Celebrated actress Sarah Hassan and the cast at Showmax’s Crime And Justice series spoke to Kenyans.co.ke as the second season of the show premiers.
Hassan portrays the role of Makena in the crime series and also acts as Zora in the popular Citizen TV drama series, Zora.
The actress noted that balancing the two shows was demanding, but this eased after she wrapped up the shoot at Zora, a show credited largely to the creativity of Citizen TV anchors Rashid Abdalla and Lulu Hassan.
A number of directors also noted that Hassan’s prowess and support from both cast and crew aid her to stay at the top of the game.
“Yes, I was juggling two shows, the schedules worked great in a way where I never had to film the two shows on the same day, there were designated days for each show.
“Planning ahead really helped, also, we already wrapped Zora so I am currently no longer juggling the two shows,” Hassan told Kenyans.co.ke on Wednesday, March 2, while on set for Crime And Justice.
She added that since the two roles, in Zora and Crime And Justice, are polar opposites, both directors' planned for the shoots on different days giving her time to de-role and adjust.
Hassan, who made her name while acting in the Tahidi High series, further explained her take on the different personalities portrayed in Citizen TV’s Zora and Showmax’s Crime And Justice.
“Makena in Crime And Justice is strong, dedicated and would go to great lengths to help out people, especially women, to have a fair, just and happy life in a world where justice prevails. Zora is a woman who’s in an abusive relationship surrounded by people whose traditions & beliefs push her into staying with an abusive partner for the sake of her son.
“The similarities they have is they both have a son & they love their sons completely. The difference is: while Makena managed to get past a traumatic past, she uses this as motivation to try and make the world a better place. Zora simply can’t get over her past, it’s her present and almost everyone around her believes she should stay and keep her family whole even if it kills her,” Hassan detailed.
Veteran Kenyan actor and radio presenter Maqbul Mohammed known for his role (Donavan) in both Auntie Boss and Vashita also spoke in the Generation Z era and managing to stay ahead of the curve despite the changes in the industry.
“I come from a world of learning from generations gone by, through techniques and repetition. Nowadays it is easier to make a name as all you need is social media and content which is beautiful. New talents are sprouting and disrupting the norms of society and success,” he stated.
Adam Neutzsky-Wulff, creator, director and co-producer of Crime And Justice further detailed the new changes made to the show, on the linkage of episodes and introduction of past episodes characters like John Sibi Okumu who appeared in the first episodes of season 1.
He noted that the episodes are connected thematically and there are a few links to season 1. However, the audience can watch and enjoy separate episodes as stand-alone episodes too.
“You will be going on a riveting rollercoaster ride into some pretty dark hearts and meet ambiguous characters that look even more like real people than with season1. Primarily because every episode in season 2 is based on a true story.
“Season 1 was based on real “themes” of Kenya. That makes a big difference and makes this season much more powerful and entertaining to watch,” he told Kenyans.co.ke.
