VIOJA MAHAKAMANI

The introduction of Vioja Mahakamani is catchy all the time I look at it. I might be biased but it’s true. In terms of modernity, I will agree with your thoughts that the producer has remained conservative when we would have wanted to see him move with the current. The same old introduction I would see back then is the same thing I see even now. It helps me to appreciate originality of work done by the crew, originality of the play against plagiarism and pride of culture.
Vioja Mahakamani is aired in KBC channel one every Wednesday after the 7pm news. It’s a convenient time to air it at that period because most people are still glued to their screens pondering the next move. Also for those heavy industrial workers, guys who have spend most of their time in the offices and ladies who couldn’t get that ‘boss-stress’ off, it’s a good programme to tickle their ribs and give them a reason to laugh.
The basic plot is not always set, meaning this time will have a different plot from next Wednesdays show. One plot which prevailed in the last show I watched was the kidnapping of people. This being the basic plot for that show, whatever the characters did on stage was supposed to sum up towards achieving that plot, to bring the kidnappers into book and take the right action against them. They even had to include a mzungu (white man) who despite not being very fluent in Swahili enhanced the thrilling plot. Every time he opened his mouth to talk, I opened my mouth to laugh.
The dialogue flows smoothly in an order. It happening in a courtroom, every protocol of a courtroom is clearly adhered to. There is a judge; there are secretaries and a clerk. The dialogue is usually short, humorous and full of message. There are no a lot of stage directions and there is no much of dialogue either… there is action though, remember its comedy. Though I would say that the play is in a way biased to Kenyans, it’s also produced for Kenyans. This is because the language they would use and the jokes they would make are only understood by Kenyans. They portray uneducated fellows in a courtroom.
The characters are well chosen and fairly fit into their shoes. I haven’t witnessed one time where by a character was trying to fit in his or her role on screen. The other thing which makes the characters relevant is their experience in the industry. They have been acting in the programme for as long as I can remember. Even some are now quitting the programme to act in Papa Shirandula at Citizen.
The target audience for this programme is purely the middle class living in urban areas and rural areas too. Well I have thought the same for long until I talked to some old people in Thika and they told me how much they love following the programme. I also talked to some of my fathers friends at a function in home and they said that despite them being professionals, it has been hard to detach form this local production. Kenyan is the target audience of this production.
Camera movements used here are dollying in and dollying out, panning, zooming in and out. There are also still shots and tilts. There is use of long shots, bust shots, close ups and orientation to the court surroundings by the camera movements. The judge will occasionally be brought close by use of medium shots and as a witness is given his or her side of the story, there will be a long shot showing what the accused is doing. In that silence, sometimes there is much action than in the dialogue itself.
About editing, I would want to recommend that the producer of the film embrace the upcoming styles and ideas of editing. This thing of cutting and wipes has been overstretched now and he should look for a new idea. However a wipe remains the best technique in editing, there are different versions of wiping and that can bring sensational effects in a screenplay. All in all I like the originality of Vioja Mahakamani.
Next, I will be trying to look into the play, Vitimbi which happens every Monday after 7pm news.