Fans of “The Wife” have been outraged by the casting choice for Naledi following the announcement on Wednesday.
First there was Mbalenhle Mavimbela as Hlomu The Wife. Then there was Khanyi Mbau as Zandile The Resolute.
And now there’s Gaisang K Noge as Naledi His Love.
Gaisang joining the cast has already got avid viewers talking, with many comparing her to the character in Dudu Busani-Dube’s best-selling novels.
Naledi in "Naledi His Love" is described as a plus-size woman and, as with other characters, viewers are already sharing their views on Twitter.
In the book, Naledi’s weight plays a huge role in her character description, so viewers are a little bummed about the adaptation.
This is the Naledi I expected to see 😩💔😔 pic.twitter.com/X5rocxyTpz
— MrsGirlfriend ✨ (@oddeomontle) March 16, 2022
@BonoloMaphutha said: "They literally made Naledi being a thick woman as a huge part of her character. When she went swimming with the other ladies and the paparazzi took them pictures, her insecurities, her pregnancy not showing. I’m mad."
Nywe, nywe, nywe book readers are hating. Of course I’m gonna hate, they’ve turned a good thing into a mediocre storyline. Naledi’S weight played a SIGNIFICANT role in her story. That’s one of the elements the producers should’ve stuck with but nooo. #TheWifeShowmax
— ⛹🏾♀️⛹🏽♂️Basketball Wife🌻♥️ (@Tshepi_Mshengu) March 16, 2022
Nah, she's suppose to be thick and also I hope this lady can speak Setswana fluently. I'm tired of people butchering languages like Thuli Phongolo, hayi.
— Palesa Mogorosi 🌻🌼 (@PalesaMogorosi_) March 16, 2022
This is actually disappointing, I don't want to lie. I'm also slightly hurt since this is my favourite wife in the series.😞
Naledi, a doctor, starts falling for fan favourite Qhawe Zulu (Kwenzo Ngcobo), dubbed “the Woolworths of amadoda” by Twitter.
Like Hlomu and Zandile, Naledi comes to understand that loving one of the Zulu brothers means loving all of his dark and tumultuous past.
As much as she will enjoy the trappings that come with being the wife of one of those rich, handsome, powerful and dangerous men, she must also live with the inherent danger that remains.
Stepping into the character of Naledi was "scary" for Gaisang as it's a "role that already exists and people love so much".
The actress, who portrays Mampho in "House of Zwide" explained that there was some pressure stepping into the role.
"There is a level of pressure because the performers in this story are brilliant, and people love this story so much, so you don't want to let them down.
“But the advantage of playing Naledi is that, even in the actual story, she just joined the world out of nowhere. She's an outsider; she has no relations. So I use that energy to my advantage.
“I’m not like anyone else; I can’t be like anyone else. All I can do is be Naledi. The only shoes I have to fill are hers. Nobody else. Everybody’s unique and perfect in their own way, so I’m going to hold on to that as my guideline," she shared.
To prepare for her role, the actress read the book.
"I take a lot from the book: the essence of who she is, her mannerisms, the things that she does. I started using nude nail polish because that's what Naledi does. I'll eat a certain type of food because she does that. I started copying a lot of the way she lives in my own life," she explained.
“The Wife” streams on Showmax, with new episodes every Thursday.