MARIA DIRECTOR ABUBAKAR MUINDI REVEALS HOW YASMIN SAID LANDED THE LEAD ROLE ON POPULAR TV SERIES

Popular Maria TV series director Abubakar Muindi has disclosed how actress Yasmin Said landed the main role on the popular TV show. Speaking to Buzz Central’s Cheptoek Boyo, the director said Yasmin was identified by the producer even before she auditioned, “It was interesting how she was picked, when people were seated at Kibra Social Hall, the producer passed and saw her, she had brought her friends but she decided to audition. 

We were doing auditions for other people and when we were finished, the producer said, ‘I saw somebody out there and I think that’s our Maria, I don’t want to dictate anything, you do your auditions when she comes in she’s dressed like this and that but I’m sure that is our Maria’ and true to it when she came in she auditioned, she left, the producer came back and said, ‘what do you think’ and we said, ‘you’re right‘,” Abubakar said. 

Abubakar who doubles up as a psychologist also spoke on how psychology helps him personally especially on sets where he interacts with different people. “Personally, counselling psychology has helped me as an individual, it also helps me even in my work as a director and an actor because I get to understand people’s behaviours. It also helps in bringing the character in every production,” he said. 

While discussing the need of communication and respect in relationships, the director recalled an instance where he was forced to apologise after answering back his girlfriend rudely. “When I was dating, there was a time I was so angry and rudely answered my girlfriend in front of her friends and she left. I called her and she was not responding, I went to her place, she told me until you apologise, in front of those people who you embarrassed me with, I will think about it and I had to do that. With time whenever I used to get angry she would tell me, ‘no you need to calm down’. She used to remind me in a nice way,” Abubakar recalled. 

Abubakar also said he doesn’t mind working on free projects, “I don’t mind doing free projects if I know that person or they are genuine enough to tell me they don’t have money.  I’ve done that, I have been called for new productions and some people say ‘we cannot afford you’. If you’re genuine enough I’ll do that. I’ll help out in terms of coming and doing my part because it will provide jobs for other people in the crew,” he said.