November 2016) and co-writer, Rory Booth.
Set in
Chatsworth, KEEPING UP WITH THE KANDASAMYS opens a window
into the lifestyle and subculture of modern-day Indian South Africans; their
aspirations, dreams and challenges. “I
loved shooting this film on location in Chatsworth. It’s an iconic place, like
District Six or Soweto. It’s vibrant, lively and spirited, and I believe we
have managed to not only capture its idiosyncrasies but also its heart and soul
that will make global audiences fall in love with it too, over a barrel full of
laughs,” says director Jayan Moodley about her debut
film.
The film stars Jailoshini Naidoo (Eastern
Mosaic, Lotus FM) 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 (Maeshni Naicker) is a
typical Type-A personality. Always on the move, going out of her way to please
people, and overcompensating for her perceived inadequacies by continually
cooking up a storm in the kitchen. Her life would be just fine, except that her
neighbour, Jennifer Kandasamy (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
Prishen (Madhushan Singh) – a sensitive medical student,
she is determined to break them up. But in order 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,” says producer, Helena Spring.
Mishqah Parthiephal, who is best-known as Vania in the television soap, Skeem Saam, is thrilled about starring
in the film. “When I heard there was an
audition for a huge feature film in Durban, I knew that it was an opportunity I
couldn’t miss out on. So I drove the six hours from Johannesburg to Durban for
the auditions. I was offered the role a few weeks later,” she shares. “I think that KEEPING UP WITH THE KANDASAMYS is a beautiful story that reflects
true Durban Indian culture, I can’t wait for the world to see it.” About
playing Jodi, she says: “We are very
similar in many ways. She’s a strong young
woman who isn’t afraid to tell people around
her what’s in her heart. She’s kind and gentle and very loving. We
are even similar in the way that we dress. We both live in shorts
and sneakers!”
Light-hearted, and entertaining, the
story is supported by an array of colourful characters that celebrate the rich
and spicy way of life in Durban. Well-known South African theatre
actor/playwright/director, Rajesh Gopie, plays Shanti’s husband, Preggie, while
comedian Koobeshen Naidoo can be seen as Jennifer’s husband, Elvis. These two
characters always remain in the background as they are constantly overshadowed
by their dominating wives. Jodi’s friend Marlin (Neil Govender), the local
wedding planner, is an epitome of fabulous flamboyancy and Ayah (Mariam Bassa)
- Jennifer’s elderly, no-nonsense, ever-critical, mother-in-law - represents
that typical granny in most Indian extended families, with funny one-liners and
deep insights that are bound to strike a chord with any audience.
“This film
has something for everyone. The universal story of neighbourhood
rivalry, our desperate need for acceptance and the climb for perceived societal
success, is something which touches everyone the world over. At the end of the
day we can all recognize our quirks and foibles and the funny side of the
weird, wonderful and strangely competitive world we live in,” adds Moodley.
KEEPING UP WITH THE KANDASAMYS
promises audiences
some truly funny laughs about families, relationships and neighbourhood-envy.
The film was produced in
association with M-Net, the DTI and NFVF, with distribution by Ster-Kinekor
Entertainment. It features
music by Kyle Deutsch and The Parlotones and will be released in cinemas, nationwide, on 3 March 2017.
ABOUT THE MAIN ACTORS
Jailoshini Naidoo (Jennifer Kandasamy)
A versatile multi award-winning South African actress, voiceover artist
and comedian who has performed at major arenas all over the country, including
The Market Theatre, Baxter Theatre, The Playhouse as well as the Grahamstown
and Hilton Arts Festivals. A former presenter on SABC2’s Eastern Mosaic, and continuity presenter on M-Net, Jailoshini
currently hosts The Weekend Liftoff,
the Saturday morning show on Lotus FM in Durban. She has also starred in the
British film The Eastern Bride, the
Italian film Karol and popular
British series Strike Back 2.
Maeshni Naicker (Shanti Naidoo)
A stage and film actress, voiceover artist, radio
personality, comedian, popular Madame Master of Ceremonies and Drama teacher. After
completing her Drama studies at University, Maeshni continued to act in stage
and film productions, teach drama at schools and later went on to start her own
Drama School, The Maeshni Naicker
Academy of Drama. She is best-known for her roles in Broken Promises
1, 2, 3, Highway Sheila, 31 Million, The Dance and the
internationally acclaimed Florida Road.
Social Media
Links:
Twitter: @kandasamysmovie
Instagram: @kandasamysmovie
Hashtag: #ChatsworthStyle
#KandasamysMovie
It is the brainchild of rugby legends Bob Skinstad and Robbie Fleck
and long-standing mate Ron Rutland. Founded in 2008, starting off as a
rugby only tournament the event has since evolved into a multi-sport
event, with the addition of Netball in 2013 and Beach Volleyball in 2016
and now Dodgeball for 2017.
