Business mogul Philip Chiyangwa is full of surprises. Following his debut appearance in a locally-produced film, "The Gentlemen", it appears the overtly flashy businessman now wants to spread his tentacles into showbiz full time. He is set to star in two more local movies, and this time, he will not limit his talent to cameo parts, but would play some of the leading roles, making him one of the few businessmen to live his life, on and off the stage. One of the films, "Mr Roger's Big Score", is a sequel, to "The Gentlemen", where he plays the role of a filthy rich guy in the hood, who has it all, lucky, the good looks, money and power. The movie will also feature prominent South African artiste Presley Chiwenyagae and former Big Brother Africa housemate Munya Chidzonga.
The second movie, "Mateo", focuses on the challenges of HIV and Aids in Zimbabwe and highlights the success stories of children orphaned as a result of the pandemic who manage to succeed despite their challenging situations. The self-made actor, who recently penned a song aptly, titled "Pachinyakare Chedu" - already receiving rave reviews on local radio stations - revealed that his best moments in showbiz were yet to come. "I am undoubtedly one of the most talented actors in the land and I am trying to put my talent to good use, while promoting the arts industry that has been under severe strain, because of lack of finances.
"Following my appearance in "The Gentlemen", I got a lot of phone calls from people who wanted me to focus on acting. "Being the man of the people, I decided to fulfill their wishes," he naturally boasted. The affable business mogul dismissed reports that he wanted to use the arts as a campaigning platform to launch his political career, saying such assertions were, "mischievous and malicious."
"It is very malicious and mischievous that some people think that I want to use the arts to propel my political career. "Those in the know, will tell you that I have been in the arts, much more than I have been in politics."I was the guy who had a close contact with the late Michael Jackson when he came to Zimbabwe some years back. "I also brought rhumba musician, Kanda Bongo Man. "This happened when many thought, it was an unachievable feat."So you see, my involvement in the arts industry is more out of passion than anything else.
"And should you get any opportunity to see my upcoming film productions, you will realise that they both reveal a high degree of passion in acting, and of course a high level of ingenuity. "So I should not put that talent to waste," said Chiyangwa. Asked how he was able to juggle his time in between running his business empire and attending rehearsals, Chiyangwa said everything was running smoothly. "There is plenty of time in the world in one's life if you are organised, ambitious, hardworking and want to be a trendsetter. "I have got no problem attending my rehearsals with the rest of the cast, and I am sure my producer can attest to that," the businessman concluded.
The producer of both movies, Joe Nyagu confirmed that he had no problems working with ChiyangwaOn the progress of the movies, Njagu said the US$80 million film, would be out early , adding that they were still scripting "Mateo". "We have finished casting and now halfway filming ‘Mr Rogers Big Score', in which Mr Chiyangwa and other prominent personalities are expected to take part," he said.Born in 1959, the business tycoon has had his share of the hard times, rising from the dusty environs of his village roots in Chegutu, in the Mashonaland West to pride himself of probably one of the successful businessmen of his time.
While other businessmen have tried to shy away from the media, on how they accumulated their wealth, Chiyangwa has never made a secret of his humble beginnings and neither has he ever hidden his desire to succeed an outright recipe for success. In typical fashion, Chiyangwa chauffeured the late Michael Jackson around when he visited Zimbabwe in 2002 and it was an experience of a lifetime for thousands of Jacko's fans who had a glimpse of the late musician, as he was drove around some part of Harare.
He also had a hand in the promotion of Don Williams who played for charity in Harare in 1997 and those were events that put Zimbabwe on the world entertainment map. (Herald)
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