Africa-Press – Botswana. Botswana’s film industry has reached a new milestone with the first-ever African adaptation of the global hit, Liar.
The six-part psychological thriller, produced by Botswana Ignite in partnership with leading distributor All3Media International, is set for completion before the end of this month (April).
Rewritten for Botswana
Featuring acclaimed actors Motsoaledi Setumo and Maxwell Dichi, the adaptation stays true to the original’s gripping themes of consent and modern-day gender politics while embedding them in a distinctly African narrative.
Filmed entirely on location in Gaborone, the adaptation brings Liar into an African context.
Unlike a mere remake, this version is a carefully curated reimagination, ensuring that the story resonates with local audiences while maintaining the intensity that made the original a global success.
Realism
Actor Tumelo “King Tux” Johwa, who plays Dr Nick Moloi, shared insights into his role in an interview this: “Embodying my character was secured by following the script rather than trying to emulate the character from the other version.
“My character was a fragment of many other carefully curated components that fit together to make the story more relatable to our Botswana setting, and it worked out well.”
The production team went the extra mile of ensuring realism, particularly in medical scenes. Johwa recalled a challenging, yet thrilling moment during filming.
A doctor on the set
“One particular scene that was an exciting challenge was in the operating room,” he told Time Out in an interview. “Thankfully, we had a real surgeon on set for training before action.”
Such attention to detail reflects Botswana’s growing commitment to high-quality storytelling that meets global standards.
With 15 international adaptations of Liar already produced in India, Italy, France and Germany Botswana’s version is the first to bring an African lens to the globally successful format.
Home grown stories
Johwa sees this as a major step forward. “This adaptation expands our reach, demonstrating that we meet and even exceed international standards,” he said. “It also paves the way for our upcoming original homegrown stories and productions.”
Liar will premiere on a Pan-African streaming platform before making its way to local audiences on Btv.
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