Mai Sorobhi’s undying love for TV

18 Sep, 2022 - 00:09 0 Views
Mai Sorobhi’s undying love for TV

The Sunday Mail

Veronica Gwaze

The late actress Rhoda ‘Mai Sorobhi’ Mtembe was a towering figure in the arts sector, and she remained passionate about acting and the small screen till her death.

The gifted and inimitable actress succumbed to stroke on September 12, 2022, at Sally Mugabe Hospital. She was aged 79.

Mai Sorobhi rose to stardom in the mid-90s, when she featured in the local drama ‘Paraffin’, alongside the late actor Phillip Gadzikwa Mushangwe, who was affectionately known as Paraffin.

She featured as mischievous Paraffin’s no-nonsense wife. She was the only one who could make him ‘sober’.

The couple often left viewers spellbound and in stitches with their natural acting prowess.

Mai Sorobhi loved acting and always spoke glowingly about her role in the local drama series ‘Paraffin’ and how she could help the film sector grow.

In one of her interviews with The Sunday Mail Society, just before the Covid-19-induced lockdown, the late actress confessed her keenness to return to the small screen.

She said she was, however, being held back by the possibility of failing to find a small screen partner who would match Paraffin.

“We had natural body language with Paraffin on set. He understood me well, and I did the same with him. Some of the things, we did not rehearse. It will be difficult to find his replacement but I think Gringo (the late) can step up and match the standards,” Mai Sorobhi said back then.

Not even her failing health due to the stroke she suffered in 2019 could take away her love for the small screen.

But it is unfortunate that an actress of her magnitude, who oozed with confidence and love for the arts, had to die in debt.

The small screen queen had until the time of her death fallen on hard times and had to depend on well-wishers.

She left her family stranded and appealing for assistance to clear a $35 000 hospital bill, which, for some time last week, stalled funeral arrangements. The body could not be released from the mortuary until the debt was cleared.

Through some interventions, Mai Sorobhi was finally laid to rest at the Warren Hills Cemetery in Harare on Thursday.

Mai Sorobhi certainly deserved better.

“She contributed a lot to the arts industry and was a darling for many. For her to struggle to death is a disgrace to the industry. This is a clear message to artistes. There is need for the relevant authorities to create structures that make life easy for us in both good and bad times,” reckons comedian-cum-actor Timothy Tapfumaneyi of the Timmy naBhonzo fame.

In her acting career, Mai Sorobhi featured in ‘Asi Chii Nhai?’, ‘Mwana Anokosha’ and ‘Nhamo’, among other productions.

Her appeal cut across the generational divide. She attracted the attention of many.

The interview this publication had with Mai Sorobhi in 2019 at her Kuwadzana home was among the few last ones she had with the media before her death.

The stroke she suffered paralysed her left side and she never fully recovered afterwards.

When I visited her home for the interview, she was unwell but went out of her way to make us feel at home.

She would throw rib-cracking jokes every now and then as she reassured us that she still had the skills.

Kana ipo pano ngachitotsva nekuti zvichirimo (Let’s do it, even now),” she responded after I asked if she was still able to go back to television acting.

She did not make it a secret that she missed the small screen.

By the time of her death, she was still searching for fresh roles on television, and was even prepared to become a director of production.

“I was born an actress; it is part of my life, even ill health cannot take it away from me,” said the late Mai Sorobhi with a smile.

The revered actress said she always kept abreast with showbiz news to find relevance in the evolving industry.

She started acting during her Mutambara Primary and Secondary school days, before going professional more than a decade after school.

In her heyday, the actress developed the skill to throw in some lines off script without disrupting production.

Indeed, she was a genius.

Her death is a blow not only to the Mthembe family but also to the country at large.

“She inspired me into acting, which is the reason some of my skits are like hers. She was natural and I admired her for that,” revealed Kessia Masona, popularly known as Muchaneta.

“We have lost an icon. We should have done more to appreciate her in life. Her skits still elicit laughter and to think that they were done more than a decade ago, you realise that this was pure talent.”

The actress acquired her only property in Kuwadzana through the help of her late husband Vaxison Mthembe.

Mai Sorobhi is survived by seven children.

Share This:

Survey


We value your opinion! Take a moment to complete our survey

This will close in 20 seconds