Anele Mdoda has a larger-than-life personality. She’s been dominating the airwaves for the longest time before proving she has a big enough presence for TV, too, when she agreed to host ‘Real Talk with Anele’ on SABC3 (now S3).
At the time, the channel needed a replacement for “3Talk”, hosted by Noeleen Maholwana-Sangqu, and who better than Mdoda and her infectious personality?
When that journey ended, she went on to host “Celebrity Game Night SA”, which bagged a Golden Horn for Best International Format Show at the South African Film and Television Awards (Saftas) in 2020 and was nominated once again this year.
Right now, Mdoda is making waves with her production company Rose and Oaks, which she started with her then fellow 947 breakfast team members Frankie du Toit and Paul Buys in 2018.
In fact, just this week it was confirmed that her company, in partnership with Primedia, has secured the SA rights for “The Masked Singer”.
In a recent interview with Mdoda, who was joined by several actresses from “Ludik” - Tina Redman, Inge Beckham and Diaan Lawrenson - she touched on the decision to spread her wings and expand her portfolio on this Netflix project.
She acknowledged: “It is a talking point because I believe the industry, we love a ‘Seabiscuit’ story. Something that doesn’t look like it’s going to happen and then when it does happen it is such a triumphant moment for everyone involved.
“I will go back to our wrap party when we were done shooting ‘Ludik’, just the spirit and the euphoria were amazing. It was like reaching Mecca.”
The script was penned by Buys and Annemarie van Basten.
Mdoda explained: “This was a script that Paul Buys, my business partner, had written with his writing partner, Annemarie; it was a dream of theirs. And to watch ‘Ludik’ come true through Paul’s eyes is the most amazing thing because we refused to compromise.
“There were many times where the characters dangled in front of you and it's a bigger character and it looks easier and it looks like it is going to have more commercial juice - commercial payout - and you stop and you realise what you said you would never compromise on.
“So the story around ‘Ludik’ is our lack of compromise and our wanting for it to be told in the way that it is. Even in the casting, there were no people that we gave the role to and they said no.
“So when you watch, you must know that everyone who was there was Paul’s first choice and that for me was the most beautiful thing, to know that season one is everything that we wanted it to be,”
The radio personality, who recently hosted Miss SA 2022, pointed out that they were painstakingly meticulous in ensuring that every element was true to the script - right down to Daan Ludik (Arnold Vosloo), driving a Toyota Land Cruiser in Pretoria.
She also raved about how so many aspects of this show were “full circle” moments, from the song in the trailer to working with Rob van Vuuren (Swys de Villiers) to Inge Beckman, who plays Rina Goosen.
“Ludik” has been trending in SA since it started streaming last Friday.
The testosterone-charged six-part series is laden with action and suspense.
On how their characters help provide some levity, Lawrenson shared: “I would like to think that the female characters in ‘Ludik’ are equally strong and impactful and obviously play a vital part in Daan Ludik’s life. Anet Ludik, my character, obviously represents Daan’s need to protect his family, which is a primal desire for us all.
“I think, though, there is a lot of action and drama, there are a lot of complex characters so that is where the female characters come in - they balance things out.”
Beckmann added: “Even within Rina’s universe, there was a sort of fluidity with her. I didn’t feel overly feminine but I didn’t feel overly masculine either. I felt a fluidity with her character. I’ve managed to bridge that machoness with a higher manipulative kind of thing.”
At this point, Mdoda couldn’t contain her emotions and pointed out, “The most powerful person is when no one knows there is a powerful person, that is what I found with your role (to Beckmann). They don’t know she is the one pulling the strings.”
Meanwhile, Redman, who has a supporting role, weighed in, “Again, I agree with what everyone says.”
She described her character as mysterious and somewhat androgynous, too.
She added: “You can’t quite place her.”
As for bagging Vosloo, Mdoda unpacked the crazy lengths that Buys went to, to secure him.
Mdoda added: “It was a big deal. It is just so lovely for us to bank him. Arnold is such a leader on set.”
She chuckled: “They were the tightest people on set, they are like two peas in a pod. They are like brothers. I have a photo of them where Paul was doing something and Arnold was staring at him and posted it on our WhatsApp group and wrote: ‘Find yourself someone that looks at you the way Arnold looks at Paul.”
Just from how she described the vibe on set, every single cast member displayed the same passion.
As for the storyline centred on a kidnapping, the executive producer explained: “What I love about ‘Ludik’ in the very dark spaces, whether its the kidnapping or the underworld, you must remember that there is family.
“I mean you look at Swys and you think, ‘Oh Swys is a rubbish uncle, a rubbish brother, but Daan wants him back and he will do anything.
“Beyond the skop, skiet and donder, there is an underlying theme of family.”
As for her new role and what she takes away from ‘Ludik’, Mdoda admitted: “For me, my mantra has always been, ‘Don’t be afraid to suck at something new’.
“And that is why, if you look at the moves I make every year, one or two things, you don’t expect me to do. I can’t get complacent in the fact that I’m one of the strongest broadcasters on TV and radio.
“I’ve been in the industry for 20 years now. What are the next 20 years going to be like, it can’t look the same? And that is why you go into spaces where you keep quiet and listen, where you are guided, where you ask questions…!”
“Ludik” is streaming on Netflix.