Nollywood sweetheart, Saidi Balogun, may not be gracing the jackets as often as previously, but he’s not resting on his laurels. In this interview with DGossip247.com, the actor cum producer speaks about his career, politics and sundry issues.
How did you start acting?
Acting is a thing I have passion for; it is ability and a gift from God. My mum encouraged me a lot. I have been acting since when I was young. I have not done anything else before acting; my total life has been entertainment from birth, nothing but entertainment.
What are the challenges you face as an actor?
So many challenges, for now, we are fighting piracy. As the president of the Golden Movie Ambassador of Nigerian, our challenge now is the pirates. Government is not giving us enough structure to guide us. And as an individual, my major challenge is finance. We produce a film, we don’t make enough money from it and some sponsors will want you to worship them.
Many actors are now producers. Why is this so?
Being a producer and an actor is not unusual; it happens. It is passion. Some of us have passion for a few things and if you have the opportunity you could explore them. If an actor has been acting for long and also has passion for producing, nothing stops him. It is a natural flavour and it has been happening for long. The likes of Baba Sala produced and acted in their films.
How do you see Nollywood from when you started and now?
The population keeps increasing and the money-making keeps decreasing. When we were in the ratio of sixteen million, we made a lot of money but now the population is over two hundred million due to piracy and lack of structure, it is not getting any better.
How has it been fighting piracy?
We are no more acting on it before we turn ourselves into a debating society. The people in the House of Assembly should have a committee in charge of it and we will know them as a committee. If we go to radio or television it will not make any difference. The people who know the right things should do it. We want both the House of Representative members and the Senate to pass a bill; they are the two bodies that own the power.
They were elected by the people for the people. Thank God Ben Bruce has a cinema house that he is controlling; let’s see what impact he makes in the entertainment industry. If they have the kind of knowledge to make cinema houses, let’s see the level he is going to take us.
Do you have political ambition, especially because you are a grassroots person and why did you decide to support Governor Abiola Ajimobi?
I cannot say yes or no; if God says yes, nobody can say no, and if he says otherwise nobody can stop it. I supported Governor Abiola Ajimobi because he transformed Oyo State and he is a very blunt man; we need blunt souls. Aregbesola and Remi Adiukwu Bakare thought me politics. Aregbesola will always say campaign for everybody, but make sure you mean what you are saying because we are the future. Anybody you campaign for will go and come back. If you see me standing behind anybody now, I know what I’m doing. But going into politics now, I don’t think so. Yet, when the right time comes, I will. I’m not saying I’m not going into it, maybe later in the future. I’m still learning from the masters.
What’s your view about the discrimination between Nollywood and Yoruba movie industry?
Movies have no language. We need to decide if we are going to be shooting only Igbo, Yoruba or English alone. Let’s define who we are. A government came to Nigeria with an idea of WAZOBA during their administration; they were the best thing that has happened to this country.
Those days when we watched the Indian movies, there was no subtitle. But when we watched their movies we cried because from the pictures and movement you could know what was happening. If an Igbo actor can act English and Igbo movie he is a true movie ambassador likewise a Yoruba actor acting Yoruba and English film.
I did a movie in German; I shot a Yoruba and an English version. I pronounced a word in English and also produced it in Yoruba version. By the time you watch the movie, you would have to watch the English and check the Yoruba version to know the meaning of the words.
The problem I have with our people is that we go like a band wagon; we don’t know where we are going. If we really know the depth of what we are doing, we will get it right. If the people shooting Igbo and English film know what they are doing, they are going to be a big plus to the nation.
You have been both an actor and a producer of long standing, yet you have not got any multinational endorsement deal. Does that bother you?
No, it is not as if I cannot be signed. I have not seen a company that suits me. If you take your time to look at my movies, you will see a lot of branding. That actor that has a lot of branding in his movies does not have a company he belongs to. If I belong to one telecommunication company and my movie suits another, they won’t call me and I’m not ready for that.
I am a beautiful bride like Azikiwe said in 1979. He said ‘’if I lose I am a beautiful bride everybody wants to dance with me.” But by the time I want to be the man of the house, I may take one which I don’t want for now. Have you actually slowed down on acting; your face is not as regular on movie jackets as before? That’s true, I just want to give the younger ones a chance to grow and face my life to know who I am.
I am just producing my film for now. Although, I just started doing it; if Will Smith can be in one movie and it will be all over the world for five years, why must I be in five hundred movies? The philosophy is working. Set a good target for yourself, you will get there. You don’t have to be in too many movies, the audience is not blind. They know who is who.
Have you set a date for your retirement?
Acting has no retirement age. In your grave you are still acting because you see somebody who is just still, he is wearing a different cloth from what he is wearing that is still acting. A lot of old actors like Akin Lewis are still acting. Acting is the best career I have ever imagined in my life. I will be acting now and forever.
If you had a second chance what would you do differently in life?
Do you have any regret? Nothing. I will do what God says I would do. I don’t decide what to do. Whatever he decides that is what I will do. I don’t have any regret for now because if I regret ever being born in Nigeria what if I was born in Iraq or Afghanistan? I am not interested in building houses and mansions. When I pass on like Pa Awolowo, I want people to talk about me. So many millionaires have died but nobody talks about them.
