Former Muvhango actress Sindi Dlathu is set to heat up the small screen again as the leading lady in a new Mzansi Magic drama series. The new diamond drama, The River, will start as a new locally-produced telenovela on the new 1Magic channel on Monday, 29 January 2018.
Similar to the first local drama forays of Mzansi Magic, The River will combine the conflict inherent in township struggles where ordinary working class South Africans have bigger dreams, but are in part prevented from realising those aspirations due to capitalist greed and pervasive corruption within the upper classes.
The River will be the flagship show on the soon-to-launch 1Magic (DStv 103) that is replacing the VUZU AMP channel after three years that tried to court a younger viewership.
The creation of 1Magic is signalling M-Net’s latest shift to a bigger focus on broader, general local entertainment through telenovelas and dramas to try and lure a wider audience than just youth viewers, something that the VUZU and VUZU AMP channels have struggled with.
“The River is just the type of drama that fans have been waiting for,” says Reneilwe Sema, the M-Net director of local entertainment.
“The storyline combines the allure and ruthlessness of the business world, with the raw essence of township struggles, making for the type of story lines our viewers love.”
Sindi Dlathu who left SABC2’s Venda-soap Muvhango for this new top billing role, will now appear as Lindiwe, the ruthless matriarch of a mining family.
It will be a stunning role-reversal character portrayal for Sindi, beloved by millions of South African viewers for her Thandaza Mokoena character in Muvhango, with viewers who are going to be shocked and bowled over by her cunning, vicious and “love to hate her” new evil on-screen persona.
When the stiletto’ed Lindiwe, living in an upper-crust mansion on the one side of a river, discovers that a township community on the other side is unaware that they’re sitting on a valuable diamond treasure, she is adamant to secure the land and riches and will let nothing stand in her way.
Source: Channel24