Munya on Rhythm City role

Bruce Ndlovu
Despite having already starred in a number of film and television productions, Zimbabwea��s diamond boy, Munyaradzi Chidzonga, says that working on the set of popular South African soapie Rhythm City was an eye opening experience as his work ethic has never been tuned to the demands of a daily programme.

Chidzonga is set to make his debut on Rhythm City in November, getting a chance to rub shoulders with some of South Africaa��s finest talents in the widely watched and followed show.

Although he has been previously coy about his upcoming role in the past, Chidzonga was able to share a little light on his current gig in an interview.

a�?I would love to say ita��s just another day in the office but ita��s not. I am learning a lot. Ita��s actually a blessing. I realised how big the show is when I watched the show this other day and realised that this is not Mickey Mouse stuff.a�?

a�?Ita��s an eye opener. It was a steep learning curve because they do things very differently and because ita��s a soapie, ita��s different from making films and television series so you have to change gears all the time,a�? he said.

From his utterances, it looks like Chidzonga will portray a colourful character, an individual who best befits his talent as an actor.

a�?I think my character is very interesting. I am professional and so I separate myself from the character. No (I would not be friends with him). I think he is a bit weird, I think he is a bit strange. I would not even take his Whatsapp number.a�?

a�?I think he is a good dude. I like the character. The timing is good so there is a lot of potential to tell a lot of stories.

Because it is a Zimbabwean character there is also pressure. When you are playing one of your own everyone will be there with a pen and their pad (dissecting it),a�? he said.

Chidzonga said that he had not yet taken in the magnitude of featuring in the show, as he had not yet had time to process what had happened thus far. He added that reality would probably hit when his first episode in the soapie airs.

a�?It all happened pretty fast. My agent called me and said Munya you got an audition for Rhythm City. I flew to Johannesburg and did the audition and two days later they called and said I got the role and I should be there for shooting so there was no time to get emotional,a�? he said.

He added that the actor he had the most chemistry with on set was Mpho Molepo, who plays the character of Fats.

a�?My best dialogue was with Fats. I think that is because he has this special energy about him. It was interesting to feed off his character,a�? he said. .