Behind the scenes with the cast of Loving Beyond

2026-03-03 - 15:28

Loving Beyond is a new Ugandan series that premiered on December 1 and has been lighting up Pearl Magic Prime for the last three months. Executive produced by Jerry Ssesanga, the storyline centres on two powerful, rival families in the sugar business, the Lutaayas and the Lules. In the middle of this conflict are their children, Nakimuli Lutaaya – Naki – and Moses Lule. The two fall in love, setting the stage for a story driven by both family tension and romance. TheObserver was granted access to the show’s set in Kyanja and interacted with the two lead actors and their directors. GIBRIL HADIAH IGALE AS NAKI Igale is the beautiful young lady who portrays the character of Naki, an ambitious and peace loving daughter of the Lutaaya family. In the show, she falls in love Moses from the rival family of the Lules, increasing tension between the two households. While viewers often describe Naki as soft and weak in the face of family tension, Igale said that perception is intentional. “According to my character bible, I’m required to be calm and calculative,” she said. Igale said Loving Beyond is her first acting project, having joined the series in August last year after successfully auditioning for the role. Before acting, she was into modelling and commercials. About her first day on set, Igale said it was far from glamorous. “I was very nervous. I didn’t know where to look. I would read my lines and forget them immediately,” she admitted. “But the team was really helpful.” One of her most difficult scenes was an emotional burial sequence that required her to cry in front of the entire crew. Since the series began airing on Pearl Magic Prime, Igale’s life has noticeably changed. Now she can no longer move around as freely as before. Igale hopes to grow within Uganda’s film industry rather than rush outward AMARA LUZINDA AS MOSES Luzinda plays the character of Moses, a calm but conflicted second born son of the Lule family who is caught in a bitter rivalry with the Lutaaya family. “He’s calm and collected, but confused about love,” Luzinda described his character in the show. “There are things Moses does that Amara wouldn’t do. It’s about building the character and understanding him better.” Luzinda said one of the most challenging scenes was an intense dining table scene filled with anger and confrontation. While he has appeared in other productions before, Luzinda said: “I would say it’s my first major role. The others were more like extras.” Luzinda looks up to Omari Hardwick and hopes to expand his career greatly. IRENE NANZIRI SEREMBA – DIRECTOR Nanziri is one of the directors on Loving Beyond and described the series as both challenging and a passion project. “Every character in the series makes you want to watch” she said. Nanziri brings to the show a decade-long experience with five of those years directing. She is also a writer, actress and costume designer. She credits the show’s success to its hands-on executive producer, Jerry Ssesanga, whom she describes as deeply involved in every stage of production. “We are not in a comfort zone. He always wants the best.” One of the defining elements of Loving Beyond, according to Nanziri was the bold decision to cast fresh faces. Nearly half of the cast are new to the industry. “We coach them. We train them. We make them understand who they are in the story,” she said. Beyond performance, Nanziri pointed to the technical quality of the show. “Have you seen our lighting?” she asked. “Some people even think we are shooting from South Africa because of the picture quality.” She believes the show has the potential for awards and international recognition. MARVIN RAINE SSENTONGO – DIRECTOR With nearly a decade in the film industry, Ssentongo has worked on both feature films and series, including Mum vs. Wife, Lions of Buganda, and Tale of Our Times, where he often takes on multiple roles behind the scenes. “I’ve been in the film industry for nine years now,” he said, “and I’ve done feature films and series. I’m the director, editor, and sound designer of some of these projects.” The Observer found them shooting a scene at the Kyanja set, and inquired how long it took to shoot a perfect scene. Ssentongo said it depends on the scene. “Some scenes require more time and estimation, while others are handled quickly due to tight schedules,” he said. “In a single day, we may shoot as many as 15 to 20 scenes.” Ssentongo believes the show is going to run for more seasons based on the good reviews they are receiving. devonssuubi@gmail.com