By David Adebayo
Actress Jaiye Kuti has criticised what she described as the lack of solidarity in Nollywood, expressing disappointment that none of her colleagues publicly supported her after several cinemas removed her film from their screens.
Speaking on the Oyinmomo podcast monitored by Persecondnews, Kuti said the Nigerian film industry is gradually losing the sense of unity that once existed, with many practitioners choosing to remain silent about challenges affecting everyone while pretending that all is well.
“Our relationship is gradually breaking down. Everybody is just acting like it’s okay. How is it okay?” she said, arguing that many actors and filmmakers are fully aware of the industry’s problems but are reluctant to speak out.
The actress said film production and cinema distribution have become increasingly expensive, stressing that many people fail to appreciate the huge financial risks producers take before hoping to recover their investments.
She also questioned the public’s fascination with celebrity lifestyles, saying many of the people admired on social media are battling personal and professional struggles hidden from public view.
Recalling her experience, Kuti said she was left to fight alone after publicly protesting the removal of her movie from several cinemas, despite the fact that other filmmakers face similar distribution challenges.
“Not one actor went to those cinemas or even supported me, despite the fact that we’re all going through the same thing,” she said.
Kuti said she finds it ironic that colleagues who remain silent during difficult times are often the first to send birthday wishes, insisting that such gestures have lost their meaning.
“But if I celebrate my birthday, the next day they’d wish me a happy birthday. So I stopped wishing people a happy birthday because I don’t want anyone to wish me on my birthday. Please don’t,” she said.