×
NewsDay

AMH is an independent media house free from political ties or outside influence. We have four newspapers: The Zimbabwe Independent, a business weekly published every Friday, The Standard, a weekly published every Sunday, and Southern and NewsDay, our daily newspapers. Each has an online edition.

Ranganawa takes notes from a character

Life & Style
In an interview with NewsDay Life & Style, Ranganawa said being a lead actress as a character of a princess has been interesting as she got to learn new things that leaders do to protect others and themselves.

BY AGATHA CHUMA

AMANDA Ranganawa, a local actress and production manager of a local action crime series Smoking Gun, says her role in the series has challenged her to actually become a fighter and a stronger person in life.

In an interview with NewsDay Life & Style, Ranganawa said being a lead actress as a character of a princess has been interesting as she got to learn new things that leaders do to protect others and themselves.

“I play the role of Princess Chiito, an undercover military intelligence sergeant who is the daughter to a gangster lord.

“Playing princess really has challenged me. I learnt how to fight and fully embrace my strength. I pushed myself to be a fighter and worked hard everyday exercising and kickboxing with the help of a personal trainer,” she said.

“I have also learnt to own my power as a sexy, beautiful young woman who is intelligent, hardworking and powerful.

“Like Serena Williams said: ‘Never be afraid of your strength because your body is capable of amazing things. Show the world that you can accomplish when you own your strength’, I keep moving.”

Ranganawa added that she loved acting since she was a child as she used to imitate a few actors while in primary school until she started professional acting at the age of 17.

“The major challenge I was facing before completing the series was juggling between being an actress and a production manager at the same time. I was not only responsible for my acting role, but for everyone’s as well. Before I could become a princess, I had to make sure everyone else’s needs on set were met. But I thank God for giving me the gift of multi-tasking. That gift really worked in my favour,” she said.

To balance between being a production manager and an actress, the youthful actress worked long hours and slept less, with her time schedule ranging from waking  up at 4am and sleeping at 12 midnight.

“My career in the film and television industry has been a mixture of being in front of the camera as well as behind it. I have acted in All She Wants, and Dzoka Kumba and I have written the award-winning film Kushata kweMoyo, which aired on DStv,” Ranganawa said.

“I have worked as a production manager and presenter for McLara, an online TV, and then theatre wise, I have acted in the Bread Winner Never Pays, and I have produced The Convert, Danai Gurira’s play,” she said.

Currently, Ranganawa is working on a theatre play called Finding Temeraire and she once featured on Fungisai Zvakavapano-Mashavave’s video called Dzoka Kumba as the lead actress.

  • Follow Agatha on Twitter @AgathaChuma