What happens when a wealthy family enters the seedy world of slay queens and blessers? Watch Rea Rangaka and Tbo Touch’s new movie and find out.
Sexy new comedy ‘Blessers’ has some of South Africa’s biggest leading men at the helm and is set to grab the attention of many with its naughty premise. Directed by Rea Rangaka and executive produced by entertainment entrepreneur Tbo Touch, the film stars Kenneth Nkosi in the lead, as well as Khathu Ramabulana, Nay Maps, and king of the airways Tbo Touch himself in his big screen debut.
The comedy-drama delves into the lives of wealthy couple, Jacob Mofokeng (Nkosi) and his gorgeous wife Michelle (Sonia Sedibe), and their narcissist daughter Natasha (Six Nyamane). Jacob is a powerful chief executive with a mansion, a successful wife, luxury cars and expensive recreational habits. But all is not well within the Mofokeng home, and there are many skeletons hiding in closets. Natasha is cut off financially by her parents and she falls into the world of blessers until she finds an unexpected client half-naked and waiting for her in a hotel room. The family is about to learn one of the biggest lessons of their lives in the worst way possible.
Entrepreneur Touch doubles up in a supporting role and as executive producer. The hip hop DJ and television presenter stars in the role of the flamboyant Andrew, the ultimate Fela in Versace, and king of monate times, who lives in a R48 million penthouse. He is a fixer who throws extravagant parties to introduce blessers to slay queens. Touch insisted the movie be shot in different locations to showcase South Africa as a tourist destination in terms of lifestyle, fine dining and infrastructure.
“The film was Tbo’s brainchild,” says director Rangaka. “It deals in an interesting way with the concept of blessers, cheating, the sex trade and more. We've all seen and read about what happens behind closed doors, especially with the Mzansi’s wealthy elite. The film takes a light-hearted look at blesser culture and how a whole family gets inadvertently caught up in it. It’s a naughty, raunchy and irreverent film about the consequences of being caught with your pants down. We had an enormous amount of fun making the movie and working with some of the country’s most talented male actors.”
In the role of Jacob, comedian Kenneth Nkosi shines. The well-known film and television actor and producer, popularly known for movies such as ‘Tsotsi’ (2005), ‘District 9’ (2009) and ‘White Wedding’ (2009), began his acting career in community theatre in the 90s. He brings years of experience, as well as his wit and energy to the role of the hapless father who bites off more than he can chew in a bid to escape his unhappy marriage.
Rising theatre and television star Khathutshelo Ramabulana stars in the role of Talent, a Ben 10 trainee and president of brokeboys worldwide, who finds a creative way to make a quick buck to pay his overdue rent. He falls in love with Natasha but, to his horror, finds himself one night in the arms of her mother Michelle. Ramabulana has appeared in several stage productions as well as SABC soapie, ‘Generations the Legacy’, as Yonke. In 2018, he joined the cast of Mzansi Magics’ ‘Ikahaya’ and ‘Scandal!’.
In the role of Katlego, Talent’s close friend and housemate and also a brokeboy who is every parent’s worst nightmare, is Nay Maps. Katlego is the one who convinces Talent to take one of his clients for the night – ‘clients’ being the older women Katlego sleeps with for money. Actor, presenter and model Maps is well known as the smart, mean gangster, Mxolisi Xulu on SABC1’s’Uzalo’, which has a viewership of over 10,2 million every night.
‘Blessers’ is a topical and very funny look at the lifestyles of the rich, and it’s perfectly timed to release just as the country heads towards the silly season,” says Helen Kuun, MD of Indigenous Film Distribution, which is distributing the film in South Africa.
‘Blessers’ opens in cinemas on 25 October.