Talented musician Kwesta, real name Senzo Vilakazi will star alongside Bontle Modiselle in Black Brain Pictures’ film, Piano Love.

KWESTA: ‘THE IDEA OF ACTING HAS ALWAYS BEEN THERE’
The rapper Kwesta tells Sowetan that he initially turned down the role in Piano Love until filmmaker Mandla N changed his mind.

 

 

 

 
“The idea of acting has always been there. I’d always tell my friends, ‘Yazi one day, I’d like to try out acting’. But it wasn’t something I’d follow through,” he said.

“I’d often say I’ll produce a funny movie and just act in it for the fun of it, not in a serious way, because I respect the art and the craft immensely and I wouldn’t want to disrespect it. This is why I initially said ‘no’ to Mandla when he called and told me about the script and the idea of me playing lead in his film.”

Vilakazi adds that Mandla called him two or three days after declining the role to asked if he could come to his office.

“I went there. He painted a picture of the film’s plot and how he couldn’t find someone who raps in life and can embody this character way better than me,” he said.

The musician also says the filmmaker told him that he represents people from the hood very well as a musician.

Mandla wanted Kwesta to translate all of that on screen. He saw how passionate and excited he was and eventually agreed.
MORE STARS JOIN ‘PIANO LOVE’
The award-winning rapper Kwesta will be joined by choreographer Bontle Modiselle-Moloi in Piano Love.

Other stars to join the musician include former Scandal! star Given Stuurman as well as actors Bheki Sibiya and Peter Mashigo.

The upcoming film is produced by Mandla N from Black Brain Pictures, who confirms to TshisaLIVE that the film depicts the state of the music scene in South Africa today.

“I had to do something nice and huge for the culture. I couldn’t find anyone to finance so I financed it myself and sold it to Netflix,” he says.

He adds that the Ngud hitmaker will make his acting debut and was coached and trained to get him camera-ready.

The film is a love story set in the streets of Soweto and premieres on Netflix on Friday, 23 August.