Riaad Moosa, best known for his stand-up comedy, will be making his feature film debut. In Material, Moosa plays the part of Cassim, a young Muslim man who is forced to choose between stand-up comedy and taking over his father's fabric shop in Fordsburg, Johannesburg.

Unique to South Africa, Material is not a Bollywood film, but a contemporary Indian story grappling with universal themes like identity, responsibility and duty to one's family. Material, The Movie co-stars Vincent Ebrahim, best known for his character on The Kumars at no. 42 and will release in South Africa on 17 February, 2012.

How did you get involved in the making of Material?

Ronnie Apteker, the guy who brought the Internet to South Africa, has always had a love for movies and stand-up comedy. We thought a Muslim doctor who does stand-up comedy would make an interesting story.

We got in touch with Craig Freimond (Gums & Noses, Jozi) and developed the idea of a Muslim doctor and comedian into a script. During the creative process we realised that we'd be able to get more out of the film by changing the lead character's profession and the movie evolved over the next seven years.

The film has some parallels with your life, just how biographical is it?

My life inspired the story and I've been involved from the start. So as a result much of the conflict, community and settings have been based on my experiences. You could say I supplied the building material and Craig Freimond built the building. I also added jokes and some of the dialogue.

How strict was adherence to script, was there room to ad-lib?

There was a lot of improvisation on set and within the scene. We actually used improv to write some of the script. Craig has a background in improv and understands it well.

He directed Jozi, his comedy is quite progressive, influenced by Larry David...

Yes, he directed Sorted with Lionel Newton, which was inspired by Curb Your Enthusiasm.

What was it like working opposite Vincent Ebrahim?

His professionalism, the subtlety of his performance - Vincent is an amazing actor! Film is so much closer than TV or live theatre and based on technicality - I learnt a lot by just watching him. The casting of our on-screen family was just fantastic - there was great chemistry and we just looked good together!

This is your film debut, did you receive any coaching?

Craig spent a little bit of time getting me up to speed. I brought my experience in stand-up and sketch comedy on the Late Nite News and I've been close to the development of the character and script. The editing also helped - you can expect a jam-packed blooper reel on the DVD!

What was the best acting advice you received?

The best advice I received was from Craig Freimond who said "don't act". It was more important for me to feel, understand and be in the scene without being too distracted by the cameras. You also have to trust in your director. What you feel may have been bad isn't always how it's portrayed on the monitors.

Did anything surprise you about the film-making process?

I didn't realise just how technical it is - how each shot is treated. I've been involved every step of the way, offering guidance for story, cultural nuances and for quality of filming. It's been a collaborative effort.

What was the atmosphere like on the set?

Very fun, we had a family vibe between the cast and crew without many egos... and when we did have issues, it was mostly technical - rain, lighting and timing problems.

What do you want audiences to take away from the film?

We've had incredible responses from so many people after the previews, everyone's loved it! We want folks to laugh at the funny scenes and cry at the emotional moments, have a good movie experience and appreciate a South African film that breaks through.