Johannesburg – The Wife topped the Twitter trends chart yet again this morning, with fans waking up early to devour the first three episodes of the debut Showmax Original telenovela.
The show is already at number one on Showmax’s Top 20, ahead of Emmy winner Succession.
“It’s been a crazy morning,” says the Hlomu series author Dudu Busane-Dube.
“People are telling me they’ve already watched the episodes more than twice and I’m like…this is the most amazing thing I have ever seen. Stained Glass outdid itself here. My people are happy; they love the adaptation.”
Busane-Dube raved about the casting of rising star Bonko Khoza as Mqhele.
“Everybody loves him,” she says. “He fits the description. He has the face. He understands the character. So, yeah, I’m happy. I’m relieved.”
Khoza says that fans of the book shouldn’t think they know what’s going to happen in the telenovela.
“Fans can look forward to seeing the Hlomu The Wife that they know and love, but expanded and more colourful. It’s come to life in ways that even surprised us as actors and fans who’ve read and loved the book. For example, in the book, most of the time you don’t know where Mqhele goes. When he leaves the house, you’re always seeing it from Hlomu’s perspective, like he’s not coming home.
“But now in the series, you get to see where he is, you get to see what he’s getting up to. You’re going to see the crime. That dark underworld that we suspect in the book, you’re really going to get to be a part of in the series, that dark world that Hlomu is so afraid of,” Khoza said.
He further said Mqhele’s relationship with Hlomu remains the centre of the story, though.
“It’s been so much fun working with Mbalenhle; she’s an amazing actress,” he says. “The chemistry has been great.”
He took a method acting approach to the role, and said, “Where you are living in the character for a period of time…” He explains: “It’s quite a niche world, the taxi industry. You can’t half-arse something that’s so specific. So for about a month or so, I spent a lot of time at the taxi rank and played a lot of guitars and smoked a lot. I bought my own prop gun and carried it on me to see how that feels. I woke up at about three a.m. and just kept myself busy and got home very late and got to bed very late so that I could feel Mqhele’s tiredness.”
Khoza said he acknowledges the unprecedented debate that met the casting of that eight sexy skebengas, the Zulu brothers.
“There is a huge following for the book series. You could tell that when the show got announced and everyone had their own cast. I was like, ‘Okay, this book is big, right?’ And I don’t blame the readers for having their own imagination, because that’s what a book really does, right? A book engages your imagination. So it’s totally understandable that everyone had imagined their own story or how it played out, and everyone’s imagination is totally valid. In fact, even after the series, whatever Mqhele or Nkosana that you saw is still valid. We’re not here to nullify your imagination or say that you’re wrong? No.”
He calls the telenovela “a whole other beast… that expands the story into a different medium, which means it’s going to need a whole bunch of new elements.”
Showmax says the biggest debate was over the casting of Mqhele’s family, the Zulu brothers: Kwenzo Ngcobo as Qhawe; Sipho Ndlovu as Sambulo; SAFTA winner Abdul Khoza as Nqoba; Mondli Makhoba as Nkosana; SAFTA nominee Thulane Nkululeko Shange as Mqoqi; Ishmauel Songo as Mpande; and Swelihle Luthuli (eHostela) as Ntsika.
@BonkoKhoza was born for this, he is Mqhele, Mqhele is him🤞🏾🔥.#TheWifeShowmax pic.twitter.com/mQgVlUb52f
— Ursula Masinga (@ursula_nella) November 11, 2021
#TheWifeShowmax
Haven't watched something this good in a while…
Mzansi Talent!!! pic.twitter.com/GgNhhfoj03— Tsholo (@Tsholomolebatsi) November 11, 2021
The chemistry between Hlomu and Mqhele is so beautiful and thinking of the book its like they are on the cover they were made for these roles and no one will tell me otherwise #TheWifeShowmax no ways😭❤❤a standing ovation to the team a job well done ❤😭🔥🔥🔥🔥
— Ntombi Yase Maxhoseni❤ (@GSirimiri) November 11, 2021
Can we have 5 episodes per week @dududube 😭🥰🙌🙌🔥🔥🔥 #TheWifeShowmax pic.twitter.com/lD3A7PCbh5
— Nonto (@ziqubu40) November 11, 2021
#TheWifeShowmax is so top tier🥲🤧. You can tell that @dududube handpicked all the characters because they're each so fitting and the chemistry amongst the brothers is so genuine😭. This just made me fall more in love with Mqhele and Hlomu😻😻😻!!!
— Ntandokazi✨ (@Ntandokayzee) November 11, 2021
Showmax further explained that while it was never going to be possible to find eight identical, bug-eyed Zulu brothers, as described in the book, Khoza believes they’re perfectly cast.
“Not in the sense of looks but just in terms of energy – and that’s really something hard to get right. We all gel. We all respect each other, and we’re all willing to help each other to get to wherever the one needs to get to for the scene or for the work and to be there for each other outside of the work.
“We have formed a really powerful bond. We spend most weekends together; we look out for each other. My big brother Nkosana, Mondli Makhoba, is really a big brother to me. Kwenzo, Sipho, Abdul, Thulane, Ishmauel, and Swelihle, are like real brothers to me,” Khoza explained.
Khoza says he cannot wait for fans to finally see the show and fall in love with the beloved characters all over again, in new ways.
“I don’t think SA has seen anything like this; I don’t think they’ve made anything like this before. It looks beautiful, man. So Mzansi just has to strap on a seat belt and hold tight. It’s going to be a crazy trip.”
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