Family drama laid bare in Ugandan TV show ‘Sesiria’
Friday July 03 2020
Maseruka Junior, Victor and Nina (right) confront Lezen in one of the scenes in 'Sesiria'. PHOTO | COURTESY
Greed and wickedness in families has been dramatised in the Ugandan television series Sesiria: The Troubled Custodian. The storyline revolves around a family divided by the greed for money and property, and is acted in English and Luganda.
The series is about the conflict that comes after a father dies and leaves his loved ones shattered. Although they are heartbroken after his passing, they somehow find comfort in the fact that he left them with some of his possessions.
However, the will causes tension between family members and chaos erupts after it goes missing.
The script was written by Patrick Sembusi and Christopher Luwaga. Sembusi says they were inspired by a stage play titled “Lozio bba Sesiria.” It is based on a true story.
Sembusi said the main message in the drama is to get young people to work hard rather than waiting for free things. “Lezen gets married to Sesiria, an old woman and an alcohol seller, because he was lazy and wanted to be taken care of. On top of that, he refuses to work because he thinks of inheriting his father’s property which has been his nightmare. Again we can see this when Junior Maseruka, a brother to Lezen, is also adamant to work thinking of the same inheritance.”
AUDIENCE RECEPTION
Sembusi, who is one of the founders and directors of Balina Talents International Ltd said: “The audience reaction has been very good which has been confirmed by Pearl Magic who carry out research. The audience wants more time of the drama.”
One of the fans of the drama Kato Ismail Ntege goes into great detail about what he loves about the show in a Facebook post: “The storyline is very educative, revealing. Very interesting series.”
Multichoice Uganda PR and communications manager Joan Semanda Kizza said, “Sesiria, a series which we introduced on Pearl Magic at the end of last year, has gained quick popularity in Uganda because of its great storyline, good production, its dramatic actors, and its relatability when it comes to drama as a whole.”