More radio drama on air

16 Feb 2009

Lotusfm last week launched its first Tamil-language drama ‘Meesai Aanalum Manaivi'. The Indian community station last year aired the first locally written and produced Hindi-language radio drama ‘Safar'.

“We are really excited at the popularity of the new drama series' with our listeners,” says station manager Gail Samuels.

“Radio serials were in their heyday in the 1960s and '70s and gave thousands of people the opportunity to live other people's lives and experiences vicariously through the characters of their ‘daily dose'. The advent of television on the South African entertainment landscape changed that situation forever and increasingly the format of most radio stations has became talk and music-driven. Lotusfm is committed to growing this entertainment format due to popular demand.”

The six-minute Tamil drama will be aired on In isai Mazhai on Fridays, 7pm - 8pm.

Written and directed by ‘Crazy Mohan', the story revolves around Madhu who tells a lie to his employer to get a day's leave. This lie soon leads to another and another that results in many hilarious incidents. The fast-paced drama is interspersed with English dialogues for ease of understanding.

Three weekday slots

Dramas currently occupy three weekday slots. The second series of ‘A Touch of Karma', a family drama filled with intrigue, scandal and the complexity of human relationships, airs in the morning. ‘Beyond the Himalayas', a send-up of the Indiana Jones-like adventure genre, fills the afternoon slot and nights have ‘Tuckshop', a look at a Phoenix community, who struggle through life's daily battles by the wisdom and support they get from the owner of the local tuckshop.

A new series ‘Paradise Inc.' starts on 16 February, replacing ‘Beyond the Himalayas' and ‘The Other Side', spooky tales of the supernatural, replaces Tuckshop.

“The station's success in this field is a wonderful team effort,” emphasises Raeesa Mohamed, Lotusfm drama producer, who, together with a dedicated team of experienced professionals, including veteran director Caroline Smart and a host of talented writers and actors, is spearheading the station's radio drama efforts.

“We are now on the look-out for dramas written in Urdu, Gujerati and Telegu,” says Mahomed. Interested writers are invited to send her a synopsis of a story on .