![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/10420_KINGS-OF-MULBERRY-STREET-Aaqil-Hoosen-Judy-Naidoo-Dirctor-and-Shaan-Nathoo.jpg?resize=400%2C281\")
These two nine-year-old misfits decide to rid their community of the evil Raja. Their plan \u2013emulate the antics and mannerisms of Ticky\u2019s Bollywood heroes. The battle between escapism and harsh reality is not even remotely matched, yet these heroes share a loyalty so special that they can conquer all. In the sugar cane fields of KZN, and the poor but vibrant and bustling streets (and rooftops) of Sugarhill District, the two unlikely comrades learn about life and overcoming obstacles, prejudices and their own deepest fears in this charming and hilarious adventure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe had an extensive casting search for both the child actors as well as the adults,\u201d says Naidoo. \u201cI was hands-on throughout the process. We found the Baboo character quite early in the casting process. However, we couldn’t find Ticky. We had to go to public schools in KZN and we found him after a really long process and many call-backs. I\u2019m delighted that Aaqil happens to be from my home town, Verulam.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Delving deeper into the characters of the delightful boys, Naidoo explains that Ticky Chetty\u2019s petty criminal, father expects his son will follow his lead. Ticky\u2019s mother\u2019s incessant panic and his bizarre granny all give the young boy good reason to do what he does best \u2013 ignore reality and escape into fantasy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTicky has a knack for switching roles in the blink of the eye and without a hint of irony. He looks upon Baboo as a \u2018case\u2019, a rescue mission. His motive: he needs a partner to bring down the man who has enslaved his dad. Of course, Ticky believes he himself is a true Bollywood-style hero.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In real life, Aaqil loves watching his favourite series \u2018Naruto\u2019, playing fetch with his dog and mastering chess with his little sister Naajiya. He is drawn to the ocean and is fascinated by sea creatures. He hopes to become a marine biologist one day. He also has a keen interest in archaeology, and likes to study things from the past. He hopes this will take him to different continents when he\u2019s a little older.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/10420_KINGS-OF-MULBERRY-STREET-Aaqil-Hoosen-and-Shaan-Nathoo.jpg?resize=400%2C267\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n\u201cHarold Singh, nicknamed Baboo, is a plump, nerdy nine-year-old,\u201d Naidoo says. \u201cHe wishes he could go through most social situations being invisible. Incredibly smart, he can spell almost any word in the English dictionary but is clueless about survival on the streets. He has no stomach for anything physical and panics at the first sign of risk. After experiencing a life-altering setback, his father moves them to his late grandmother\u2019s house on Mulberry Street. Moving into his late grandmother\u2019s place on Mulberry Street is both a curse and blessing for young Baboo. The former because, as Ticky points out, Baboo hasn\u2019t got a clue about how to be an Indian. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shaan Nathoo, who plays this charming young fellow, is 9 years old. He loves drawing comics, animals, playing with Lego, cycling and having imaginary nerf gun wars with his friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Catch \u2018Kings of Mulberry Street\u2019 in cinemas on 28 June 2019<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Once in a lifetime comes a story of true greatness such as the epic tale of Baboo and his best friend Ticky. That story is \u2018Kings of Mulberry Street\u2019, the new feature film written and directed by acclaimed director and producer Judy Naidoo. Feisty Ticky (Aaqil Hoosen) is the archetypal Indian artful dodger \u2013 cheeky… Continue reading Meet Ticky And Baboo – The Little Kings Of Mulberry Street<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8220","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-film","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8220","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8220"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8220\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8220"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8220"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8220"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}