Funnyman Riaad Moosa is set to reprise his role as an aspiring stand-up comedian in the much-awaited movie, New Material.

A sequel to the 2012 blockbuster Material, the movie is set to reel in more than a few laughs as stars such as Schalk Bezuidenhout and Joey Rasdien join Moosa on a hilarious journey.   

Playing the role of Cassim Kaif, Moosa explains that his character is trying to juggle the demands of a new marriage and being a father while looking after his elderly parents.

“In the first film my character Cassim was trying to kick-start his comedy career even though he knew his father Ebrahim would disapprove because he wanted his son to take over the fabric shop in Fordsburg [Johannesburg]. However, Cassim followed his dreams and pursued his career in comedy.

“Fast forward nine years later, Cassim is a husband and a father who’s trying to juggle it all. His comedy career is doing reasonably well and he is receiving a lot of love and support from the Muslim community. But this doesn’t satisfy him, so Cassim embarks on a journey to broaden his footprint as a comedian,” Moosa explains.

With the help of his friend, played by Rasdien, Cassim plans to take on a national tour that doesn’t end up the way they expected.

“From the beginning, the tour was filled with many problems – Yusuf and Cassim had to make tough decisions after international opportunities presented themselves. It’s so hilarious to see how Cassim’s tour all plays out,” the qualified medical doctor says.

Having written the draft script to the sequel five years ago, Moosa believes Cassim is a true reflection of himself.

“When I wrote the script in 2015, it took me three months to complete. It then took close to four years to resuscitate. We eventually were able to start shooting the film in 2019, which got delayed because of the pandemic, but filming commenced and was completed within four weeks. I am glad that people will get to watch the film that brings laughter and the importance of relationships.”

The film also stars Carishma Basday, Zakeeya Patel, Denise Newman, Kurt Schoonraad and media personality Shashi Naidoo.

Playing the role of Cassim’s mother, Newman describes her role as a controlling mother-in-law who believes life revolves around her without bearing in mind the bride’s feelings.  

“In the first version I played the role of a peacemaker between father and son but in this version Cassim is married and I become the mother-in-law from hell who wants things done her way all the time. It also doesn’t help that Cassim’s parents are living with him, which makes things worse for his wife.

“This is a fun comedy that tells a human story that I believe people will relate to.”

• New Material will be in cinemas nationwide from November 26.