Multi-talented actor and singer Khaya Dladla has decided to give acting another chance after he was sidelined by SABC 1’s hit soapie Uzalo producers.
Read More: Exclusive: Khaya Dladla On Life After Uzalo And His Thriving Radio Gig On Gagasi FM!
The actor who won the hearts of many fans on the show with his enthralling performances was reduced to a call actor but now he is back on screen. Khaya made his debut in eHostela last night and he plays the character of Nxebale Ndoda. The show returned for its second season last night and it plays on Mzansi Magic.
Khaya’s fans took to social media to express their excitement following his debut after his Uzalo stint which turned him into a household name with a legion of fans. Some hailed him for being versatile as he takes on a new role different from the gay character he portrayed on Uzalo.The hard-hitting show is centered around township violence and the deadly taxi industry. eHostela features a star-studded cast and the first season of the show was shot in Durban but the second season moved to Johannesburg
Khaya’s return to our small screen is something to celebrate especially following his dramatic Uzalo exit which left fans foaming at the mouth. Speaking to ZAlebs last year about his departure from the show, he said it really hit him hard.
“The thing is with me leaving the show, I didn’t process it because I wasn’t told I was leaving the show, so there was no time for me to digest that in the next three months I won’t be on this show because, no one said anything to me about not coming back. Other actors were told that they won’t be coming back but I was not,” he said.
Khaya was reduced to a call actor on the show, but his future was skating on thin ice because Uzalo producers did not inform him when he will be needed to film his scenes. He said he has since moved on with his life because he can’t hold back onto that.
“At the end of the day, there was no book or line in my life that said I would work for Uzalo and I did there was no book that said I would stay on Uzalo for 20 years. It was one of those things that wake up and you need to move on and I’m so glad because I needed that break, I think everything happens for a reason.”
Khaya said he had a great work ethic on the show. “When I was let go on Uzalo, there was no reason to say that maybe I was troublesome, I was so professional, I wrote lines for GC, I prepped for everything and my scenes. People called and said I have been fired. If I was like I’m not fired, I’m now a call actor, meanwhile Khaya has been fired because it cannot happen that you put someone on standby for 1 year,” he said.
Khaya has since been focusing on his radio gig on Gagasi FM and he is now engaged to Mercutio Buthelezi.