By Damilola Fatunmise
Actor cum filmmaker, Ibrahim Bashir is making a statement with his latest movie, Four Lions (Kiniun Merin).
The film, which debuted at the cinema nationwide on October 7, portrays the havoc cultism can cause in the family and society at large.
In this chat, Bashir opened up more on his career, dreams and how Nigerian movies can win the Oscars.
Your latest project, ‘Four Lions’ dwells on the negative effects of cultism in society. Was it inspired by your personal story or that of someone you know?
Four Lions was inspired by some individuals who are close to me, who had experienced some sort of cult activities while in school. Of course, I wouldn’t mention their names but I picked from different stories and experiences that I heard from them. I didn’t have the experience personally while I was in the university but their stories were quite touching as they face some form of violence in school. And being an actor for years and a movie maker, I felt the need to educate people and let people see the negative side of cultism, the effect it has on the family and the society at large. I put the movie together to let people know that cultism is not good, cultism is bad, and there is no benefit. Those involved can mask it, make it look good to our kids. And of course, I let people know that they need to protect their kids when they send them to school and ensure they follow up with them. That’s how the story came, different ideas from different people.
What were your most notable experiences while making the movie?
As you know, making movies in Nigeria is not easy, but thank God that we are able to manage the production cost by getting money to meet our budget, and of course, there are also location issues in trying to ensure we get the right cast. In fact, I contacted some people, but one way or the other, they couldn’t make it. So, we had to replace them, and when we got to locations some people felt entitled. Should I call them thugs? I’m looking for the right words, though.
Nigerians have criticized some movies they believed were not up to standard. In what way did you make sure that your movie will be enjoyed by people across the country and outside?
We’ve had a lot of influences from popular countries that produce movies like Hollywood, Bollywood and our films are really developing. You would agree with me that we’ve moved into different phases, and in the phase we are in now, I will say our movies are doing better; our movies are telling the African stories. They are more original, our movies are taking over the big platforms abroad. People are coming to partner with Nigerian filmmakers to create original stories, so we are doing well. And yes for the cinema audience, that is a different market, movie makers need to understand what the cinema wants at a particular time and also ensure that the movie is up to standard. For a movie to be up to standard, there are challenges like finance, getting the right hand, the right cast and the right story. It’s a phase, we are getting there, we are getting better.
You were away from the industry for some time. What was responsible for your absence?
I have never been away from the industry. I have been consistent, I have been in it, I have understudied but I have never been away. This is a career I take seriously; this is a career I hold in very high esteem; it is the career that puts food on my table. I do my best and of course, I look forward to bigger jobs, bigger strides.
How do you intend to position yourself in the industry because there are many new and talented actors and filmmakers out there?
The industry is very big, there is enough space for everyone to flourish, everyone to grow. We are not competing, we are just helping each other to get better. And of course, as a talent, it is important we understand that growth is a continuous element, so I cannot just sit down. I need to keep pushing, keep improving. I give God the glory because when I look back, I see that I have moved from point A to point B. I keep partnering because I know partnership helps to improve the quality of the content you put out. I can only hope for better years.
What changes would you like to see in the movie industry?
A lot of hard work goes into content creation, Like I said, I see improvement in the type of content we are delivering – the packaging, the quality, and the value. I look forward to seeing our movies begin to compete favourably. It seems like a dream that cannot be achieved but I pray, wish and want to see that possible, where we can see Hollywood and Bollywood freely coming to Nollywood to work with us. It will be a piece of really good news for a Nigerian movie to win the Oscars.
Tell us a bit about your background and early memories of family life while growing up.
Growing up was fun, I come from a very close mid-family; we play together, have fun together. My father is from Ibadan, Oyo State but I was born and raised in Iwaya, Yaba, Lagos State. In fact, l live there till now, it has been home for many years and I love the place. I attended Fazliomar Primary and Fazliomar Secondary School, Lagos and I am currently a student of University of Lagos. I plan to acquire a higher degree, maybe someday I will become a doctor.
What influenced your decision to join Nollywood?
When I was young, I used to watch home videos, I love the way those stars were looked at and loved. So, I said to myself ‘I will love to do this someday’. I started trying it out, sometimes I will face the mirror and act to myself. I practiced, rehearsed, demonstrated on a role of a particular actor and I enjoyed it a lot. As I started getting closer to some actors, I tried to get information about what I can do to improve myself. I looked up to people like Saheed Balogun, Ibrahim Chatta, Taiwo Hassan and Ronke Odusanya; they are people I saw doing well and I also wanted to do this, try the big screen.
Within 12 months, you had two movies to your credit, what motivates you to make movies?
Daily interactions with friends, families and loved ones. As a producer and scriptwriter, when I hear someone’s story I get inspired. So, I have different types of stories formed right in my head from people’s experiences. There are just so many stories that keep coming into my head and I’ll say to myself ‘let me try and see if I can pull resources to get this movie out’. I am always inspired to do better, to do great things and it is a learning curve for me. The more work I do, the better I believe I will become.
Do you belong to any clique in the industry? How do you think this affects the production of movies and the quality of cast?
I do not belong to any clique, I am for everybody and nobody in particular. I can’t belong to any particular clique, I’m free to work with anybody but it’s important to have mentors, people that guide you. So, if you say mentors, yes, I have mentors, I have people who look out for me. Through their help and the grace of God, I have been able to get to where I am and I am still going places.
Tell us the inspiration behind your latest movie, Four Lions?
Four Lions has been in cinema from October 7. The story is a powerful one, quite touching and very dare to my heart, and I thank God for his grace and the support of everyone that ensures this movie was done. It tells the story of different people from different perspectives and experiences. For me, the take-home is that everyone can watch this film and see for themselves that cultism is bad, there is no benefit in it.