Sabhuku Vharazipi producers appeal for funds

By Problem Masau

Producers of the comedy “Sabhuku Vharazipi 2” say the new season’s master copy is ready, but they are appealing for funds to make more copies. Director Wellington Chindara confirmed the film was ready and will be out soon.

“Technically, we have finished mastering and the comedy is ready to go on the streets, but we are waiting to get sponsorship to duplicate copies,” he said.

The cast got US$4 000 from the Culture Fund Trust of Zimbabwe to shoot “Sabhuku Vharazipi 2” following the success of “Sabhuku Vharazipi 1”. David Mubayiwa, who plays Sabhuku Vharazipi, a village headman, said the new project was better than the previous one.

“We have continued with our theme of tackling social issues in a humorous way. We produced the first season with a small budget, but this time around we got money from Culture Fund and we have come out with a quality product,” he said adding that they will fight piracy.

“We are popular, but we have nothing to show for it. Almost every household has our discs, but we did not get anything from our sweat and this time we don’t want to repeat the same mistake. We have employed our marketing manager to find ways to make money out of our talent.”

The comedy revolves around the character “Sabhuku Vharazipi”, a corrupt headman who manipulates the distribution of food and other inputs in his area in an attempt to get what he wants, including women.

He uses his position and intimidates women before he asks for sexual favours. “Sabhuku Vharazipi” also uses his position for political mileage to enrich himself and his family. He is the door to the village and anyone, either a politician or otherwise, has to pass through him.

The headman approves every activity in the village and in the process he calls the shots. The play is a socio-political comedy touching on several issues like corruption, politics of the stomach, headman’s position in the village and life in the village.

The title of the comedy is metaphorical for one who is left exposed. Mubayiwa said they came up with the name after realising that headmen were respected in their communities to the extent that being exposed was the height of embarrassment. The Herald