The local entertainment scene was devastated by the passing of iconic actress Shaleen Surtie-Richards on June 7, 2021. . She had previously been nominated for a SAFTA award posthumously for her portrayal of Muriel Foster in Arendsvlei.
SHALEEN SURTIE-RICHARDS’ DEATH
Shaleen Surtie-Richards, who had just finished filming scenes for kykNet’s Arendsvlei, was discovered dead at a Cape Town guesthouse, When she was 66 years old passed away.“It is surmised that she died peacefully in her sleep. There are no signs of trauma, of criminal activity or suicide, nor do we think it was COVID-related,” the actresses’ close friend Lizz Meiring told East Coast Radio.On June 13, 2021, Surtie-Richards was given a state funeral and buried in Cape Town’s Durbanville Memorial Park.
SHALEEN SURTIE-RICHARDS TO MAKE FINAL APPEARANCE ON BIG SCREEN
Shaleen Surtie-Richards will make her final appearance on the big screen in the Sans Moonsamy and David Kau-directed film Who’s My Daddy. The movie centers on Prikesh Nair (played by Sans), who joins forces with journalist Emma Wood (played by Nadia Jaftha) and Alfie (played by Alfred Ntombela) to search for Prikesh’s long-lost father across the nation. Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse, Jason Goliath, Prev Reddy, Keru Kisten, Khanyi Mbau, and other actors are featured in Who’s My Daddy. The COVID-19 epidemic caused the movie’s release to be postponed from its original 2020 date. The movie Who’s My Daddy will have its theatrical debut on 2 September.
POSTHUMOUS SAFTA NOMINATION
Shaleen Surtie-Richards received a posthumous nomination for her work in Arendsvlei when the 16th annual South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs) finalists were revealed on July 14. In the Best Supporting Actress in the Telenovela category, the late actress is up against Zikhona Sodlaka, Charmaine Tintia, and Mosthsidi Motsshwegwa.On August 26, 2021, Surtie-Richards made her final appearance in Arendsvlei.
Surtie-Richard will act in the comedy Who’s My Daddy for the final time as a Woman&Home sharing, which will have a South African ensemble of 50 showstoppers. An amateur performer (Sans Moonsamy) who partners up with two other characters in his comic hunt for his father is the central theme of the story.
Legendary local actors including Dr. Victor, Sipho Hotstix Mabuse, Dawnay, Hamish Kyd, and the late stand-up comedian Afzal Khan also appear in the movie. On the other hand, comedians like Jason Goliath, David Kau, Celeste Ntuli, Tumi Morake, and Chris Forrest make guest appearances.
In the ensemble, Moonsamy will co-star with social media sensation Nadia Jaftha, who plays journalist Emma Wood, and Alfred Ntombela, a “effervescent” entertainment agent.On September 2, Who’s My Daddy will have its national cinematic debut. It will surely make us all laugh (and possibly cry when we witness Surtie-Richards’ final performance).
Award-winning authors Sans Moonsamy and Keru Kisten wrote the screenplay, and Sans and David Kau helmed the production. August 2021 saw the airing of the scenes that the illustrious actor taped just days before her passing. The Friday before Shaleen passed away, the storyline for her character was finished, according to a press release from the program.
ALSO READ:Bonko “mqhele” Khoza leaves The Wife
