While working as head web developer in the one-horse town of Mafikeng, for reasons that were not then clear, I decided that I wanted to return to the big city and become an actor. I shared this revelation with the young lady I was sexting at the time, who, as fate would have it, happened to know just the people to contact. Upon returning to Johannesburg, these contacts led me first to cut my teeth in the world of amateur dramatics, before committing to study the art of performance and going pro.

In my late twenties, out of hundreds of applicants, I was accepted into Musical Theatre at the Tswane University of Technology in Pretoria, South Africa. My aunt then took the opportunity to remind me that when I was but a pre-teen, I’d said,

“when I grow up, I want to be an entertainer.”

My first major TV role would be Kumeshan, a kookie character who moves in with the leads in the popular South African sitcom, City Ses’la. I would later learn that my actual audition piece was horrible. Fortunately for me, the casting agent had kept the camera rolling and caught me just riffing with her. There’s a bigger story to this but the short of it is I got the job. It would not be immediately apparent, but doors were starting to open.

Success would not come rapidly as I struggled to find work since City Ses’la. Substantial roles would elude me for many years, as I floundered in the industry, securing the odd gig here and there. In retrospect, I can now see how I’d steadily been making connections and gaining the experience I needed.

It wasn’t until my mid-thirties that I landed a significant role in one of South Africa’s major soapies, 7de Laan. This role would be the start of a gentle landslide to more regular and meatier work.

Credited as Jai Prakash, Jai Sewram, and Jai’prakash Sewram [find out why here], this amazing piece of human delicacy spent a year studying Musical Theatre before performing multiple characters in small-scale, big productions such as Sweeney Todd (2007), Into The Woods (2005), and a Shakespeare in the Park production of Much Ado About Nothing (2009). My physical performance skills were well received in the children’s theatre shows Aladdin (2008) and Charlotte’s Web (2008), the seductively naughty School of Whoredom (2009 Wits Festival), and the more controversial The Tragic Life and Death of Doctor Faustus (2008). That last one was really awesome. You should check the photos.

On South African TV, I’ve appeared in episodes of City Ses’la (2006 IMDB), 7de Laan (2010, 2012), and small cameos in popular shows Snitch (2006), Generations (2007, 2017, 2018), Rhythm City (2018-2020). I’ve also shot a full season of the yet-to-be-aired Ubuntu…seriously! (2019) as one of the sitcom’s lead characters.

Other screen appearances include a Robbie Wessels’ music video (2012), several featured commercials (2010-2019), and feature length and short movies such as the Last of The Trysts (2009 IMDB), Journey of Souls (2012), Mollie en Wors: Die Movie (2013 IMDB), B.E.E. The Musical (2013), The Deadline (2015), Free State (2016 IMDB), My Father’s War (2016 IMDB), Vuil Wasgoed (2017 IMDB), as well as a couple made-for-YouTube episodes of The Regular Guy (2011).

Hailing from the little town of Kinross, I spent most of my childhood hermitting in my bedroom embracing my introvertism and perfecting my programming skills. However, working in the real world of IT only stimulated so many of my pleasure zones, so I developed a personality, announced that I’d be an actor and haven’t been taken seriously since.

For a while, I plied my trade as an actor and writer with the occasionally splurges of bodywork therapy, IT jobs and design gigs. As the massage and design work got less, I fell into the world of coaching and mentorship. That lasted a couple of years, during which my focus got stronger and clearer on my acting and writing career.

Today, I have infused my various life experiences into my books and acting repertoire. I still enjoy occasionally flaunting my old skills, but most of my working energy is dedicated to the entertainment industry. In my free time, you’ll probably find me hiking, climbing, playing video games, or sunbathing on somebody’s lawn. I am very social within my tribe, love the natural outdoors, and enjoy being active. Ultimate Frisbee, anyone?

As you may have picked up by now, my passions are spread wide, extending to a host of pursuits, which have kept me and continues to keep me engaged and entertained as my life path meanders onward.

Freedom and joy are my tenets to fulfilment, and I’m relatively fanatical about experiencing tons of both in daily life.

Feel free to delve even deeper into the psyche that is my other interests, and visit my inspiration website and adventure website.