Growth is inevitable, after years of being in the film and television industry, actress Lungelwa “Lulu” Hela has released her first TV series under her own production company, Hela Media. 

The Dimbaza-born talented actress is now chairing the hot seat of being the executive director of Mzansi Magic’s brand new series Lavish which has an all star cast. 

Speaking to Nounouche about the show Lulu revealed that she wanted to tell a story about how people who will go through great lengths to preserve their wealth and status in society.

“I’m a great observer of people and pop culture in general,” she said. 

“So I decided to tell a story about relationships which look picture perfect on the outside, but in reality, are far from that. 

“I’m hoping the show will teach people that the important thing is not how your life looks on the outside, but how it feels to you in your everyday life.

“And that the only standards that should matter in life, are those for which you set yourself, not the ones dictated to you by society or even loved ones.”

Lulu also shared that Lavish is a celebration of female bonds. Starring the likes of Jessica Nkosi, S’dumo Mtshali, Nolo Seabi and Khanyi Nokwe, the show is pure, jaw-dropping entertainment.

“I think there’s something really special about a group of very diverse female characters, who come from different backgrounds, and have each other’s back until the end of time. 

We need to dispel the narrative that women don’t like other women, because it’s inaccurate and grossly damaging. 
There are a lot of other themes the viewers will resonate with when they watch the show,” she said. 

Lulu who made her mark when she was part of Generations, playing the role of Belinda Nhlapo said producing Lavish was challenging. 

“Being a mother myself, I liken this process to carrying and giving birth to a life. It sure came with all the relevant challenges of carrying a life,” she said. 

“But once the baby is out in the world, you are so obsessively in love with them, you forget about all the difficulties. 

“This show, being our first baby for mainstream TV at Hela Media, taught us many valuable lessons. Productions are hardly ever smooth sailing. 

“At the end of the day it’s about overcoming the obstacles to ensure the show you go on air with, is one you can be proud of. The joy of seeing your creative vision come to life is unmatched.”  

Hela Media was launched five years ago and according to Lulu, her key focus since its launch was  producing high end corporate films both locally and internationally. 

“The decision to finally branch into television came when I finally felt ready to take the next step,” she said. 

“As a boss you are the carrier of the vision for the business or project. It’s important to be able to identify like-minded people to collaborate with in order to bring the vision to life.” 

“Every person in the process of making a television show, at every level, is equally important to the success of the show or business.” 

Lulu said the film and television industry is such a great space to be in when one is able to make waves in an industry that still doesn’t see women as solid leaders.

“My aim is to change this narrative by employing more women in key positions. We need to get to a space where we have more women in decision making positions. I think that will be very instrumental in opening the doors and creating safe spaces for the young women getting into the industry.”

Lulu also shared that she’s always been a force behind the scenes and running her own production company is a dream come true for her. 

“What people don’t know is that I’ve actually worked behind the scenes a lot longer that in front of the camera,” she revealed. 

“Even during the time I was on Generations, I was working behind the scenes on shows like Zola 7, Sunsilk Make Over Show, Relate with Angie Diale.” 

“Running my own production company is a dream I have had since my high school years. There is a bank of stories I feel would shift the way we look at ourselves as Black people, those stories have to be told by us.” 

She also spoke about opening up the industry and said it is something that as showrunners they need to be intentional about. 

“But it’s important to note that there’s a specific place and purpose for people who have been doing this for a long time,” she said. 

“The idea is to combine the old and the new, as a way of teaching the younger generation how it’s done, and passing on the baton.

We can’t discard the ones who’ve been doing this for a long time, they are the reason why we are here and are able to enjoy these opportunities. 

Without them fighting, these doors would not have opened for the young ones. A transference of skills will only happen, when we combine the two, ” she concluded. 

Lulu is working on developing more concepts for television shows and currently shooting corporate films. 

” There is so much more to come from Hela Media, the future looks really exciting,” she said.