Douglas Kasule Benda alias Ono Daaga, is a theatre professional and film practitioner who also doubles as a social media influencer. When he is not teaching drama to students, he is helping actors hone their stage skills, writes Gabriel Buule.
What would you do if a woman you found attractive hit on you?
This will give me the chance to get back at the female race by playing ‘play hard to get’. Just like women do, I would make myself scarce so that her demand for me increases and then later let her down gently. My most tried and tested excuse is that I am in a relationship.
How do you tell a woman you are attracted to that you are interested?
When you realize you have feelings for a girl, it is hard to know exactly what to do next. You definitely want her to know you are interested, but telling her directly might feel like too big of a step. The perfect solution: dropping some well-placed hints by showing your interest through body language, light teasing, and social media attention.
As a filmmaker why do you think the industry is lagging behind?
The stakeholders in this industry need to work together and focus on raising the standards. It is not a secret that most of us produce shoddy work, behave unprofessionally which limits our products from being consumed widely. The downside is that revenues remain stagnantly low which keeps us lagging behind from our intended goals. It becomes a vicious cycle of lack of capital, poor quality production and poor audience consumption.
Which actress has potential to go beyond Ugawood?
It is hard to tell at this point because there are so many actresses with a lot of potential I have not yet seen because they have probably worked on small projects. But my favourite actresses currently are Nisha Kalema who just won the Uganda Film festival award, Pearl International Film Festival winner Leilah Nakabira, Pamela Keryeko, Gladys Oyenbot , Tania Kankindi, Aisha Kyomuhangi, Oyenbot, Nodryn Evanci, Rukiss Salameda and Joan Agaba, among others.
What is your definition of a beautiful woman?
Beauty in a woman goes beyond physical appearance. With the advancement of cosmetics, any woman can look physically appealing. I believe a woman is beautiful if her looks match her inner beauty; brains, attitude towards life, genuine generosity and religious values. A beautiful woman is one who has the ability to raise the spirits of her partner when he is down and inspire him to work harder and smarter.
What are your thoughts on marriage?
Marriage is finding that special someone you can see yourself spending your whole entire life with. They are everything to you. I understand that looks “fade” in time. However, I think marriage is overrated. The truth is, I do not believe that marriage is for everyone. It has ceased to be the basis for the creation of a family and more of superficial measure of an individual’s success. Once one begins to think of marriage as an accomplishment, its intentions and values get distorted ending up in disaster.
Is it true that film makers are womanisers?
I think that is a stereotype that comes from the fact that film makers get to meet a lot of attractive women. For instance some people think that all girls who work in bars as waitresses sleep with most men who drink there but is it true? Loose morals are an individual thing. You can be exposed to temptation but choose to remain strong in your values. Personally, I am not a womaniser, I know many colleagues who are not. However, I also know that there are those who cannot keep it in their pants. These are the few malcontents giving the entire industry a bad name.
How do you relax?
Whenever I need to relax my mind I play a game on my phone or I watch motivational videos or movies. I also enjoy hanging out with friends and getting silly. When I want to relax my body I go to sauna and steam bath.
What is your biggest achievement?
The birth of my daughters and my being able to play a fatherly role in their lives is my biggest achievements. Building my first home is another.
About Kasule
Kasule is also the proprietor of film project Benda Bookings and the brain behind the Filmmakers’ Mix & Mingle a filmmaker’s professional networking event. He also runs ONO YENZE (This is Me) a merchandising label which is celebrating people just the way they are. Some of his most popular statement T-Shirts include Ono YOZEFU and Ndi Musoga.
