The Wife: Behind the Veil episodes 1-2 had an explosive impact on viewers 

In The Wife: Behind the Veil episodes 1-2, Bonko Khoza and Mbalenhle Mavimbela walk us through the dynamics of their on-screen relationship as Mqhele and Hlomu. The directors and writers also weigh in on what “inspired by” actually means and the controversial changes made to Dudu Busani-Dube’s beloved books. The special gives viewers some tidbits about what it took to embody the emotional scenes from the series that has received widespread acclaim in South Africa. 

The eight-part special Behind the Veil weaves us into the tapestry of The Wife, one of Mzansi’s greatest love stories. Mbalenhle (Mbali) said the first time she met Hlomu in the script, she seemed innocent and pure, until she fell in love with the bug-eyed, charming taxi driver.

Though she sees a lot of herself in Hlomu, they’re not the same person. Shooting the abuse storyline was very emotional for Mbali. “I’ve never been beaten up by a guy. Now I have to play this girl who has accepted being punched and abused,” says Mbali.

“It’s toxic but beautiful at the same time,” says Bonko, as he explains the dynamics of the relationship between Hlomu and Mqhele. “It’s an incredible story that speaks about discovering love or unraveling love. If you get a box with love inside I’d say The Wife is the peeling, unwrapping, and opening that box to see really what’s inside,” he adds.

Behind the Veil is as high-octane as The Wife Seasons 1 and 2 itself, as it makes viewers appreciate the show even more, whether by helping fans to believe in love again or making them respect the art of storytelling.

Watch the trailer for The Wife: Behind the Veil

From the beautiful love story to insight about the most controversial changes that had to be made to Dudu Busani-Dube’s beloved books, the cast members and the masterminds behind The Wife Seasons 1-2 dish it all out in The Wife: Behind The Veil.

Another powerful part of the special is when the the creative director, Fikile Mogodi, and the head writer, Thuli Zuma, reveal that on paper the abuse scenes were a lot more brutal and the most difficult to shoot. As per the book, the beating was supposed to be more violent but they decided that visually the scenes had to be watered down.

But we also hear that some of the punches from the abuse scenes were real. Mbali insisted on this to make the scene look as realistic as possible. On the other hand, Bonko had to be mindful not to hurt his co-star.

“People beautified the abuse because it was in black and white but once we’d illustrate it into pictures then people came to the realisation that abuse is not a thing to be beautified. I think they loved how she always forgave him, how they would never leave each other and how they loved each other,” says Mthunzi Dubazana, one of the directors on The Wife.

Watch The Wife: Behind The Veil now streaming on Showmax. Two new episodes land every Friday. The Wife Season 3 landing on 10 November.