DID YOU KNOW BATULI WAS THE ORIGINAL CHOICE FOR THE HIT FILM "OPRAH" PLAYED BY IRENE UWOYA?

Today actress Irene Uwoya is very popular in East Africa and even central Africa, though she participated in Miss Tanzania 2006 and entered top 5, acted in few movies before, but it was her hit film Oprah(Hot Sunday)which was released  in 2008 made Irene so popular and from there every producer wanted to work with her. The film also starred the late Steven Kanumba and Vicent Kigosi(Ray). But did you know that actress Yobnesh Yusuph(Batuli) was the first choice for female lead of the film?. Yes, Batuli was offered the tittle role by the late Steven Kanumba but she turned it down after reading the script and discovered it had some serious romantic scenes which were essayed by Irene Uwoya later on. "Yeah ni kweli ila baada ya kusoma script mzazi mwenzangu alikataa baadhi ya scenes hasa zile Oprah alizo-act anafanyiwa tendo la ndoa, nilikuwa naishi nae hivyo ilibidi nifuate matakwa yake" Said Batuli in Swahili when asked by Swahiliworldplanet about being offered the role.

However, later on Batuli was seen in Fake Smile opposite the late Steven Kanumba and the movie pushed her to Stardom. Today she is also popular outside Tanzania and she has already appeared in many movies like Waves of Sorrow, Fungate and some of her upcoming movies include Bad Luck with Blandina Chagula(Johari) and Salha Israel and Coast To Coast with Slim Omar and Wastara Juma.

                                   Yobnesh Yusuph(Batuli)

                                             Irene Uwoya