ACTRESS Zahra Dada has scored a role in an international sci-fi series called The Power.
Born and raised in Durban, Dada attended Durban Girl’s College and completed high school at Eden College.
She said she later obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree specialising in brand building and business management from The Vega School of Brand Leadership in Cape Town, before starting her journey into producing films.
The media influencer has appeared in commercials for brands such as Old Mutual and Woolworths South Africa. She has also partnered with Coca-Cola, Samsung and Clicks, among others, as an influencer.
“Acting and film is my primary passion. This deep-rooted burning has taken me to study acting and filmmaking in South Africa as well as the two biggest movie cities and industries, Los Angeles and Mumbai.
"As an actress and producer, I am currently starring in The Power. I played the lead role of Sameera Lamara in Identity and I’m also known for my role as Zeldah in Imbewu – The Seed – on eTV.”
Dada said her audition for The Power was nerve-wracking and exciting.
“I went through a casting process. After sending in my CV and headshots through my agent, I had an audition request from an international casting agency for a Middle Eastern Role for The Power.
“From a selection of three out of five scenes for the role, I was preparing for the character to showcase my skills on a Zoom audition. This was my first ever Zoom audition.”
The Power is a British science fiction drama television series developed by Raelle Tucker, Naomi Alderman, Claire Wilson, and Sarah Quintrell for Amazon Prime Video.
Dada said when she first read about the series, she knew this was the type of international production she was ready to be a part of; one with an empowering message.
“The Power is a TV series adapted from the award-winning novel by Naomi Alderman. The plot revolves around teenage girls who develop the ability to electrocute people at will. As a young woman, this premise immediately intrigued and motivated me to take on a role in the series.
“As a global thriller with a unique twist of nature, the concept explores the consequences of a world where women hold a significant amount of power. The Power delves into the complexities of gender dynamics and the impact of power on society.
“Overall, The Power is an exciting and thought-provoking series that challenges societal norms and expectations. It is a must-watch for anyone interested in exploring the intersection of power, gender, and society,” she said.
Dada plays a character named Leen.
“Leen is someone who cares a lot about those she loves. She stands up for what she believes in, being brave, strong and courageous by coming alive to the thrill of pure power. These are qualities which hold true to me, personally.”
She said a new challenge that featured for this role was that she had to do the audition in an Arab accent.
“To my surprise and excitement, I was approached next for a read-through with the key role players of the production. Based on their previous work and reputation in the industry, the whole experience began to feel like the perfect networking opportunity for my efforts in securing this role.
“To prepare for my role as Leen, I began by familiarising myself with the accent. I then proceeded to analyse my character and develop story arcs (the chronological construction of plot ) for her using a combination of Stanislavski's techniques and other acting methods that I learned from my training in Los Angeles,” she said.
Dada said if there was a second season of The Power, she would love to continue her journey with the series.
“As that is to be decided though, I have some projects in the pipeline being developed under my company – Livalil Productions and Media. My aim is to promote our stories and locations to local and international clientele through quality productions.”
*Follow Dada on www.instagram.com/livalilbyzahrad or www.facebook.com/Livalil.co.za
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