Nollywood can earn Nigeria more revenue than oil industry – Kalu Ikeagwu

Weekend Magazine: Going down memory lane, when did you start acting? Kalu Ikeagwu: Since I was in the university in1988; that’s almost 30 years ago. But I did my first TV production with NTA in 1999 in a drama called ‘Parliament of Vultures.’ It was a satirical drama and I think we were toying with […]

Weekend Magazine: Going down memory lane, when did you start acting?

Kalu Ikeagwu: Since I was in the university in1988; that’s almost 30 years ago. But I did my first TV production with NTA in 1999 in a drama called ‘Parliament of Vultures.’ It was a satirical drama and I think we were toying with the idea of when we were going into democracy then. We did a satire based on the First and Second republics. The first movie I did was ‘Black Widow’ which I co-produced with Nelson in the United States in 2012. We weren’t able to get its copyright but we only showed it at private shows in the US.

WM: Is there any serious difference between your personal attributes and some of the characters you’ve played in movies?

Ikeagwu: Well, I have come to the understanding that we have everything that separates us from other people – whether genetics, environment or the setting in which you grew up. Therefore, if I have been born in a privileged society where I had everything done for me, I would be such kind of a person. If I’ve been born to a very impoverished family where I have to do whatever I have to do to make it, the two scenarios are different but the personality is one person. I try to imagine myself when I’m playing a character, I try to understand where the character is coming from and I also know that our ultimate service is to God. I also understand that all of us have failed as humans and so we rely on God to stand firm. By default, we are evil and we are open to any sort of evil things. So, I do see that in most of the roles I played either of being good or bad but all in all, I recognise that as a human being, I have fallibilities. When I see those characters in people, I don’t judge them; I understand where they are coming from. I think that affords me the availability to be as diverse as possible in many roles.

WM: What should Nollywood fans expect from you this year?

Ikeagwu: Quite a lot I would say. I just finished a movie where I played this very arrogant person robbing a state with his confidence and intelligence and came back to change the state by contesting a gubernatorial election, not knowing the political terrain I am into and went through some frustrations. It’s coming out soon. I also did an Igbo movie in which I played the role of a gullible person who has a very erratic nephew who’s often stealing things. This is also coming out soon. Quite a lot really!

WM: What changes should Nollywood faithfuls expect to see in the film industry this year?

Ikeagwu: Changes are happening everywhere already. We have moved from just being a DVD thing to cinema and now going on the internet. We are going through a very challenging time, with regards to the recession in the country and factionalised war is going on with the religious divide. I think quite a lot of filmmakers are in a sense conscious of the mirror of the society. I think a lot of materials are going to come out to address all these mistakes and how Nigerians, the everyday person feels about it. Scripts are coming out from politics, how to build our institutions and environment. This is one thing I absolutely applaud the filmmakers in our industry for because there’s far more less money now as a result of our economic challenges, but much more movies are coming out. That shows the doggedness of the Nigerian film industry. It just tells who we are as a people.

 WM: Don’t you think the cinemas will affect DVD sales?

Ikeagwu: I don’t think so because if filmmakers do DVD, the pirates are out there waiting to take their work’s returns; so it makes more sense to go cinema and then later on, you can do DVDs.

WM: How do you think the issue of piracy affecting the film industry should be addressed?

Ikeagwu: I don’t know what to say because the government refuses to see that… First of all, I think it starts from the government really, because until the government sees that the film industry can completely outshine the oil industry in revenue-making – by way of revealing our image to the world, by way of increasing tourism into the country, by way of bringing in investments into this country – until they see that, they are not going to take prioritising film very seriously. I think this is very unfortunate for the industry.

WM: Why did you get involved in the ‘Script2screen Africa’ film project?     

Ikeagwu: Well, I am involved mostly based on the personality and integrity of the person behind the project. I’ve known him for quite a while, for about six years and I’ve come to know Obasi as a person of integrity, focus who has the vision to serve people.

WM: What are the things aspiring actors and actresses should expect from you at the film academy?

Ikeagwu: Basically, the little I have learnt in my profession will make a difference to them. Not that I’ve been there for donkey years anyway but at least I’m happy over the role I will be playing in the field of what I’m doing. So, I am willing to share with them how to stand on their own and to handle their work especially in the field of acting and writing and how to know their roles and be disciplined to keep being relevant because it can be challenging. It also comes with a lot responsibility that may suddenly make some to lose focus. So, these are things I will be sharing with them in order for them to maintain and stay focused.