The holiday season is the busiest for cinemas in Nigeria and film producers look forward to having a spot with great content that may result in record-breaking movie attendance that would make their films legendary for years to come. Nollywood actor and producer Toyin Abraham Ajeyemi is prepared to entertain viewers around Nigeria as her first Christmas holiday release ‘Ijakumo’ (The Born Again Stripper) promises to be a tale no one has ever seen on a big screen.
Over the past 20 years, Abraham, who is well-known in the film business, has transitioned from playing Yoruba movie roles to starring in movies like “The Prophetess” and “Elevator Baby.” Now in her prime years, she runs a film production firm named after her and has produced theatrical films including the more well-known “Fate of Alakada” and the sequels to “The Ghost and the Tout,” giving her the tools she needed to pull off an unprecedented big-screen feat with Ijakumo: (The Born Again Stripper).
Abraham set out to deliver an experience unlike any before, starring Kunle Remi off the back of his lead role in Anikulapo, Bimbo Akintola returning to the big screens, Okusanya Lolade, an unseen tale Abraham promises is full of potential and directed by Adebayo Tijani, whose most recent work was on the critically acclaimed “King Of Thieves” film, which was released in April of this year.
Before Ijakumo (The Born Again Stripper) hits theaters on December 23rd, BusinessDay spoke with Abraham about bringing a story she saw in her dream to the big screen. During the conversation, Abraham talks in depth how she cast her actors for the roles, finding new talents and training them to take up lead roles, future plans for her production company, and the limitations of making a Christmas-themed film in Nollywood.
One of the most eagerly awaited Nollywood movies to be released over the holidays is your new film Ijakumo. What level of anticipation do you have for your film, and what do you hope audiences throughout the nation will have for it?
I’ve been taking my films to the cinema for five years and this is the first time I’m getting a slot during the Christmas period as it’s the peak period for cinemas as they tend to make more revenue from moviegoers so I’m excited my movie is among the films that will serve the festive season. Sometimes I listen to my fans tell me I need to move from the comedy genre a bit. Though the movie is rated, and won’t serve all ages, Ijakumo movie will capture audiences attention with a lot to be learned.
As a movie producer, you chose the Christmas period to release your film which is a smart move as the festive season draws in the most number of viewers as you rightly mentioned. Is this going to be something we see more often in the coming years?
Yes and no. And I’ll say that because as much as everyone likes to release in December, it has to be given to you by your distributor depending on the movie. If your distributors feel like the movie is worth releasing in December, and has the potential to make huge box office returns then you’re given the December slot.
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The trailer tells about revenge, a born again stripper, and a pastor played by Kunle Remi as the pastor and Lolade Okusanya as the ‘Stripper’ . We also get to see Bimbo Akintola return to the big screen . How did you select your cast for this film and what should moviegoers be expecting from them?
I love it when people see my trailer and don’t understand what is going on. I don’t want to give out spoilers so I won’t say much about the character but the story of revenge goes way over 22 years ago which tells us that sometimes, our past can come back to haunt us. I tell people that we need to be careful how we treat people, and what we say to people because some people find it hard to forgive.
I have worked with Aunty Bimbo several times and working with her it’s always a delight. When I cast Kunle for the role, Anikulapo was not out yet. Myself and my marketing production group were torn between the choices of Deyemi (Okanlawan), and Kunle. I respect both of them as great actors, Deyemi and I are friends and will perform excellently for that role but Kunle had the physical features I was looking for. People judge from what they see and I chose Kunle because I wanted him to play a character that looks likeable on the outside but bad on the inside.
In the movie you play the character Dada Awuru who carries a long dreadlock on her head, and there is a clip of the making of the movie showing you moving around with the hair as one of your assistants help you hold the hair. How difficult was it to keep that appearance and for how long?
It wasn’t easy, I was tired, I have a passion for acting that makes me live through the pain and the stress that comes with it. This is a movie I saw in my dream and that was the inspiration for the hair and the make-up. The character is a dada (a person born with dreadlocks) and due to some circumstances, she didn’t cut her hair for over 20 years. We shot for two months and before we started shooting I was asked to do the hair which I did two weeks before my birthday. So I kept that hair on my head and sometimes wrapped it around my body for 10 weeks. I had difficulties using the bathroom (she laughs) and also on set when it gets in contact with water and having my assistant haul the hair around for me. But I’m happy I achieved my goal despite all the discomfort. It was worth every bit of it.
One of the challenges faced by producers are that of area boys who at certain times create a scene on set. While some experts think the solution to solve this problem will be to have more film studios and film cities with some of those projects already on the way, what does this mean for movie producers like yourself ?
For movie producers the idea of partnering with these firms to use their film cities and studios for our creative work is a welcoming idea I support. It will help curb the problem of area boys who come on to our set to cause chaos. Toyin Abraham Production also plans on having its own film village as well which would help us have our own set design like police station set, street set and so on just the way Tyler Perry who has everything he needs to shoot a film in his studio and don’t need to go looking for props elsewhere. This will also save time during production and if they call for partnership, I will partner with them.
Lolade Okusanya is a new talent. Tell us about how you met her, what skills she possesses and what fans should expect from her? Is Social media now a pipeline for Nollywood talent?
Two years ago, I and Niyi Akinmolayan shot the movie ‘The Prophetess’, then on the group chat we created, someone sent a video review from a fan posted on social media telling us how she loved the movie. I sent her a direct message to show my appreciation for her review and after some further conversations she told me she would love to be an actor. I called her for a set for a YouTube film ‘Listening Ears’ and she gave an impressive performance. I have a lot of girls I bring into the industry and I personally train them to take up lead roles in my cinema films while I play a supporting role.
On that set we had Isbae U, the popular skit maker and he was looking for a female actor for a role in one of his skits, he used Lolade and got great reviews for her role which led to many skit makers calling the actress for roles in their videos. When the story for Ijakumo came up I knew I couldn’t play that role because of my age so I reached out to her to take up the role because of the experience she had gained so far and she performed well and I’m super proud of her.
I tell young actors to put their work on social media. Personally I click a lot of handles and when I do, I want to see what kind of content you are making. Social media is the gateway to worldwide recognition that even myself leverages on.
Finally, what do you think are the limitations to making Christmas themed Nollywood movies for the period of Christmas and will we see those movies from Toyin Abraham Production soon?
As a movie producer, you have to know what people want before we give it to them. If there is a sudden demand from fans that they need to be fed with a certain kind of content, then I will do it. My movie is not a Christmas themed film but it’s more like a Christian film and what people do behind closed doors. To make huge box office revenue, you have to cater for the kids because most of them don’t watch Nollywood drama during Christmas, they rather watch cartoons or Christmas films from Hollywood but we are hoping to compete with that as we make movies that cater to the older demographics.
Final words for viewers going to see your film.
Ijakumo (The Born Again Stripper) is a story that has never been told before, it’s rated but it’s entertaining and filled with drama and lessons to be learned . See you guys on the 23rd of December in cinemas all over Nigeria, thank you,
