‘Choices’ settles on the set

The drama is tight, actors apt and suspense right in MBC-TV soapie Choices, if the five episodes beamed so far are anything to go by.

Drama is the bilingual soapie, written by Malawian actor of international repute, Ashukile Mwakisulu revolves around four women: Tina, Frida, Milcah and Elsie, who are childhood friends.

Tina (Flora Suya), owns a hair salon often frequented by her friends and is married to Derrick (Justine Luwemba), who is a journalist.

Milcah (Tapiwa Gwaza) is a single business woman while Frida (Juliet Royo) stays with her younger sister Deliwe (Simunye Nyamali); Elsie (Mwayi Simbota) is married to Kambani (Mwakisulu).

In the first episode, Kambani impregnates Deliwe. Infuriated, Elsie, who fails to give Kambani a child, deserts and goes to stay with Tina, who gives her courage to live on.

But before that complication is resolved, in subsequent episodes, it is clear Deliwe is just another youthful drunkard. To keep her off the bottle, Kambani allows Deliwe to occupy the bed Elsie deserted. What would happen if Elsie chooses to return home?

The soap is also tackling Malawi problems in a creative way. For instance, when a newspaper editor Eddie (Robert Magasa) is talking to his reporter Mayeso (Blessings Carlos) about a musician (Capital FM DJ Panther) who is coming for an interview, the reporter doesn’t want any of it. The episode came hot on the heels of Malawi importing Nigerian star Davido to plant a tree to raise environmental awareness.

“If he is a great musician, why does he not make it on the international scene?” the reporter wonders.

To that, his editor says: “That is why as a country we think everything foreign is good. That is the reason we are failing to promote our own musicians and go in favour of Nigerian, Zambian and other foreign music.”

Before viewers could realise it, the soapie introduced three other characters to increase the suspense. Sekuru (Hope Chisanu) and his wife Naomi (Lyts Viola) joined the set. In this family, things get worse when Sekuru’s sister Beauty (Annie Muhapala) comes in from Zambia and her relationship with Naomi is anything but good.

The fans on the soap’s Facebook page seem to be enjoying the show. From their comments, it is clear they are following it to boot.

“Hope the soap won’t stop. It is a good series… Good acting. I am in love with Naomi, a good example to married women, very humble,” writes one viewer.

Mwakisulu, who, apart from other soaps in Holland and Germany, has featured in South Africa’s Generations, Scandal, Jacob’s Cross and The Lab, says the early stages are for introducing the characters.

“At the moment, we are establishing the various actors so that viewers know what they do and who they really are. We have had encouraging messages locally as well as internationally since the soap on MBC-TV can be accessed on DStv,” said Mwakisulu.

But the soap has experienced some shortfalls, like sound. Sometimes, the voices are inaudible. The soap being bilingual, using English and Chichewa, at times English subtitles for Chichewa dialogues are missing, making it difficult for viewers who do not understand English to follow.

Mwakisulu reckons they are working on the problems.

But what is Choices all about?

For director Thoko Tembo, the idea was engendered because only Malawians can tell best Malawian stories.

“Life is about choices. The bad or good choices people make in life affect their lives. The soap comes out of a deep passion, as evidenced by our shooting the first episode of the soap from our finances,” said Tembo, who was trained in film production at Stockport in the United Kingdom.

For Mwakisulu, the financing of the project from their pockets cannot run forever.

“We are praying hard to get sponsorship. At the moment, there are no commercial breaks in the soap, which means if this continues we will hit a snag someday. We have shot close to 10 episodes with no sponsorship. Actors and the crew have worked hard to sustain it, but that cannot be forever,” said Mwakisulu.

As the soap returns on the set every Saturday, fingers remain crossed that it does not die unnatural death like others before it.