Actonville becomes India for IPL TV advert
Actonville was turned into India for an advertisement that will run during the IPL tournament coverage on SuperSport.
Pioneer Primary School learners Salmaan (11) and Sohail Ebrahim (10), two precocious young brothers from Farrarmere, were recently chosen to play the lead and supporting roles respectively in an advertisement being aired during the Indian Premier League (IPL) broadcasts on SuperSport.
They were both chosen by Media Box production house to star in a Bollywood styled IPL TV advertisement for a South African based international money transfer company called Hello Paisa, part of the Hello Group.
The boys have been playing cricket since the ages of six and seven years old at Benoni Northerns Cricket Club (BNCC).
They were both chosen by production house Media Box.
The advert was shot entirely on location in Actonville on March 18.
Emille Manenberg of Media Box conducted a Skype interview with both boys.
Salmaan was chosen to play the lead role with younger brother Sohail playing a supporting role.
“They are both naturals and very comfortable in front of the camera,” said Manenberg.
The advert was shot in two locations in Actonville.
The big parking lot adjacent to Soma Street was used to depict a street cricket game typical of the sub-continent, with Tuk Tuks brought in from India to make it more realistic.
The action then shifted to Actonville Spurs Cricket Club’s (ASCC) Lords Cricket Grounds to shoot a real match played under lights.
Riyaad Khan from ASCC featured as the bowler in the advert while ASCC’s executive committee member Nayan Parbhoo featured as the umpire.
The Actonville community came to the party with many of the children and parents playing extras in the advert.
“A large majority of the extras are parents and juniors from ASCC,” said the club’s public relations officer Zunaid Seedat.
“It looks easy, but it was really hard work,” said Sohail.
“We started filming at 5am and only finished at 8pm,” added Salmaan.
Asked if they were nervous, the boys said that although both their parents were on an overseas holiday at the time their aunt Anisha assisted them on the day.
She was surprised when the director asked her to play a small part in the advert.
WATCH the advert here:
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