Anant Singh's long walk to the studio

THERE are probably very few in our country today who know more about Hollywood than Durban businessman and movie mogul Anant Singh.

He's been there, done it all and he's got the T-shirt.

As producer of more than 80 films since 1984 - including classics like  Mandela - Long Walk to Freedom and Cry The Beloved Country - Singh  has won a host of international awards and today rubs shoulders with such stars as Idris Elba, Whoopi Goldberg, James Earl Jones and Hillary Swank.

Last week, we got a chance to meet the new Anant Singh - the consummate actor.

My guess is that he picked up these new skills through his close association with such Hollywood  a-listers. Delivering an Oscar-worthy performance before a group of ANC big wigs in Durban, he fought desperately to save his R7.5b film studio project on the beachfront.

It was not his fault, he pleaded, that this long delayed city attraction had not got off the ground despite being first mooted some 23 years ago. Showing dramatic emotional intensity, he pointed an accusatory finger at the eThekwini Municipality, claiming they had failed to provide water and electricity to the old Natal Command property.

There were gasps of exasperation from his audience as he complained the municipality had unfairly raised the property valuation from its original  R71 m to a whopping R1b, meaning he would now have to pay much more in rates. And then, as tears appeared to roll down his cheeks, he uttered this dramatic appeal: "I think I am being sabotaged by politicians and administrators of the city. However, I do not know for what reasons they do this to me."

Finally, his parting plea to his ANC comrades: "I know we have been talking and talking but can we walk the talk now?"

The audience clapped in enthusiastic response, with ANC provincial task team convenor Jeff Radebe expressing shock  at the long delays and promising an investigation. I have no idea whether Singh is contemplating a change to his career, but his commanding performance last week has certainly helped re-ignite hopes that Durban will get its first movie studio soon.

To be fair to the municipality, this is a rather complicated contractual issue and its officials have undertaken to respond to Singh's claims once they've received legal advice.

So, it looks like Durbanites will just have to wait and see. I'm hopeful, just as long as it doesn't take another 23 years to materialise.

Donald Trump's karma?

Hands up all those who believe South Africa is a happy country.

I certainly believe that, generally speaking, we are a happy people - despite our many challenges of economic instability, load shedding, water cuts and high crime and corruption levels. And we tend to express this happiness as well as our spirit of resilience in our instinctive behaviour. Where else in the world do you find people who break out into song and dance whatever the occasion - whether we are protesting, in mourning, celebrating, and even in the midst of political campaigning?

Mzanzis love talking with their hips, young and old, including our president, Cyril Ramaphosa who's often seen swaying to the strains of popular freedom songs as if to dance his  troubles away.

It therefore comes as disappointing news that South Africa appears to have slipped from 83rd to 95th place in the recently published World Happiness Report, which evaluates the quality of life of people across the globe.

As expected, European countries - Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden and the Netherlands - took up the top 5 spots. I often wonder what they've got that we haven't? It was also surprising to see Israel finish in the top 10. What are they so happy about?  Another interesting ranking was that of the United States which finished at No. 24, its lowest since the inauguration of the Happiness Report some 13 years ago.

I wouldn't blame some South Africans for seeing this as president Donald Trump's karma especially  after his vindictive and ill-informed campaign to cut aid funding to our country and spreading untruths about SA persecuting white farmers.

What's in a person's name?

Many people believe your name is part of who you are. It's crucial to your personal identity and embodies one's individuality and persona. Others however think names are over-rated. They are nothing more than a way of telling one person from another.

To find out more, I've been delving into the history and origin of my own name in recent weeks and made some interesting discoveries - not all complimentary. For instance, I discovered - to my eternal shame - that when read backwards, my name spells SINNED.

I later learnt that the name originates from Dionysis, the Greek god of wine and revelry - which, I must confess, sounds a lot closer to the truth. But the most astonishing revelation came when I began studying the history of legendary figures with the same or names similar to mine and learned about St Denis, the third century Christian martyr and patron saint of France.

According to legend, on the day he was beheaded for his religious beliefs, his body was seen to rise and to gather up his head in his own hands as if he was still alive, carrying it for several miles to his burial site. That probably accounts for why so many of my friends complain I lose my head too often. And when I do, I get carried away with myself.

Dennis Pather is a retired newspaper editor, author and columnist. Email him at [email protected].

From newsroom gofer to award-winning editor, join South African media legend Dennis Pather on a fascinating trip down memory lane in his captivating memoir, Copy Boy. This heart-warming journey takes you inside the newsroom, filled with laughter, hard-earned wisdom, and the power of family. As a special offer, readers of POST can now get a copy of Copy Boy, for just R100. WhatsApp 078 593 0585 for delivery details or 083 452 2831 for direct collection.

** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL or Independent Media. 

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