Katleho “Kat” Sinivasan says playing Zola on the popular show “House of Zwide” is forcing him to push boundaries and explore new aspects of his craft.
Zola made his official debut on the soapie ‘’House of Zwide’’ on Monday, July 31.
Prior to this, he made a brief appearance at Nkosi Zwide's wedding. But his character hogged the spotlight when he appeared as a knight in shining armour for Zanele (Londeka Mchunu), who was going through a difficult time after discovering that her family had kept another big secret from her.
Zola is portrayed as handsome, talented, and fiercely creative. But he also has a darker side to his personality, displaying controlling and narcissistic traits.
Sinivasan says he had initially been called to audition for another role during the Covid-19 pandemic but didn't feel connected to that character.
However, when he was called to audition for the role of Zola, he felt it was the right fit for him.
He decided to take on the challenge of portraying this complex and compelling character.
“Zola is a very dynamic character. He's very charming but he uses that charm to manipulate to get what he wants,” said Sinivasan.
“He's an easily triggered guy. He exudes toxic masculinity, a lot of the time. I think that's why I didn't want to take the first character that was presented to me, it felt very similar to the characters I played before.”
Sinivasan’s desire to play different and diverse characters on screen is driven by his passion for acting and his commitment to growing as a performer.
“I want to play a different character every time on my screen. On ‘’The Wife’’, it wasn't that big of a role, I played a TV presenter, I played myself. On ‘The River’, I played a gay character who was destroying somebody's marriage.
“This is the most extensive role yet, so it's a journey. So it's a little unsettling to know that I have to find my feet on screen as people watch.
“I really want to learn and grow because performance is my life. So, apart from showing people that I can do it. It's about growing for me and doing what I love.”
To prepare for the role, the 23-year-old mentioned that he watched films and TV shows featuring abusive characters, such as ‘’For Colored Girls’’ and ‘’Big Little Lies.’’
According to Sinivasan, these references allowed him to study how abusive men can take their behaviour to extreme levels, giving him insights into the psyche of such characters and how they may act in different situations.
“Zola gets mad. I don’t get mad. I'm the kind of person who walks away.
“And because it's something that I've never experienced, my mind doesn't go there naturally. I'm not misogynistic, and this is not a thing that I even understand.
“So I had to kind of watch abusive men who take it to the extreme so that I understand how to play it on my level. So went back to watching films like ‘’For Colored Girls,’’ when (Michael Ealy’s character Beau Willie) held the kids over the balcony and actually dropped them?”
Apart from playing Zola in ‘’House of Zwide,’’ he is also actively working on his music.
In addition to this, Sinivasan expressed an interest in working behind the scenes.
He enjoys directing and producing, and he mentioned that he’s working on developing new content for an upcoming TV show.
With Zola's arrival, viewers can expect a roller-coaster ride of drama, emotions, and unexpected twists and turns.
Zola's on-screen chemistry with Zanele, played by Londeka Mchunu, is anticipated to be a highlight of the show.
∎ Catch “House of Zwide” on e.tv, DStv channel 194, on weekdays at 7 pm.