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Anne Nhira

Anne Nhira is probably one of the best actresses to emerge from Zimbabwe in the past decade. Apart from the fact that there has been too little film activity in the country in the last decade, she remains one of the few beauties to have graced the local small screen still worth to talk about.She has been busy enhancing her career with her production house Anne Studios international where she is a producer and executive producer in Johannesburg where she has been based for the past eight years.

In a recent interview, Anne said she has been doing a lot behind the scenes although people do not know much about her current projects. Many people have been saying she has gone quiet.

“I haven’t exactly been quiet at all. I have shared some of my achievements over the past few years. I have achieved professional and personal milestones that I’m proud of. I am not exactly the person who publishes every accomplishment but I am extremely proud of my achievements. I prefer to work more and talk less,” she said.

“I have stretched myself extremely over the years to focus on different work affairs. My schedule has been extremely tight with running my business (Anne Studios International), acting, studying, film production as well as my role as a quality assurance and risk manager with one of the top SA wellness companies.

“I have to spread the hours of the day to do all that and still squeeze in some social time. It gets a bit hectic even for a very strong willed and obsessively hard working woman like me.”

She said she had featured in a number of South African productions among them “The Rapist” in 2012 and in 2014 she also had a role in one of South Africa’s biggest soap operas “Zabalaza” that shows on M-Net and SABC.

She also recently featured in a TV drama called “Mutual Friends”.

Anne is often referred to as Vimbai from her role “Studio 263” and reveals that she was now more focused on film production for Anne Studios.

“I co-produced a TV series pilot two months ago, that we are currently pushing to broadcasters called ‘In the Shadows’. I am extremely excited about it as it is absolutely brilliant; it will blow you away. We have a cast from different African countries. I am also acting in it. Absolutely incredible. I can’t wait for its screening so that you can watch it,” she said with enthusiasm.

Anne Studios International includes services like music production and talent training and the actress said she was going through exciting times as they were currently engaged with various African countries.

Asked whether she still hoped to come back home to stay she said: “Zimbabwe is home. I come home once or twice a year, and more if my schedule is not too tight. That is my sanctuary. I am investing in property in Zimbabwe. I am extremely proud to be Zimbabwean. We are all hoping for the best, we are moving, we keep it going, we are a strong nation and I am proud of us. I also encourage exposure to different countries to young people, it broadens ideas and dreams, and you see life differently. Travelling is extremely essential.”

Anne said she was pleased to have seen a few good TV productions from home but said there was a lot of room for improvement considering the opportunity to have content on DStv channels like Zambezi Magic.

“Zambezi Magic is a huge opportunity for Southern African countries at the moment and we should definitely seize that opportunity. It’s best to work with experts in the industry especially for directing and camera to produce a top notch quality production that can withstand competition among productions from other countries,” she said.

“Research is also required to actually see what other producers are doing, the equipment quality they are using and then ride on that and create a good project.”

While she has kept an efficient lid on her private affairs, Anne finally opened up to Showbiz regarding her love life. This is a closely guarded area of the beautiful lass’ life. Yet the beauty and fame have almost always worked against her in a way.

“You know, I have managed to handle everything else and excel in everything that I put my mind to. I have set so many goals, and I have achieved them, some with ease some with more effort but I always crack it. Dating has proved to be the most challenging, and there I was thinking I got it all figured out. I am still to get my head around it,” she said.

She is still single and she also talked about her recent birthday celebrations.

“I choose to be single until the right person comes along. I didn’t spend my birthday with anyone special except from my good friends and some good wine and champagne. And that made it special,” she said.

Anne rose to prominence in the early 2000s when she featured in the soap opera Studio 263. She also tried her hand in singing in 2013 when she released a single, “The One”.

She made a mark in the acting industry in 2002 when she played the role of Vimbai Jari. She was the lead actress, and the lover of James. The theme of the sopie was drawn from the two’s love affair which was full of ups and downs.

Though, Vimbai was wooed by another man Tom Mbambo, James would not stop loving her. Nhari played the role of an ideal woman who goes through rigorous education and achieve her professional goes and resolved to abstain from sex until she gets married.

She then took a five year sabbatical doing something different from acting. She made a grand come comeback in 2013 when she featured in the South African film “The Rapist” as one of the lead actresses.

In the same year she featured in a joint South Africa and Zimbabwe sopie “Ndafunga Dande”. The soap opera portrayed the life of Zimbabweans in the diaspora and the challenges and opportunities faced. She was also the coordinator of the project.

She was also part of a panel of judges at the 2013 Miss Zimbabwe/South Africa. Anne showed her versatility by venturing into music when she released a single “The One” in 2013. She proved to be equally good and she was one of the guest artists at the 2013 edition of the Acoustic Night-a talent search programme.

She proved the critics wrong with a stellar performance that left revelers thrilled. Although she has not been able to make a mark musically, Anne remains one of the popular actresses in Zimbabwe because of her outstanding role in “Studio 263”.

It is rare for people to talk about the soap and leave out Vimbai’s steamy relationship with Tom Mbambo. The soap launched a colourful career for Anne and she is happy that “Studio 263” was the beginning of big things happening in her life now. She says her heart will forever be in the arts industry. — showbiz/ pindula.