ISIDINGO’s sexy detective – Priya Kumar (played by the ravishing Leeanda Reddy) – is closing the book and no longer throwing it at criminals on The Deep.
Yep, after seven years, Reddy is moving on.
“I know seven years sounds like a lifetime, but it felt so short,” she says. “You know what they say about time flying when you’re having fun. On a more serious note, though, I came to the decision earlier this year. I’ve been Priya for a while and it was time to take a break from her and try something fresh and challenging. Leaving stability for freelancing might sound daunting but it can also be reinvigorating.”
On what she will miss most about Priya, she laughs: “Her gun.”
Rather than single out her most notable storylines, Reddy says: “Since Priya arrived at The Deep, it’s been a rollercoaster ride. I enjoyed playing a tough cop and, at the same time, a vulnerable woman. Isidingo has always been an actors’ soap and I feel privileged with the leeway I was given.”
At the moment, Priya seems to be getting her post-divorce groove on with Brad.
“It’s been nice to live in this character’s delicious and larger-than-life world. To play different dimensions to a character is refreshing. So any departure from the predictable is exciting. As for fun? It’s my number one rule. It must always be had when working.”
So what’s the game plan now?
“Thankfully, I have already been given film work – offers both as an actress and as a writer. No doubt, it is sad to leave the Isidingo family home, but I also feel exhilarated about what this year has in store,” she says.
“As an artist, I am driven by curiosity, the need to explore more and play more. The more diverse the roles, the more gratifying.
“I am currently filming a German co-production in Cape Town called Mat Joubert, which is based on Deon Meyer’s crime thriller, Dead Before Dying. I play a cybercrime expert enlisted by Mat Joubert (Norwegian actor Trond Espen Seim) and Sanct Snook (Boris Kodjoe), both very cute. I had to pinch myself a few times, especially with Boris. All my friends were constantly texting me to sneak pictures of him to them. I didn’t though. I am a professional.”
She was also blown away when the director introduced her to Arnold Vosloo.
“Stage is a regular part of my annual work schedule. Theatre is my first love and it’s also where I get to revel in my comedic perfor-mance. And, if the right opportunities don’t come along, I will create my own work as I have done in the past,” says Reddy.
l Priya’s last day on air is June 1. Isidingo airs on SABC3 at 7pm, weekdays.