I don’t know about you but for me, I still remember vividly the nostalgic feeling when the popular television weekly serialized ‘Things WeDo For Love ’ started, when the production house went on recess and when they came back to continue from where they stopped. Several years after, I’m still proud today to say I was an avid viewer of the TV series.
If there was any program in Ghana at the time that people loved on [as if they had any better option] GBC/GTV, the station of the nation, surely it would be because of ‘Things WeDo For Love’.
The above assertion might not be entirely true, since it’s based on hunch. But it was one of the programs that made people stay glued to their television sets on Sundays before the major news to watch the entertaining, educative and informative series.
I still recollect clearly those years when most if not every student made sure their homework was done as early as possible to enable them watch the program without any hassle from their parents.
I also reckon it was one of the few programs on television at that time that made many children respect their parents and listened to whatever they said attentively in other for them to have the peace of mindto watch the program when it commences.
‘Things We Do For Love’ was a 30 minutes weekly series shown on Ghana Television. The direction of the series was under the tutelage of Ivan Quashigah and produced by Ad Vantage Productions. It starred the Majid Michels, the Jackie Appiahs, the Adjetey Anangs amongst others.
Several years later, the Ghana Movie Industry is benefitting immensely from these talents who once graced and made television excitingto watch in Ghana. Though majority of the cast are not active now, Shaker [Majid Michel], Enyonam [Jackie Appiah], Pusher [Adjetey Anang], Max [Vincent McCauley] are still rocking our screens.
Also from the same series but missing on the television scenes are Tsatsu, Killer [Abeiku Acquah], Dede [Alice Schreyer], Marcia [Sena Tsikata], BB [David Bossman], Zinabu [Adeline Adjokatcher], Ophebea [Yolanda] and others.
Aluta Just After Things We Do For Love
Aluta Just After Things We Do For Love
However, one of the casts who played Jackie Appiah’s brother and son of the contentious Mr. Blagogee, ‘Aluta’ has resurfaced from his hideout. Known in real life as Zimran Clottey, Aluta tried his luck on several projects, one of which was to become a musician. He also hosted a couple of shows in TV.
GhanaCelebrities.Com chanced on him at the graduation of the models from Exopa Modelling Agency for a short chit chat. He revealed many things as well as a shocking package … can you believe the ‘dude’ has 7 children already. Below are the excerpts.
GhanaCelebrities.Com: Aluta, not much has been heard of you after ‘Things We Do For Love’. Where have you been?
Aluta: I have been around. After ‘Things We Do For Love’, I have done lots of things. I hosted a program ‘Pop Box’ on Ghana Television for close to three years. During the programme, I had the chance to travel to a number of countries including Israel and Ethiopia. I interviewed people like the late Culture as well as other international big stars.
GhanaCelebrities.Com: What’s the difference between you and other ‘Things We Do For Love’ casts?
Aluta: I’m much open. Among all the cast of ‘Things We Do For Love’, I believe I’m most down to earth.
GhanaCelebrities.Com: What else have you done after?
Aluta: I have been around. I have done couple of stuffs. I have done some movies. I grew locks. It became very long. It was all over my back but I cut it in January. It was to start a new brand where people know me as an actor. Now as an actor, I’m sure people constantly feel that what else or what can you do beyond what you are already noted for.
So I felt that instead of keeping the bushy hair which was noted for acting. I had to wear a different hair style to give a different brand of myself. So I took that up. In acting sometimes some of these things give limitations because any producer, who wants to use me for something, wants to use me for a fetish priest and things that they feel identifies you with.
But for me, the lock is another way of life. It shouldn’t limit you to anything. There are old men rasta people. There are so many things you can find; any role with locks shouldn’t be a problem. But there was limitation on them.
I was in Kumas for 2 years and 1 year in Takoradi. All this period, I did only 3 movies; 2 in Kumasi and 1 in Takoradi. All these movies were done in a long period of time, not continues like you see on your scenes now. One of the movies I did in Kumasi ‘Akushika’ has been released. The rest would be released later. I did all with my locks.
I was teaching in Kumasi. Staying outside Accra, life was little different where people know you for a particular work or acting. I cut my locks early this year not because of acting per sebut I felt that, the reason why I was carrying the locks was on a righteous course.
Spiritually when you look at the Nazareth law, Numbers chapter 6, it talks about wearing the locks as a born again as a level of righteousness. If I’m falling short of that, it means that the favour that will go along with that with few other things, I will be falling shorts of all those things. I will be deprived of all those things.
I also felt that to give respect to the locks on like other people wear it and do all kinds of things; I had to let it go, so that I can feel free once again to do anything I want to do, away from hiding behind the locks which is supposed to be strictly spiritual and righteous.
GhanaCelebrities.Com: It’s okay to be jealous! Majid, Jackie, Max and Adjetey Anang who were part of the ‘Things We Do For Love’ cast are doing well now. How do you feel watching them on the screen? What really happened?
Aluta: Nothing went really wrong. Nothing changed. Let me say that there is time for everybody. If there wasn’t a time for King Bruce, a time for Kojo Antwi, there wouldn’t have been a time for Batman Samini and there wouldn’t have been a time for the people who are yet to come in the future.
The David Dontohs and the rest gave away certain things at some point to give way to some new people along the line. So in the same way, I believe there is a time for people like Majid, Pusher and the rest.
Three years ago, I sat with Max [Vincent McCauley] and I said the same thing to him. He was complaining of not getting roles. He was going to the auditions and they were not picking him.
I told him, my brother there is a time for everybody; your time will come soon. I was not making any effort to get into anything at that time and just about six months, he found himself in ‘Sisters Honour’ and other movies. I told him there is time for everybody.
If I tell you the things I’m doing in the pipeline right now, you will realise that really there is time for everybody. Like you see on the screens now, nobody saw the beginning of the things you are seeing on the screens today.
Perhaps, some of them were recorded three or more years back but today we see them on screen. Over a period, you see posters and its Jackie, Majid and it’s like they are the starsbut I believe there is time for everybody. Until nine months, what is conceived in the womb for myself to be born, I will say there is a lot in the pipeline for me.
GhanaCelebrities.Com: What’s in the pipeline for you?
Aluta: I’m still acting. There are two serious TV series and two movies coming up in the pipeline for me. Basically, this is what I can say for now.
GhanaCelebrities.Com: Can you throw more light on them?
Aluta: You see, when the baby is about to be born, it stays in there. If you insist, let me give you more details. The titles are ‘Number 10 Kotokoraba Close’, a GAMA/TV3 production. It’s a series that’s about to start.
The other one is ‘The Oil City’, another story on the oil, which I’m self producing with Livewire Production. There are two other movies, one on my table at the moment, I’m about to start working on it. There are few others too.
GhanaCelebrities.Com: Sounds like you are bouncing back big time!
Aluta: [Laughs] As to whether it is big time or not, for me I think it’s a super time. But you would have to describe it your way as you see it coming up but it takes nine months in the womb where you don’t see whether a man or a woman and it’s in there and when the time is due, God just let it out. So now surely I can say there is something in the pipeline for me because I have recorded them.
GhanaCelebrities.Com: What were some of the difficulties you faced as rasta man?
Aluta: I think that we are getting over the challenges of rasta or locks because our society is gradually beginning to accept it. People in offices or certain positions are beginning to wear locks without challenges.
But in the past we had this wayward attitude or impression about people who wear locks. We think that when they wear locks, they smoke Indian hemp. So wearing the locks… those are some of the challenges that one has to go through, family challenges and societal challenges.
GhanaCelebrities.Com: Thank you for your time
Aluta: You are welcome!