By Bemigho Awala
Tunde Kelani was once quipped by someone to be to the Nigerian/African film industry what Wole Soyinka is to literature. This is the gospel as, without any fear of equivocation, Tunde Kelani and his filmic works are the most studied by the academia world over.
As an aside, Tunde Kelani, who is popularly referred to as TK, has very strong filial ties to the city of Olumo Rock, just like Soyinka. As one of the most respected filmmakers in Nigeria, or anywhere else, TK serves as a cultural ambassador, educator, advocate, socio-political commentator, and future-oriented creative icon with his filmic productions and other creative engagements.
Beyond being a world-class storyteller, TK’s legacy as a gift that keeps on giving is hewed on his ability to seamlessly blend tradition and modernity, both at the levels of production and preoccupation, which in turn has marked him out among his peers as a forerunner and maestro of the industry.
Born in Lagos in 1948, at age five, Tunde was sent to live with his grandparents in Abeokuta, Ogun State. He attended the Oke-Ona Primary School in Ikija, Abeokuta, and had his secondary school education at the famous Abeokuta Grammar School, Fela Anikulapo’s alma mater as well.
It was in Abeokuta that the young and impressionable TK became immersed in Yoruba cultural nuances and cosmology, given that his grandfather was a chief (the Balogun of Ijaye Kukudi). After he finished secondary school, in 1968/’69, Tunde Kelani returned to Lagos to become an apprentice photographer at the Studio of Oloye Dotun Okubanjo in Broad Street, Lagos. This was a result of the love for photography, which he had developed since his primary school days.
He proceeded to train and work at the then Western Nigeria Television (WNTV), Ibadan as a trainee film cameraman and due to his fast-rising stock, he was later transferred to NBC channel 10 in 1974. In 1976, his dream came true as he had saved up to attend the London Film School to do a diploma course in the Art and Technique of Filmmaking. On his return to the country, TK worked in television to pay up the two-year bond he had signed and then moved into the independent filmmaking arena with Cinekraft and later Mainframe productions.
Tundé Kelani’s body of work – steeped in culture, mobilised through Èṣù-like storytelling – offers new myths that awaken the spirit and desire to create a more balanced and beautiful world. He has treated wide and variegated themes in adaptations and original film works that include sickle cell anemia, socio-political and economic preoccupations, and the documentation of Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage.
It is a testament to his enduring legacy that he bequeathed films like Ti oluwa ni ile (Parts 1 – 3) (1993), Ayo ni mo fe (Parts 1 – 2) (1994), Kòseégbé (1995), Ò le kù (1997), White Handkerchief (1998), Saworoide/Brass Bells (1999), Thunderbolt: Magun (2001), Agogo èèwò (2002), which have become classics and still remain very relevant till date. Other projects include The Campus Queen (2003), Agbako (2006), The Narrow Path (2006), Abeni (Parts 1 – 2) (2006), Life in Slow Motion (2008), Arugba (2010), Maami (2011), Dazzling Mirage (2014), Ayinla (2021) and most recently Cordelia (2022). Sidi Ilujinle (2017) is a filmic reenactment of Wole Soyinka’s The Lion and the Jewel.
In filmmaking parlance, TK has been described as an auteur. One important point to note is that TK’s readiness to embrace the latest technology in shooting his films has always stood him out. How can we forget the prescient ethos in Saworoide that ended in the mysterious death of the military dictator in the film which was reenacted in real life, in life-imitating art?
TK’s legacy can also be viewed through the prism of many actors and technical crew members who came to the limelight via his works. Many film lovers will remember that it is O Le Ku that gave Yemi Shodimu and Feyikemi Layinka (Bodunrin) their first major opportunity to prove their mettle as Ti Oluwa Nile did Dele Odule, who played the role of a king in the movie, and Kareem Adepoju (aka Baba Wande) whose lead role in the film won him a lot of followers.
In Saworo Ide, the award-winning Kunle Afolayan and Kabirah Kafidipe first got their major roles, where they played Aresejabata and Araparegangan, respectively.
Kunle Afolayan has since become one of the biggest players in New Nollywood. He is a respected director of widely acclaimed films that include The Figurine, Irapada, October 1, and The CEO, amongst others.
Kafidipe, who has also distinguished herself, producing movies in the company with her sister, Ayisat, under the Kaffi Communications brand is worth mentioning. Lukman Abdulraham, one of TK’s earliest cameramen was among the top five highest-earning cinematographers in Nollywood last year.
Diji Aderogba went from mentoring under TK via his Mainframe Film and Media Institute to directing Showmax’s first Nigerian Original Comedy Series, Ghana Jollof.
Truth be told, this list is just a minute random sampling of TK’s protegees who are doing amazing things across the creative industry in Nigeria and the world over.
TK is also a veteran of some prominent battles – firstly with the Nigeria Film and Video Censors, Board as they classified his films in a manner that restricted wide viewing and with the pernicious scourge of the film industry – film pirates. In spite of these sticky points, the good news is, according to TK, “If Wole Soyinka has not stopped writing, who am I to stop making films? The answer is as long as I have good health, I hope to spend the rest of my life practising.”
President Muhammadu Buhari’s tribute to TK on his 70th birthday best sums up his greatness: “(He is) Gifted with uncanny storytelling skills and his ability to breathe life into scripts and translate literature to movies, thereby enhancing understanding of the rich cultural heritage of the country and consistently updating the narrative of a unified and progressive nation.”
TK is truly Nigeria’s gift and pillar of the arts that keeps on giving.
Bemigho Awala is a highly dynamic, independent, and experienced professional in audio-visual, radio advertising, press, and public relations. He is based in Lagos.
Ayodelé is a Lagos-based journalist and the Content and Editorial Coordinator at Meiza. All around the megacity, I am steering diverse lifestyle magazine audiences with ingenious hacks and insights that spur fast, informed decisions in their busy lives.
