In Conversation with the cast of Blood Sisters.

Bside caught up with the cast of Netflix’s first Nigerian original TV series Blood Sisters for an exclusive chat.

Blood Sisters, Netflix’s first Nigerian original TV series, is rousing, refreshing and tense, and it is exactly the kind of storytelling Nigerian audiences have been clamouring for years. The action thriller embodies the market potential that could eventually put Nollywood on a global stage. Featuring a story centred around best friends Sarah (Ini Dima Okojie) and Kemi (Nancy Isime), the project is directed by Biyi Bandele and Kenneth Gyang.

Kola (Deyemi Okanlawon), Sarah’s betrothed, physically abuses his bride-to-be a day before and at their wedding ceremony, marring what should rather be a happy occasion and eventually devolving into a heated exchange and Kola’s death.

Domestic violence, familial rivalry and friendships are very prominent themes in the project, which offers a somewhat authentic picture of the relationship between Nigeria's bourgeoisie and the lower class.

While in a conversation with the breakout star of the series, Genoveva Umeh who played the role of Timeyin, a member of the powerful Ademola family, on how she felt after seeing the script for the first time she was quick to say; “So after getting cast, I thought oh what a thrilling journey this is going to be, not only for the character that I played but also for all the characters in the script”.

Umeh’s character in the series developed into becoming a major catalyst for the story and her performance has been heralded by many and rightfully so.

Asides from Genoveva Umeh, Bside also caught up with two other lead characters in the film Deyemi Okanlawon who plays the role of Kola, as well as Gabriel Afolayan who plays the role of Femi, the Kola’s peevish elder brother who fights for his place as the rightful heir of the family business.

The screen siblings discuss specific themes in the series and how they managed to prepare for their different roles before and during production.

Bside: When you got the script to play your respective roles, what was the first thing that came to mind? Afolayan: For me, I love good stories and that was the attraction. And it has plenty of themes; love, friendship values, family rivalry, and domestic violence. So it was a compact type of energy and I think that was what sold the idea to be a part of it for me. Umeh: So after getting cast, I thought oh what a thrilling journey this is going to be. Not only for the character that I played but also for all the characters in the script. So it was just mind-blowing and extremely exciting to be doing Blood Sisters. Okanlawon: For me, when you get a call