Don Mlangeni chats about 'The Estate' & the 'righteous chaos' he will bring
There's no doubt that as Bra Zeb Matabane of Isidingo fame, veteran actor Don Mlangeni Nawa helped make the SABC3 the place to be with his storytelling, and now he returns as a different man on The Estate who he is sure will captivate South Africans like no other role he's played before.
In an interview with TshisaLIVE, Don said his character was going to cause “righteous chaos” in the upcoming series and admitted his return to SABC3 after Isidingo was thrilling for him as a storyteller.
“Honestly I feel no pressure. I am looking forward to give our audiences authentic stories they can relate to with ease and genuine responses to issues in a typical South African way,” he said.
The actor plays Shadrack Mokobane, an activist who will stop at nothing to defend the interest of his impoverished community in Thembalethu in the much-anticipated drama series.
Don shared what he loved about bringing the role of Shadrack to life and how he was fascinated by the passion his character has for community activism. The family man he plays feels an obligation to defend the land he believes is rightfully owned by the community and their ancestry.
“I was fascinated about how the character navigates his objectives and the roller-coaster rides he goes through to put his points across. There is nothing exciting as fighting for the rights of your community and doing it diligently. Shadrack is provided with the opportunity to speak truth to power without compromise,” he said.
Watch the teaser below:
However, Shadrack isn't without skeletons in the closet as the father of two harbours a secret that haunts him. Unbeknown to his family, Shadrack accidentally killed his son Tumelo during upheavals in the early years of their struggle. Shadrack is haunted by the death of his son which his family.
The actor also shared why he admired the story in the approach to paint SA truthfully.
“The Estate reflects truthfulness in its approach to issues affecting our society today, especially the exploitation of the poor by the rich and politicians.”
Don said the star-studded cast and crew of the series were a pleasure to work with, which made bringing the story to life effortless and a great experience.
“I feel it is the obligation of every production house to ensure the working environment is conducive to the employees. We are working very well and harmoniously on set. The working relationship with fellow employees is wonderful.”
SABC3 announced the The Estate will premier in April 2021.