Edutainment comedy 'Nothing For Mahala' comes to the big screen

Movie-goers in Kampala will this weekend be treated to a mixture of fun and financial lessons at the big screening of a South African edutainment comedy, Nothing For Mahala, at the National Theatre. Laced on comedy, the movie has strong moral message for many a city wage earner.

"Overspending, unsecured lending, corruption and money troubles seem to be the order of the day. Living beyond our means has become a growing phenomenon in our nation," said Moses Serugo, the curator of African Movie Night, a monthly African movie screening.

The 2013 Golden Horn award-winning and Africa Movie Academy Award nominee for Best Achievement in Sound, was this month's selection.

Nothing For Mahala is a tale of an up-and-coming property agent, Axe Gumede, desperate to make his mark in life and believes you have to spend money in order to make it.

Problem is Gumede spends a lot more than he makes, driving a flashy car and trying to live up to the posh life. This extravagant lifestyle gets him into trouble with loan sharks and, through a series of mishaps, in trouble with the law.

His fast-paced career as a property agent is screeches to a halt when he gets sentenced to 200 hours of community service at an old-age home. There he meets and gets assigned to Hendrik, a grumpy old man who spent his life chasing money and now finds himself miserable and alone.  Their story is a comic clash of cultures spiced up with hard-hitting life lessons.

"The principal cast (and director) is quite familiar to Ugandan television viewers," said Serugo.

Thapelo Mokoena (Axe Gumede) has starred in Isidingo: The Need, Mmabatho Montsho has starred in the famous Generations and Rhythm City, while Jamie Bartlett is more recognisable as the villainous David Genaro in the eAfrica series Rhythm City.  Director Rolie Nikiwe also takes the screen credit for creating Rhythm City.

Catch them explore their big screen versatility in the edutainment comedy showing this Friday (July 15) at the National Theatre, Kampala.