The role of place and identity as core contributing success factors in Jayan Moodley’s Keeping up with the Kandasamys and Kandasamys: The Wedding

Abstract

Keeping up with the Kandasamys (Moodley 2017), a family comedy co-written and directed by Jayan Moodley, was the first cinematic feature to be set in the post-apartheid Indian township of Chatsworth, Durban and generated R16.3 million at the box office. The film delves into the matriarchal rivalry of neighbouring families while showcasing the unique Chatsworth subculture. This box office success prompted the release of the sequel Kandasamys: The Wedding (Moodley 2019), which broke its own sales record, earning R18.9 million. As filmmakers who were intimately involved in the production of the sequel, and who engaged with viewers and community members, we provide a critical analysis, reflecting on why the films attracted large audiences and galvanized an outburst of fandom. This article postulates that Indian South African audiences identified with the authentic portrayal of the nuances of every-day life in Chatsworth, resulting in feelings of visibility and nostalgia. In attempting to explain the phenomenal support from these audiences, the authors examine theories of place identity and literature on Indian South African identity, inferring that the intersection of place, and the representation of Indian South Africans in the features, is significant to the films’ success.