Actor Anga Makubalo leads a star-studded cast in the South African romantic movie Smart Casuals, which premieres on Netflix globally on Friday, 12 April 2024.
Zwo Farisani and Ndamu Farisani from Farisani Creations write and produce this eagerly anticipated drama, which also marks Zwo’s debut as a director in a feature film.
‘Smart Casuals’ to premiere on Netflix
Filmed entirely on location in Johannesburg, Smart Casuals (watch trailer on YouTube) follows two couples who “travel equal and opposite paths in their search to find love,” the synopsis states.
The first couple includes Taki, a mid-thirties photographer who is set on having casual flings until he meets Tumi, who turns his world upside down. Meanwhile, Mahlatsi and Bheka have been in a 12-year relationship with two postponed weddings. They make a third attempt at tying the knot, but Mahlatsi is at a crossroads.
Cast
Viewers will see many familiar faces in the stellar cast that’s led by Anga Makubalo (Jiva!, Broken Vows), Angela Sithole (Savage Beauty, The Queen), Terrence Ngwila (The Wife, Generations: The Legacy) and Mandisa Constable.
Others are Nyaniso Dzedze (Black is King, Hear Me Move), Nomsa Twala (Savage Beauty) and Hip-Hop dance pioneer Kudzai Mureriwa.
The flick explores “romantic relationships and their many permutations, set against the backdrop of Africa’s most cosmopolitan city.”
“I have always preferred films that lean towards an authentic experience over those that are fairytales,” Zwo says. “With Smart Casuals, we have attempted to create an authentic experience by finding a sense of transparency and vulnerability within ourselves, which we hope has been infused into the film’s DNA.”
The film is the result of a joint fund by Netflix and the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sport Arts and Culture of South Africa.