Kings of Mulberry Street movie - Going places

Aaqil Hoosen as Ticky Chetty, and Shaan Nathoo as Baboo Harold Singh in the lead roles

Kings of Mulberry Street is a local South African produced movie situated in the imaginary Sugarhill District in Kwazulu-Natal in the 1980s. It's the story of two young Indian boys who have to find a way to overcome their differences and unite. They are up against the bullying and corrupt Raja, who is threatening their families, and their community.

I have been walking around with the characters and the plot since I saw the preview last week. I can't wait to take the family at the end of June, and to go and pen down all the great quotes that are not available yet!

The official trailer is here: Kings of Mulberry Street

"When you want to be a hero, you must act like a hero!"

"Why do you need me? Every hero has a partner."

"Lesson 1: Don't think, just jump!" 

It's a story about relationships, loss, friends, crooks and heroes. It's a feel-good movie that will stay with you for quite a while. The Bollywood touch with action heroes and foes ticks all the boxes. Aaqil Hoosen and Shaan Nathoo are great in the leading roles, but all the actors are superb. Even sidekick Size (Keshan Chetty) plays the effective muscle to scary Raja, the unpredictable crime boss.

Local crime boss Raja (Neville Pillay), and his trusty sidekick is Size, played by Keshan Chetty

Judy Naidoo, writer and director of Kings of Mulberry Street, says she watched Indian cinema when she was growing up, and realised the impact it had on her formative years when she started to develop this film.

 “It unleashed all my childhood memories and Bollywood often featured as the soundtrack to those early years.” “There’s a sense of belonging, which is one of the qualities that helped make Bollywood such a success with audiences,” says Naidoo. “In those classic films, viewers were looking for themselves. It’s a feeling that I have brought in to ‘King of Mulberry Street’, which is as much a story about a community as it is about two young boys and their fight for justice. Innocence, playfulness, a little vulnerability, and a feel-good vibe all contribute to the mood of the film.”

I will be raving about this movie for a long time! It is pure gold. I really hope it does well in the local box office, and that it gets the international rewards it deserves!

Well done!

Take the family!