TERENCE MISELO writes
FRANCISCA Msiska Muchangwe, aka Franciar, famous for her villain role of ‘Suwi’ in Zambia’s first telenovela ‘Zuba’, is an awesomely talented personality that juggles her life as a gospel singer, actress and makeup artiste.
She is a person who, in her the character ‘ Suwi’, has come to be hated for her cunning and deceitful nature.
She has been viewed as a master of hatred, merchant of evil and an envious being.
All these fall on her because she has delivered her character as demanded by the script. In real life, Franciar is a direct opposite of Suwi.
“I am learning a lot playing the role of a villain,” she says.
“It’s not easy to put myself in that character but God’s grace is ever sufficient. Broken and empty people like Suwi do exist but my prayer is that they turn to Christ for He alone is the Way, the Truth and the Life.”
Franciar, is a born again Christian married to her entertainment industry colleague, Maynard Munchangwe, whom she credits for her blooming career in acting.
“I started acting in high school under NATAZ but officially joined the film industry in 2013 where I starred in a movie called ‘Guilt’ produced by Cassie Kabwita and My husband Maynard Muchangwe,” Franciar said.
“My husband is behind my full acting career and he’s my mentor in it too. So him being a film cinematographer, he has a better understanding of it and he supports and pushes me to do greater every step of the way, my family at large is very supportive and my biggest cheerleaders, they love and appreciate what I do,” she added.
Franciar explains that even her role as Suwi was motivated by her husband.
“The Channel (Zambezi Magic) held auditions and my husband came across the advert on social media. He filled in my details and informed me about it a week later, “she recalls.
“They called me for audition, I went there and gave the best of my performance. I was later called and told I had been chosen to play the Suwi role. I couldn’t believe it but definitely I was excited that I had made my husband proud because he first believed in me.”
But what does Franciar achieve playing such a role?
“Through what am doing I believe it’s a great example to women who share my passion that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us, for as long as God is the center of it all,” she insists as she describes ‘Suwi’ as being empty and broken.
“When a person is empty and broken, they look for different things of the world to find pleasure in and to feel complete. But it’s never enough. Material things are never enough, power is never enough so they hunger for more without realizing that they are slowly killing themselves,” she says adding that an empty soul can do anything for its satisfaction.
“They can destroy anything to sooth their thirst for anything they want but their thirst is never quenched, but you see, this is what happens when you operate in the flesh and not through the Holy Spirit. There is never satisfaction. You always remain broken and drained,” she counsels.