TRINIDAD NEWSDAY - A family comedy Kkucchela: The Series will be launched on DVD soon.
The comedy has “all the good ole Trini bacchanal, “maccosciousness and chupidness” to keep you rolling in laughter, but with an underlying moral lesson about family life.
The show’s producer and director is Raj Hosein of Raj and Vanna Video Production. Hosein, 25, is a singer/songwriter turned music producer. He performed his original song “She Drinkin More Rum” in the 2005 Soca Chutney Monarch.
Hosein has written songs for Karma, SS Melobugs, Caribbean Vibrations, Impressions and Andy Singh.
Hosein said that something was lacking in all the local content TV series. “Me and my wife also watch the local shows and laugh, but we thought the jokes were really lame. Everything was so stale. We were like nah, we could do better than this.”
The show is set in “country area” of Cunupia. Hosein explained that the storyline takes place in a poor village and was inspired by his own struggles growing up. “Growing up, we were very poor. We had it very hard. While we were children, we ate bhaji with a mixture of pumpkin leaves in one. So I decided to base the story around people living in rural areas and impoverish communities.”
His wife Reneshia Hosein, 20, takes on the role of “Savitri” from San Juan who settles in the area, but schemes and swindles her aunt. Also in the show is Pooran Ali, a dholack player and amateur actor. He plays the part of “Prakesh” who is Poonjal’s clueless partner in crime. The show follows a village “spranger” and his friend as they find themselves in trouble and fall in love. Kkucchela: The Series touches on the issues like drinking and driving as well as relationships and parenting.
The entire cast of villagers comprise 13 first-time actors and actresses ranging in age from 12 to 25. The DVD of the first season is a set of four episodes and a bonus video of the cast and crew. The series was shot over a four- month period and will be officially launched on Tuesday.
