THE name Admire Kuzhangaira might not strike a chord with many, but it is his moniker Bhutisi that keen followers of the local comedy and drama circuit will know.
BY WINSTONE ANTONIO
Bhutisi has become a darling in showbiz because of his hilarious antics and rib-cracking jokes that usually tackle real life situations.
The comedian and filmmaker shot to fame in 2014 when his skit Boys DzeTonaz popularly known as Hatiuyi Ikoko, under the then P.O. Box, went viral on social media Facebook and WhatsApp.
As Bhutisi turned a year older yesterday, NewsDay Weekender caught up with the comedian, who opened up on his career with an emphasis that he was not in the showbiz by mistake, but by choice.
“I launched my showbiz career at a tender age as a village boy in Mrewa and only came to Harare in 2010. I was celebrated way back in the village in Mrewa before the world knew of me,” he said.
Bhutisi recalls that he received his first recognition as the best male actor at Fungisai Primary School when he was in Grade 6 before bagging another accolade the following year.
“When I enrolled at Chemhondoro High School, I started a drama club under the leadership of Mr Masuka, a teacher who helped mould me into who I am today. Our drama club went on to represent Mashonaland East province on several occasions at schools drama competitions and I was always the best male actor at these competitions,” he said.
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Bhutisi said life was not rosy and he lost his father when he was in Grade 7 and he had to go and live with his grandmother in Mrewa.
“At first, I could not accept it, but I later discovered that Mrewa was the best place, as I went on to do my Advance Levels at Chemhondoro High School and later became the head boy,” he said.
After his A Levels, Bhutisi said he went to teach at Nyamutumbu Secondary School in Mrewa, then later at Chemhondoro, his former school, where he was an English literature relief teacher.
He decided to dump temporary teaching and enrolled at The Zimbabwe Film and Television School of Southern (Ziftessa) for educational qualifications.
“I left teaching when I saw an advert in the newspaper about enrolment at The Zimbabwe Film and Television School of Southern Africa. I applied and was successful and that is where I learnt a lot about the behind the scenes, which I then combined with my experience in front of the camera and the recipe made me a beast when it comes to film and television,” he said.
The comedian said he was a professional entertainer, who was not affected by social issues in his line of work.
“I am a professional artiste who is not affected by my personal life. The character of Bhutisi and Admire are two different personalities that do not affect each other,” he said.
Although Bhutisi is yet to win a National Arts Merit Award (Nama), he said he was happy with just a nomination, as he claimed he was still the people’s favourite without an award.
Off stage, Bhutisi said he was a father, friend and a neighbour.
As a way of furthering his education, Bhutisi, who claims to be among the guys who started the online movement, is studying towards Bachelor of Arts in Media Studies with Zimbabwe Open University.
