Olaiya Igwe makes history
with Aditu Kosegbe!
Triplets’ candid confession
By SAMUEL OLATUNJI
Sunday,
April 13, 2008
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•Olaiya
Photo: Sun News Publishing
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The quest to take Nollywood to enviable heights in standard
of production and story has received a big boost with the
completion of the production of Ebun Oloyede’s Aditu
Kosegbeja; a multi-million naira production. The movie, shot
on location in Abeokuta, Ile Ife and Ilesha, is another attempt
at pushing forward the frontiers of Nigerian movies.
The Story Aditu is a compelling story that preaches religious
tolerance and unity among the two leading religions in the
world, Islam and Christianity. It also shows that God, the
creator of heaven and earth has not mandated anybody to fight
his battle but rather enjoins all humans to see his fellow
human as his or her brother and worshippers of the same God.
The story is about a simple mistake that a young man, who
has affiliation with both religions, made and before anything
could be done to salvage the situation, emotions went wild
and tempers could not be controlled, as a full religious war
ensued and the result was the killing of the innocent. The
story clearly shows the kind of senselessness that religious
fanaticism brings about and the end result that has never
been to anyone’s favour.
Production
A visit to the set of Aditu revealed that the producer, Ebun
Oloyede, popularly called Olaiya Igwe, spared nothing to achieve
the best in terms of equipment, cast and crew. In his words,
“Aditu Kosegbeja is a movie project that I used eight
months to plan and I set out from day one to get the best
out of it. To get this done, I had to assemble the best in
terms of cast, crew and equipments. We used three cameras.
Two XDCAMS (the only two available in Nigeria) and an HD strictly
devoted to shooting the making of the movie. We equally had
a crane, a track and dolly and a jimmy Jip on location.
We shot for forty days non stop and it was the most intense
production I have ever undertaken in my life. For the crew,
I was privileged to have one of the best directors in the
country and I must say he really proved his worth with his
amazing handling of the project. The director, Adebambo Adebanjo,
a renowned crowd director, was chosen because of the large
number of cast involved in the movie. We had well over 1000
cast in the movie. If not for his dexterity and expertise,
we wouldn’t have been able to achieve what we achieved.
We equally had one of the most experienced directors of photography,
Sunday Ogunyemi leading the camera crew.
The Cast
The cast of Aditu is not just large but heavy on A-list actors.
The roll call includes Prince Jide Kosoko, Jibola Daboh, Prof.
Akinwale, Binta Ayo Mogaji, Sokoti, Aderupoko, Monsuru Obadina
and Bukky Ajayi. Others include Femi Ogedengbe, Yomi Faleye
(Osaghie), Dr. Kola Oyewo, Ebun Oloyede, Chief Kanran, Adebayo
Salami, Alagba Olowomojuore, Olumide Bakare and Bayo Bankole
amongst others.
When Policemen Became Actors
One of the major attractions on the set of Aditu is the heavy
presence of men and officers of the Nigeria Police Force,
both regular and the Mobile Force. The over 100 real policemen
that were on set did not come to keep the peace but were on
set to act in the movie. According to the producer, he had
to apply to the police authorities for the release of the
policemen and their equipments, which included patrol vehicles,
Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), AK 47 guns and pistils.
“I did not want to impoverish anything, so I went for
the real thing. I believe in excellence and perfection; that
has been the hall mark of my productions, though I have gone
the whole hog this time around”, Olaiya said. Many of
the artists on set were amazed at the great artistic display
of the policemen.
What the Director Said
Though the director, Adebambo Adebanjo, read Geography, he
has overtime become one of the best directors the country
can boast of, specializing in directing crowd dramas and movies.
He had his tutelage under Prof. Ola Rotimi and has a proven
record of directing crowd dramas. He conceptualized, wrote
and directed the opening and closing ceremonies of Gateway
Games staged in Abbeokuta. He equally directed Lagidigba,
a crowd drama.
On Aditu, Uncle Bambo, as he is popularly called said, “Aditu
is a bright new beginning for Nollywood. We have waited for
a long time for something like this to happen and I must confess
that I am grateful to be a prominent part of this new revolution.
The producer did not deprive me of whatever I wanted in terms
of equipments and I really salute his courage in embarking
on this project. With projects like this, the future of Nollywood
is indeed bright. The story is strong, the cast great, the
crew, very experienced. We had a wonderful time on set.
Plans for the Movie
According to the producer, aside from shooting both in English
language and Yoruba, the movie will also be lip synced in
French, so that French speaking countries can have access
to the movie without difficulties. “What I have done
is an example for other producers. I have always been a trail
blazer and this will definitely redefine the way things are
done in this part of the world. We hope to explore every available
opportunity to give the movie the maximum exposure through
film festivals, exhibitions and other traditional means”.
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