Nollywood actor and filmmaker Kunle Afolayan has addressed the intense criticism he received following remarks about colleagues, including Funke Akindele, during the premiere of his latest movie.
At the event, Afolayan stated that he isn’t interested in ₦1 billion or ₦2 billion in cinema earnings if he cannot earn at least ₦10 million from such projects.
He also commented on the promotional strategies of his peers, noting that he personally avoids dancing to market his films.
Funke Akindele hit back, clarifying that she wasn’t responsible for hindering his progress and advising him against letting jealousy affect him. “The sky is so big for everybody to fly,” she said, also sharing a video of herself dancing to promote her highest-grossing movie.
In an interview with Arise News, Afolayan revealed that Akindele called him unexpectedly, urging him to stop mentioning her name in interviews. He described the call as surprising given their long-standing friendship.
“She called, and she said, ‘I know you don’t like me, but don’t mention my name in your interviews,’ she was yelling, and she dropped the phone after that,” he said.
“It was weird, and I’m like, where is this coming from. She’s like a sister to me. In Unilag, I would go to her hostel; her sister is also my friend, so I am not sure where this is coming from,” he added.
Afolayan explained that his original statement was misunderstood and never meant as criticism of Akindele or any filmmaker’s promotional methods. “I never said anything was wrong with it. For me, it’s draining. I have absolutely nothing against it. I’m just saying what I will not do,” he said.
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He emphasized that his remarks were made during a film business forum discussing cinema sustainability and the economics of releases. “The honest truth is, it was a forum, it was a film business forum, and we had the cinema operators there, and the cinema operators were asking me, when are you coming back to cinema, and I said, I can’t come to cinema if you cannot guarantee that I will make substantial money,” Afolayan explained.
While apologizing for any offense caused, he condemned the social media attacks that escalated the controversy. “If for any reason she feels offended, I’m sorry,” he said.
“But one thing she has done, which I think is totally wrong, and I would never do this kind of thing, is to use social media rats to come after whoever it is.”
Despite the misunderstanding, Afolayan acknowledged Akindele’s strategic growth and success in the industry. “I clearly said to them (young filmmakers), that if you want to adopt a model that I think will work for you now, then follow Funke Akindele’s model,” he said.
“Funke started at a younger age, and then she did Jenifa with minimal budget, rolling resources, and from then, look at Funke’s brand now, she has grown.”