Miseducation, a new young adult series on Netflix, has trended in the top ranks of the streaming channel since its release in recent weeks.
The comedy-drama follows a young, self-absorbed first year varsity student who, after a fall from grace at her previous elite private school, embarks on a mission to climb the social ranks at a small-town university. This is done in the hopes of being the stand-out, popular girl she used to be.
Thrust into varsity with new challenges, Mbali Hadebe (played by Buntu Petse) and her new, eclectic clique of friends try to overcome various young adult struggles. This is done while coming to terms with who they want to be and how they want to be perceived.
The production, from Burnt Onion Productions (How To Ruin Christmas), also stars Durban's Prev Reddy.
Reddy officially retired his alter ego, Aunty Shamilla, earlier this year and embarked on his stand up comedy journey.
During an interview with POST in February, he said he had film and TV projects lined up.
Since then he has made headlines for his sold-out farewell show for Aunty Shamilla, for his role in The Honeymoon (a film directed by Bianca Isaac and starring Kajal Bagwandeen, Tumi Morake and Minnie Dlamini), and now for Miseducation.
Reddy plays Jay Gounden in Miseducation.
“Jay is an intelligent, tech-savvy entrepreneur, who befriends the protagonist, Mbali. Both go on a journey of self-discovery and through the ups and downs of friendship.
“It has been an incredible experience playing this character. There was a lot of pressure taking on this role as he is the first openly young gay Indian character on South African television. It was important to not play into the stereotype that the queer community has within the Indian community.”
Reddy said playing a character that was back on campus was an emotional experience.
“It felt like a do-over only this time with the emotional understanding and capacity to get through it. But honestly, shooting a young adult show set in a school environment has always been a dream, and shooting this show lived up to that expectation.
“It’s crazy to see that the mistakes the characters make on the show would 100% have been the mistakes I would have made, only because at that age we really don’t know any better. So it was easy getting into the character's emotional mindset as I too once had the same.”
Reddy said the script and storyline addressed life issues that youth go through at that stage of their lives.
“There is so much more in the story that didn’t make the final cut. I think the writers did an exceptional job on creating such diverse three-dimensional characters. Every character goes on some journey that tackles issues such as identity, self-love, heartbreak and the list is endless."
In the storyline, we see a real-life scenario unpacked around the main character’s relations with her mother, a politician entangled in allegations of corruption.
“Corruption and the wrong people in power have sort of become our everyday life for a good couple of years, and we see the effects of that in the show with Mbali and the struggling student Aphiwe.”
Reddy said they filmed the show over three weeks at the end of last year.
“The highlight was working with such an incredible cast and crew. I have never been part of a project where everyone, and I mean everyone, remains in contact after we wrap up. Making these colleagues my friends was the main one.”
On the standup comedy front, Reddy said he would close the Gold Reef City Pure Comedy Festival at the end of October.
“This is my second time playing at the Lyric Theatre and I’m so excited. But for now. I am trying to take a break until the New Year and then hit the ground running overseas.”
Miseducation also stars Lunga Shabalala as Sivu Levine, Baby Cele as Brenda Hadebe, Mpho Sebeng as Caesar, and Micaela Tucker as Natalie.
It is currently screening on Netflix.